Have you ever wondered how to create an animated text that looks like it was being handwritten?
Thanks to Fence Post's tutorial, you can easily create one using GIMP.
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The GNU Image Manipulation Program, or GIMP, is a free raster graphics editor used to process digital graphics and photographs. It is often used as a free software replacement for Adobe Photoshop; however, it is not designed to be a Photoshop clone. Wikipedia
It is light-weight. Easy to use. You can create animated GIFs too!
You can download the GIMP software from these sites:
GIMP for Windows
GIMP for MAC OS X
GIMP for Linux
For installation instructions, check out these articles:
How to Install GIMP on Windows XP
How to Install GIMP on MAC OS X 10.5.2 or greater
How to Install GIMP 2.6 on Linux
Once you have GIMP installed in your system, you are now ready to create animated handwritten texts or signatures.
How to Create Animated Signatures using GIMP
Part One.
(1) Open GIMP. Go to FILE > NEW. Set the image size. (ex. 640x480).
(2) Click on the TEXT ICON, choose your desired font, size, color. Click on the paint area and add your text.
(3) Go to your layer window. Right click on the text layer (i.e. Enjoy!). Choose ALPHA TO SELECTION.
(4) This is how your image would look like afterwards.
(5) With the text selection still active, go back to the layer window, hide the text layer and choose background. Your image will now look like this:
Part Two.
(1) Set foreground color with anything you want.
(2) Grab the brush (or Draw in Ink). Adjust the brush size as desired. Add a dab of color on a portion of the first letter of your word.
(3) On the layer window, click Duplicate Layer. Add another dab of color in continuation of the portion you have colored in the previous step.
(4) Repeat STEP 3 over and over again until you have colored each letter of your word.
Part Three.
(1) Go to the layer window. Right-click the TEXT LAYER (i.e. Enjoy!), choose DELETE.
(2) Go to FILTER > ANIMATION > PLAYBACK.
Part Four.
(1) Go to FILE > SAVE or SAVE AS. Choose GIF as File type.
(2) On the EXPORT FILE Message box, select SAVE AS ANIMATION. EXPORT.
(3) Choose your desired speed. Default is 100 ms. Click OK.
Here is the result.
Notes:
If you'd like to have a different background color (besides white), fill in the background with the desired color right after STEP 1 of PART 1.
You may crop your image by going to the layer window, choosing the bottom-most layer, and clicking IMAGE > CROP.
If you're having difficulty following this method, check out how Fence Post did it.
Resources:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIMP
http://fence-post.deviantart.com/art/Handwritten-Text-in-GIMP-36791055
http://graphicdesign.learnhub.com/lesson/video/115-how-to-install-gimp-on-windows-xp
http://darwingimp.sourceforge.net/guides/install_leopard/
http://phorolinux.com/how-to-install-gimp-26-on-linux.html
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