Even a person who does not have much of an animation background can create an animated icon. The secret is having the proper equipment and computer programs.
One of the best programs for creating an animated icon is Photoshop. A person who is at least partially familiar with Photoshop can create an animated icon by following a few fairly simple steps.
Instructions
1. Create a new document in Photoshop by typing "Ctrl+N" on the keyboard. The new document should be set to have a height and width of 100 pixels. The resolution should be 72. Click "OK."
2. Go to "Open" in the menu bar and navigate your folders on your computer to find the image you want to use to create an animated icon.
3. After the image opens, grab the image with the arrow tool and pull it over into the new document you just opened in step 1. Then go to "Window" in the menu bar and select "Animation."
4. At the bottom of the image, click on the "new layer" icon. Then click on the "tween" icon. This icon looks like a squiggly line. When the box comes up on the page, type "5" into the frames to add tool.
5. Click again on the "new layer" icon. Then, use the arrow tool to slightly move over the image in the image window. Click on the "tween" icon and repeat this process. The process should be repeated approximately 20 times. Each time the image is moved, it should only be moved slightly.
6. Press play to see how the animation looks. Save the animation by going to "Save" and then "Save for Web & Devices." A screen will appear with several options on it. Next to "Looping Options," choose "Loop Forever." Click "OK."
7. As long as the icon looks right to you, save it and you are done.
