Graphics and Animations

The word flash has always been synonymous with lightning and thundering and the advent of flash movies has brought a similar revolution in the cyber world. Flash movies have gained an immense popularity among web designers and the public equally. Why? Flash software enables you to create animations alongside interactive content and this feature creates a movie like feeling for the viewers.

Flash is an application that works on a multilevel platform. It is consistent across all platforms and browsers and any movie created in Flash will appear the same on all browsers and platforms - all that is required is the correct plug-in, which is really not a Herculean task. If the plug-in is not in built with the browser, it can be downloaded for free.

There are many advantages in using Flash Flash is a wonderful tool to add games, animations and video to your website. Flash movies are relatively smaller files when compared to GiF formats and other video versions. It also offers a plethora of colors, blending options, and opacity levels with smooth animations and accurate typography.

Now let’s say you want to create a website and you need a demo or a tutorial to be placed in it. You have three options….. the first is to give it only in text, the second is through visual only I.e. only visuals and videos and the third …is a tactful handling of visual and text and that is where Flash helps. Flash movies help you to create a site where you can explore options for effectively combining text and videos. This helps to give various options not only to you but also to your viewers. If used judiciously, Flash you would give the viewers a platform to read, view, observe, hear and understand and that’s what we want, right?

A web designer always wants his website to be interactive and unique to gain an edge over competitors. Flash movies enables them to do this through features that allow them to add attractive text, draw graphics, and create special effects and much more. In short, using a Flash maker you as a site owner can speak to your audience and make that best impression on them. They help to catch audience attention in a quick way that cannot be seen in other kinds of media communications. In order to gain the full benefits of using Flash software all that is needed is harnessing its rich graphics and powerful programming features.

However as with everything “Excess of anything is harmful.” So avoid getting tempted to use too much of Flash or use Flash where it’s not needed. Why?

Flash takes a lot of space, hence it takes time to load a website with lot of Flash elements. So when using Flash movies, use it appropriately and meaningfully. Think of using it, like using images in a book - there has to be a balance between the text element and visual elements. They should compliment each other.

At the end the choice is at your discretion. However, it is advisable to use Flash as a part of your website rather than cluttering it up with it. So all the web designers out there- Do flash, but Flash in style!

So while flash movies can be great for your website, to create flash movies you need to learn actionscripting and programming. Fortunately, now there is a way by which flash has been made be easy… so average people like you and me can also make flash movies for our websites - and without spending a fortune on expensive flash makers Or months in learning all this technical Flash mumbo-jumbo first…

So while all the “Industry Experts” said it “could never” be done…

We Out of Pure Frustration, researched and reached out to the Greatest Programmers to Build “The Ultimate Flash Maker.” A flash maker that can create flash movies without any programming! And we did it!

Proudly presenting to you:

http://www.toufee.com/

The Easiest and Fastest Flash Movie Maker Online!

If you know how to use a mouse… you can create flash movies with Toufee’s Flash Maker.

P.S. There is currently a 14 day free trial going on Toufee.com, so you can check it without actually buying anything!

When working on a project’s design remember to create a design that fits the market you’re reaching out to. Be aware that design choices have a direct impact on how a client may view your company and/or its products and services. Use your logo, web address, and contact number whenever possible on printed materials, especially when purchasing promotional items (also known as “give-aways”). Quite often when you order promotional items the manufacturer asks for the information you would like imprinted and your logo. Find out who is preparing the art and whether or not they will be maximizing your exposure by utilizing the entire print area and if you are getting custom design. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve seen pens designed with nothing more than simple lettering, magnetic calendars, etc. where nothing about the company stands out. The print is “run of the mill” and there isn’t any design detail. Get your supplier to use your logo and make it recognizable! It can be done. You’re paying for a product which will represent your company as it travels from person to person or sits on someone’s desk. The idea is to do it right and get it recognized. Average layout and type do not attract the human eye. If your supplier doesn’t want to customize your printable space…get someone else.

Please reply to emails using an email from your web site’s domain. If your website is greatoys.com then reply to all your inquiries with an email that ends in “@greattoys.com”. For instance, customerservice@greattoys.com or salesgreattoys.com. This is the most professional manner of handling email replies. Using an email address like “greattoys@yahoo.com” is not professional and isn’t going to inspire confidence in the size and validity of your company. A number of email addresses should already be included in your hosting plan. Contact your hosting service and find out how to use them. This is another small, but so very important, detail that you shouldn’t overlook.

Web design is much more than impressive text and imagery. You’ve got to keep the design functional as well as visually appealing. For instance, when you create an online form be sure to return a thank you page after the submit button is selected. On the thank you page include any additional information a visitor may need. How to contact you, how to check their order status and an idea of what to expect next. These small details go a long way in making a site visit pleasant and professional. Provide your contact information, or at least an option to email you, on every web page in your site. Remember google ranks pages not entire websites. If a potential client visits a page from your site without some way of contacting you they may not want to go to another page to do it. Make it easy. Make it simple. Immediate gratification is often the difference between a sale and a lost deal.

Think about your projects from a client’s point of view. Consider that site visitors or people reading your brochure do not know your business as well as you. What are the questions they may have? What will set your company apart from all the others? What market are you trying to reach and is your design appropriate for that market. Maybe your design should appeal to multiple markets thus getting you more value from the product or website. In short, try to create an experience that educates potential clients, is easy to follow and stays with them.

Photoshop is now widely used especially by media people. Most commercial prints have undergone altering in Photoshop before being released in public. It is a great way to edit and create graphics. Your imagination is the limit.

One of the salient features of Photoshop is the Starburst Effect. Go the filter menu > stylize > wind. Experiment on different settings. Example:

• Method: Blast
• Direction: Form Right to left.

Click ok when satisfied with your settings and see the effect on your image.

Take note that in the wind filter, black and white reacts differently. Use black to follow the direction of the wind. Use white to go the opposite direction. The output will look like an overlapping of black and white colors.

Hit Ctrl+F to repeatedly to spread spikes and minimize the black area.

The “Motion Blur” Filter gives a smoother effect compared to the original image. Try the following settings:

• Angle: 0 (zero)
• Distance: 200

Try rotating the canvas to 90 degrees under Image > Rotate Canvas. Use Polar Coordinate Filters for other special effects. Open the Filter/Distort Menu. Set filter to “Rectangular to Polar.” Apply the filter when satisfied with the setting.

The starburst effects is best appreciated in a transparent background. The first option is to hide the background layer. Otherwise, delete the background with the eraser tool.

Hit Ctrl+Shift+I to invert selection (for MAC: Cmd+Shift+I). The initial black layer will be accentuated with a transparent starburst layer.

Create a new layer at the top of the Starburst layer. Fill this layer with the color of your choice. Experiment on the different blending effects like blend mode, overlay, soft light, color burn or color.

Next, strengthen and soften the inner center spot. Duplicate the previous starburst and apply “Pinch” under the Distort Menu. To strengthen the impact, repeat the process.

At this stage, some details may have been lost. Retrieve lost detail with the unsharp mask tool. Try the following settings:

• Amount: 50%
• Radius: 0.5
• Threshold: 0

Keep your starburst as a separate layer for possible use in your other projects.

There are a lot of things more you can do with Photoshop. Keep on exploring and experimenting.
For more information on Photoshop Tutorials and Photoshop Newbies please visit our website.