//animated button tutorial

step 1: create a new image.  make it 88x31 with a transparent background.

step 2: fill the background with whatever colour you want, I used #3E5E51.

step 3: create a new layer and call it colour_strip.  make a selection across the image using your rectangular marquee tool.

step 4: fill the selection with another colour of your choosing, I used #3D535E.

step 5: add some text using your favorite bitmap font.  I used 04b08, download it here.  move your text all the way over to the left side of the image using your move tool.

step 6: jump to image ready (file>jump to>Adobe Image Ready)

step 7: there should be a little animation palette at the bottom, if you don't see it click on window>animation.

step 8: duplicate the first frame in the animation palette by using the little button in the top right corner of the animation palette to copy frame 1 and then pasting it.  there should now be two!  make sure the second frame is selected in the animation palette and the text layer is selected in the layer palette.

step 9: move the text in your new layer all the way to the right.

step 10: click on the tween button.  A window with some options should pop up.  Use these settings:  Tween With:  Previous Frame, Frames to Add: 15, leave everything else the way it is.  Click OK.

step 11: now you have some text that goes from the left to the right but then jumps from the right straight back to the left.  Now lets make it bounce from side to side.  Copy frame 1 in the animation palette by clicking the little button in the top right corner and selecting copy frame.  then paste it after the last frame in the animation palette by clicking on that same button in the top right and selecting paste frame (make sure you select paste after frame as your paste method).

step 12: save the optimized image and enjoy your button.  remember to save it as a gif, jpegs will not show animation.

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