add something to animated gif every frame - shortcut?

I want to add a 2px border around an existing animated gif with 60 layers/frames. I also want to add some small text to each layer/frame.

Do I have to make 60 copies of a new layer with the border and text and then merge each one with each existing layer? Or, is there a shortcut way to do this?

Also, sometimes "merge down" is greyed out so I have to uncheck everything I don't want to merge and use "merge visible". What determines whether "merge down" is available?

TIA.

I may be wrong because I generally use Image Ready for this... but what about creating a new blank image, put the frame and text in... drag the existing layers to the new image. You might have to relink each slide but it would only take a matter of seconds. In IR, it defaults to visible for the existing layer in each frame unless you uncheck it.

I'm just guessing but... presumably the existance of something in the layer below and if there is one. I may be missing something here.

Cheers

Just create a new layer with a border and place the new layer on the top. The same may be done with the text too. In ImageReady, you can turn layers on and off for each frame. You can also move layer elements to new locations for each layer. So if the text words are changing, just make layers for each display and have that layer visible for the correct frame and the other text layers turned off.

Rather than "merging down" save the file as a PSD file, but "Save Optimized As..." as a GIF. That will make future editing much easier!

Peadge :-)

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I want to add a 2px border around an existing animated gif with 60 layers/frames. I also want to add some small text to each layer/frame.
Do I have to make 60 copies of a new layer with the border and text and

then merge each one with each existing layer? Or, is there a shortcut way to do this?

Also, sometimes "merge down" is greyed out so I have to uncheck everything

I don't want to merge and use "merge visible". What determines whether "merge down" is available?

TIA.

There's no magic shortcut to do what you want in PSE. Animation in PSE is WYSIWYG. :) However, there are some things you could do to make it easier. One way would be to create the text and frame on a transparent background as a separate image with the same dimensions as your animation layers -- then you can copy it and use Edit menu> Paste Into to get it on your animation layers.

1. Open your animation and use Select All (CTRL+A) then Copy it (Ctrl +C). Create a new document. Notice that because you copied the original, the correct image properties are already entered in the New Document dialog. Now, check the box in the dialog for Transparent background and click OK.

2. CTRL+A to Select All, and then use Edit menu>Stroke to add your 2 pixel border. Add your text, simplify the text layer and merge down so that everything you need to add to original animation is one one layer.

3. Select All and Copy. On your animation document, select the first layer/frame on the Layers palette. The animation image should still have the marching ants marquee around it, if not, do a Select All again. You need to have a selection in order to use the Paste Into command. Now use Edit menu>Paste Into (CTRL+SHIFT+V). Repeat the Paste Into on each layer as needed.

One more helpful hint: You easily ascend or descend through the layers using Alt+] or Alt+[. Just be sure to work up or down on your layer stack so you won't get mixed up!

HTH
Patti

Thanks. That will save a few steps.