How To Create A Timeline In Photoshop

Photoshop User Guide
Introduction to Photoshop
1. Dream it. Make it.
2. What's new in Photoshop
3. Edit your first photo
4. Create documents
5. Photoshop | Common Questions
6. Photoshop system requirements
7. Migrate presets, actions, and settings
8. Get to know Photoshop
Photoshop and Adobe services
1. Photoshop and Adobe Stock
2. Creative Cloud Libraries
3. Creative Cloud Libraries in Photoshop
4. Use the Touch Bar with Photoshop
5. Work with Illustrator artwork in Photoshop
6. Use the Capture in-app extension in Photoshop
7. Grid and guides
8. Creating actions
9. Undo and history
10. Default keyboard shortcuts
11. Touch capabilities and customizable workspaces
Photoshop on the iPad
1. Photoshop on the iPad | Common questions
2. Get to know the workspace
3. System requirements | Photoshop on the iPad
4. Create, open, and export documents
5. Add photos
6. Work with layers
7. Draw and paint with brushes
8. Make selections and add masks
9. Retouch your composites
10. Work with adjustment layers
11. Adjust the tonality of your composite with Curves
12. Apply transform operations
13. Crop and rotate your composites
14. Rotate, pan, zoom, and reset the canvas
15. Work with Type layers
16. Work with Photoshop and Lightroom
17. Get missing fonts in Photoshop on the iPad
18. Japanese Text in Photoshop on the iPad
19. Manage app settings
20. Touch shortcuts and gestures
21. Keyboard shortcuts
22. Edit your image size
23. Livestream as you create in Photoshop on the iPad
24. Correct imperfections with the Healing Brush
25. Create brushes in Capture and use them in Photoshop
26. Work with Camera Raw files
27. Create and work with Smart Objects
28. Adjust exposure in your images with Dodge and Burn
Photoshop on the web beta
1. Common questions | Photoshop on the web beta
2. Introduction to the workspace
3. System requirements | Photoshop on the web beta
4. Keyboard shortcuts | Photoshop on the web beta
5. Supported file types | Photoshop on the web beta
6. Open and work with cloud documents
7. Collaborate with stakeholders
8. Apply limited edits to your cloud documents
Cloud documents
1. Photoshop cloud documents | Common questions
2. Photoshop cloud documents | Workflow questions
3. Manage and work with cloud documents in Photoshop
4. Upgrade cloud storage for Photoshop
5. Unable to create or save a cloud document
6. Solve Photoshop cloud document errors
7. Collect cloud document sync logs
8. Share access and edit your cloud documents
9. Share files and comment in-app
Workspace
1. Workspace basics
2. Create documents
3. Use the Touch Bar with Photoshop
4. Microsoft Dial support in Photoshop
5. Tool galleries
6. Performance preferences
7. Use tools
8. Touch gestures
9. Touch capabilities and customizable workspaces
10. Technology previews
11. Metadata and notes
12. Quickly share your creations
13. Place Photoshop images in other applications
14. Preferences
15. Default keyboard shortcuts
16. Rulers
17. Show or hide non-printing Extras
18. Specify columns for an image
19. Undo and history
20. Panels and menus
21. Place files
22. Position elements with snapping
23. Position with the Ruler tool
24. Presets
25. Customize keyboard shortcuts
26. Grid and guides
Web, screen, and app design
1. Photoshop for design
2. Artboards
3. Device Preview
4. Copy CSS from layers
5. Slice web pages
6. HTML options for slices
7. Modify slice layout
8. Work with web graphics
9. Create web photo galleries
Image and color basics
1. How to resize images
2. Work with raster and vector images
3. Image size and resolution
4. Acquire images from cameras and scanners
5. Create, open, and import images
6. View images
7. Invalid JPEG Marker error | Opening images
8. Viewing multiple images
9. Customize color pickers and swatches
10. High dynamic range images
11. Match colors in your image
12. Convert between color modes
13. Color modes
14. Erase parts of an image
15. Blending modes
16. Choose colors
17. Customize indexed color tables
18. Image information
19. Distort filters are unavailable
20. About color
21. Color and monochrome adjustments using channels
22. Choose colors in the Color and Swatches panels
23. Sample
24. Color mode or Image mode
25. Color cast
26. Add a conditional mode change to an action
27. Add swatches from HTML CSS and SVG
28. Bit depth and preferences
Layers
1. Layer basics
2. Nondestructive editing
3. Create and manage layers and groups
4. Select, group, and link layers
5. Place images into frames
6. Layer opacity and blending
7. Mask layers
8. Apply Smart Filters
9. Layer comps
10. Move, stack, and lock layers
11. Mask layers with vector masks
12. Manage layers and groups
13. Layer effects and styles
14. Edit layer masks
15. Extract assets
16. Reveal layers with clipping masks
17. Generate image assets from layers
18. Work with Smart Objects
19. Blending modes
20. Combine multiple images into a group portrait
21. Combine images with Auto-Blend Layers
22. Align and distribute layers
23. Copy CSS from layers
24. Load selections from a layer or layer mask's boundaries
25. Knockout to reveal content from other layers
26. Layer
27. Flattening
28. Composite
29. Background
Selections
1. Select and Mask workspace
2. Make quick selections
3. Get started with selections
4. Select with the marquee tools
5. Select with the lasso tools
6. Select a color range in an image
7. Adjust pixel selections
8. Convert between paths and selection borders
9. Channel basics
10. Move, copy, and delete selected pixels
11. Create a temporary quick mask
12. Save selections and alpha channel masks
13. Select the image areas in focus
14. Duplicate, split, and merge channels
15. Channel calculations
16. Selection
17. Bounding box
Image adjustments
1. Perspective warp
2. Reduce camera shake blurring
3. Healing brush examples
4. Export color lookup tables
5. Adjust image sharpness and blur
6. Understand color adjustments
7. Apply a Brightness/Contrast adjustment
8. Adjust shadow and highlight detail
9. Levels adjustment
10. Adjust hue and saturation
11. Adjust vibrance
12. Adjust color saturation in image areas
13. Make quick tonal adjustments
14. Apply special color effects to images
15. Enhance your image with color balance adjustments
16. High dynamic range images
17. View histograms and pixel values
18. Match colors in your image
19. How to crop and straighten photos
20. Convert a color image to black and white
21. Adjustment and fill layers
22. Curves adjustment
23. Blending modes
24. Target images for press
25. Adjust color and tone with Levels and Curves eyedroppers
26. Adjust HDR exposure and toning
27. Filter
28. Blur
29. Dodge or burn image areas
30. Make selective color adjustments
31. Replace object colors
Adobe Camera Raw
1. Camera Raw system requirements
2. What's new in Camera Raw
3. Introduction to Camera Raw
4. Create panoramas
5. Supported lenses
6. Vignette, grain, and dehaze effects in Camera Raw
7. Default keyboard shortcuts
8. Automatic perspective correction in Camera Raw
9. How to make non-destructive edits in Camera Raw
10. Radial Filter in Camera Raw
11. Manage Camera Raw settings
12. Open, process, and save images in Camera Raw
13. Repair images with the Enhanced Spot Removal tool in Camera Raw
14. Rotate, crop, and adjust images
15. Adjust color rendering in Camera Raw
16. Feature summary | Adobe Camera Raw | 2018 releases
17. New features summary
18. Process versions in Camera Raw
19. Make local adjustments in Camera Raw
Image repair and restoration
1. Remove objects from your photos with Content-Aware Fill
2. Content-Aware Patch and Move
3. Retouch and repair photos
4. Correct image distortion and noise
5. Basic troubleshooting steps to fix most issues
Image transformations
1. Transform objects
2. Adjust crop, rotation, and canvas size
3. How to crop and straighten photos
4. Create and edit panoramic images
5. Warp images, shapes, and paths
6. Vanishing Point
7. Use the Liquify filter
8. Content-aware scaling
9. Transform images, shapes, and paths
10. Warp
11. Transform
12. Panorama
Drawing and painting
1. Paint symmetrical patterns
2. Draw rectangles and modify stroke options
3. About drawing
4. Draw and edit shapes
5. Painting tools
6. Create and modify brushes
7. Blending modes
8. Add color to paths
9. Edit paths
10. Paint with the Mixer Brush
11. Brush presets
12. Gradients
13. Gradient interpolation
14. Fill and stroke selections, layers, and paths
15. Draw with the Pen tools
16. Create patterns
17. Generate a pattern using the Pattern Maker
18. Manage paths
19. Manage pattern libraries and presets
20. Draw or paint with a graphics tablet
21. Create textured brushes
22. Add dynamic elements to brushes
23. Gradient
24. Paint stylized strokes with the Art History Brush
25. Paint with a pattern
26. Sync presets on multiple devices
Text
1. Work with OpenType SVG fonts
2. Format characters
3. Format paragraphs
4. How to create type effects
5. Edit text
6. Line and character spacing
7. Arabic and Hebrew type
8. Fonts
9. Troubleshoot fonts
10. Asian type
11. Create type
12. Text Engine error using Type tool in Photoshop | Windows 8
13. World-Ready composer for Asian Scripts
14. How to add and edit the text in Photoshop
Video and animation
1. Video editing in Photoshop
2. Edit video and animation layers
3. Video and animation overview
4. Preview video and animations
5. Paint frames in video layers
6. Import video files and image sequences
7. Create frame animations
8. Creative Cloud 3D Animation (Preview)
9. Create timeline animations
10. Create images for video
Filters and effects
1. Use the Liquify filter
2. Use the Blur Gallery
3. Filter basics
4. Filter effects reference
5. Add Lighting Effects
6. Use the Adaptive Wide Angle filter
7. Use the Oil Paint filter
8. Layer effects and styles
9. Apply specific filters
10. Smudge image areas
Saving and exporting
1. Save your files in Photoshop
2. Export your files in Photoshop
3. Supported file formats
4. Save files in graphics formats
5. Move designs between Photoshop and Illustrator
6. Save and export video and animations
7. Save PDF files
8. Digimarc copyright protection
Printing
1. Print 3D objects
2. Print from Photoshop
3. Print with color management
4. Contact Sheets and PDF Presentations
5. Print photos in a picture package layout
6. Print spot colors
7. Duotones
8. Print images to a commercial printing press
9. Improve color prints from Photoshop
10. Troubleshoot printing problems | Photoshop
Automation
1. Creating actions
2. Create data-driven graphics
3. Scripting
4. Process a batch of files
5. Play and manage actions
6. Add conditional actions
7. About actions and the Actions panel
8. Record tools in actions
9. Add a conditional mode change to an action
10. Photoshop UI toolkit for plug-ins and scripts
Color Management
1. Understanding color management
2. Keeping colors consistent
3. Color settings
4. Work with color profiles
5. Color-managing documents for online viewing
6. Color-managing documents when printing
7. Color-managing imported images
8. Proofing colors
Content authenticity
1. Learn about content credentials
2. Identity and provenance for NFTs
3. Connect accounts for creative attribution
3D and technical imaging
1. Photoshop 3D | Common questions around discontinued 3D features
2. Creative Cloud 3D Animation (Preview)
3. Print 3D objects
4. 3D painting
5. 3D panel enhancements | Photoshop
6. Essential 3D concepts and tools
7. 3D rendering and saving
8. Create 3D objects and animations
9. Image stacks
10. 3D workflow
11. Measurement
12. DICOM files
13. Photoshop and MATLAB
14. Count objects in an image
15. Combine and convert 3D objects
16. 3D texture editing
17. Adjust HDR exposure and toning
18. 3D panel settings

For Photoshop versions earlier than Photoshop CC, some functionality discussed in this article may be available only if you have Photoshop Extended. Photoshop does not have a separate Extended offering. All features in Photoshop Extended are part of Photoshop.

Timeline animation workflow

To animate layer content in timeline mode, you set keyframes in the Timeline panel, as you move the current-time indicator to a different time/frame, and then modify the position, opacity, or style of the layer content. Photoshop automatically adds or modifies a series of frames between two existing frames—varying the layer properties (position, opacity, and styles) evenly between the new frames to create the appearance of movement or transformation.

For example, if you want to fade out a layer, set the opacity of the layer in the starting frame to 100% and click the Opacity stopwatch for the layer. Then move the current-time indicator to the time/frame for the ending frame and set the opacity for the same layer to 0%. Photoshop automatically interpolates frames between the start and end frames, and the opacity of the layer is reduced evenly across the new frames.

In addition to letting Photoshop interpolate frames in an animation, you can also create a hand-drawn frame-by-frame animation by painting on a blank video layer.

If you want to create a SWF format animation, use Adobe Flash, Adobe After Effects, or Adobe Illustrator.

To create a timeline-based animation, use the following general workflow.

1. Create a new document.

Specify the size and background contents. Make sure the pixel aspect ratio and dimensions are appropriate for the output of your animation. The color mode should be RGB. Unless you have special reasons for making changes, leave the resolution at 72 pixels/inch, the bit depth at 8 bpc, and the pixel aspect ratio at square.

Make sure the Timeline panel is open. If necessary, click the downpointing arrow in the middle of the panel, choose Create Video Timeline from the menu, and then, click the button to the left of the arrow. If the Timeline panel is in frame animation mode, click the Convert To Video Timeline icon in the lower-left corner of the panel.

2. Specify the Set Timeline Frame Rate in the panel menu.

Specify the duration and frame rate. See Specify timeline duration and frame rate.

Background layers cannot be animated. If you want to animate content, either convert the background layer to a normal layer or add any of the following:

A new layer for adding content.
A new video layer for adding video content.
A new blank video layer for cloning content to or creating hand-drawn animations.

4. Add content to the layer.

5. (Optional) Add a layer mask.

A layer mask can be used to reveal a portion of the layer's content. You can animate the layer mask to reveal different portions of the layer's content over time. See Add layer masks.

6. Move the current time indicator to the time or frame where you want to set the first keyframe.

7. Turn on keyframing for a layer property.

Click the triangle next to the layer name. A down-pointing triangle displays the layer's properties. Then, click the stopwatch to set the first keyframe for the layer property you want to animate. You can set keyframes for more than one layer property at a time.

8. Move the current time indicator and change a layer property.

Move the current-time indicator to the time or frame where the layer's property changes. You can do one or more of the following:

Change the position of the layer to make layer content move.
Change layer opacity to make content fade in or out.
Change the position of a layer mask to reveal different parts of the layer.
Turn a layer mask on or off.

For some types of animation, such as changing the color of an object, or completely changing the content in a frame, you need additional layers with the new content.

To animate shapes, you animate the vector mask rather than the shape layer, using the Time‑Vary stopwatch for Vector Mask Position or Vector Mask Enable.

9. Add additional layers with content and edit their layer properties as needed.

10. Move or trim the layer duration bar to specify when a layer appears in an animation.

11. Preview the animation.

Use the controls in the Timeline panel to play the animation as you create it. Then preview the animation in your web browser. You can also preview the animation in the Save For Web dialog box. See Previewing video or timeline animations.

You can save the animation as an animated GIF using the Save for Web command, or as an image sequence or video using the Render Video command. You can also save it in PSD format, which can be imported into Adobe After Effects.

Use keyframes to animate layer properties

You can animate different layer properties, such as Position, Opacity, and Style. Each change can occur independently of, or simultaneously with, other changes. If you want to animate different objects independently, it's best to create them on separate layers.

Here are some examples of how you can animate layer properties:

You can animate position by adding a keyframe to the Position property, then moving the current time indicator and dragging the layer in the document window.
You can animate a layer's opacity by adding a keyframe to the Opacity property, then moving the current time indicator and changing the layer's opacity in the Layers panel.
You can animate 3D properties, such as object and camera position. (For more information, see Create 3D animations.)

To animate a property using keyframes, you must set at least two keyframes for that property. Otherwise, changes that you make to the layer property remain in effect for the duration of the layer.

Each layer property has a Time‑Vary stopwatch icon that you click to begin animating. When the stopwatch is active for a specific property, Photoshop automatically sets new keyframes whenever you change the current time and the property value. When the stopwatch is inactive for a property, the property has no keyframes. If you type a value for a layer property while the stopwatch is inactive, the value remains in effect for the duration of the layer. If you deselect the stopwatch, you will permanently delete all of the keyframes for that property.

Choose interpolation method

Interpolation (sometimes called tweening) describes the process of filling in unknown values between two known values. In digital video and film, interpolation usually means generating new values between two keyframes. For example, to move a graphic element 50 pixels to the left in 15 frames, you'd set the position of the graphic in the first and 15th frames, and mark them both as keyframes. Photoshop interpolates the frames between the two keyframes. Interpolation between keyframes can be used to animate movement, opacity, styles, and global lighting.

In the Timeline panel, the appearance of a keyframe depends on the interpolation method you choose for the interval between keyframes.

Linear keyframe

Evenly changes the animated property from one keyframe to another. (The one exception is the Layer Mask Position property which switches between enabled and disabled states abruptly.)

Hold keyframe

Maintains the current property setting. This interpolation method is useful for strobe effects, or when you want layers to appear or disappear suddenly.

To choose the interpolation method for a keyframe, do the following:

In the Timeline panel, select one or more keyframes.

Right-click a selected keyframe and choose either Linear Interpolation or Hold Interpolation from the Context menu.
Open the panel menu and choose either Keyframe Interpolation > Linear or Keyframe Interpolation > Hold.

Move the current-time indicator to a keyframe

After you set the initial keyframe for a property, Photoshop displays the keyframe navigator, which you can use to move from keyframe to keyframe or to set or remove keyframes. When the keyframe navigator diamond is active (yellow), the current-time indicator lies precisely at a keyframe for that layer property. When the keyframe navigator diamond is inactive (gray), the current-time indicator lies between keyframes. When arrows appear on each side of the keyframe navigator box, other keyframes for that property exist on both sides of the current time.

In the Timeline panel, click a keyframe navigator arrow. The arrow to the left moves the current-time indicator to the previous keyframe. The arrow to the right moves the current-time indicator to the next keyframe.

Select keyframes

In the Timeline panel, do any of the following:

To select a keyframe, click the keyframe icon.
To select multiple keyframes, Shift-click the keyframes or drag a selection marquee around the keyframes.
To select all keyframes for a layer property, click the layer property name next to the stopwatch icon.

Move keyframes

In the Timeline panel, select one or more keyframes.

Drag any of the selected keyframe icons to the desired time. (If you selected multiple keyframes, they move as a group and maintain the same time spacing.)

To expand or compress the spacing of multiple keyframes, Alt-drag (Windows) or Option-drag (Mac OS) the first or last keyframe in the selection. The keyframe at the opposite end of the selection remains in place as you drag, slowing down or speeding up the animation.

Copy and paste keyframes

You can copy keyframes for a property (such as Position) to the same property in any layer. When you paste keyframes, they reflect the copied offset from the current-time indicator.

You can copy keyframes from only one layer at a time. When you paste keyframes into another layer, they appear in the corresponding property in the destination layer. The earliest keyframe appears at the current time, and the other keyframes follow in relative order. The keyframes remain selected after pasting, so you can immediately move them in the timeline.

You can copy and paste keyframes between more than one property at a time.

In the Timeline panel, display the layer property containing the keyframes you want to copy.

Select one or more keyframes.

Right-click a selected keyframe, and choose Copy Keyframes.

In the Timeline panel containing the destination layer, move the current-time indicator to the point in time where you want the keyframes to appear.

Select the destination layer.

Open the panel menu and choose Paste Keyframes.

Delete keyframes

In the Timeline panel, select one or more keyframes and do one of the following:

Right-click (Windows) or Control-click (Mac OS) a selected keyframe, and choose Delete Keyframes from the context menu.
From the panel menu, choose Delete Keyframes.

Create hand-drawn animations

You can add a blank video layer to your document when you want to create frame-by-frame hand-drawn animations. Adding a blank video layer above a video layer and then adjusting the opacity of the blank video layer allows you to see the contents of the video layer below. You can then rotoscope the video layer content by painting or drawing on the blank video layer. See also Paint frames in video layers.

If you're animating several independent elements, create separate content on different blank video layers.

Paint or add content to the layer.

(Optional) In the Timeline panel, choose Enable Onion Skins from the panel menu to enable the onion skin mode.

Move the current-time indicator to the next frame.

Paint or add content to the layer in a slightly different position from the content in the previous frame.

You can add a blank video frame, duplicate a frame, or delete a frame from the blank video layer by choosing Layer > Video Layers and then choosing the appropriate command.

As you create more hand-drawn frames, you can either drag the current time indicator or use the playback controls to preview your animation.

Insert, delete, or duplicate blank video frames

A blank video frame can be added to or removed from a blank video layer. You can also duplicate existing (painted) frames in blank video layers.

In the Timeline panel, select the blank video layer and then move the current-time indicator to the desired frame.

Choose Layer > Video Layers and then choose one of the following:

Insert Blank Frame

Inserts a blank video frame in the selected blank video layer at the current time.

Delete Frame

Deletes the video frame in the selected blank video layer at the current time.

Duplicate Frame

Adds a copy of the video frame at the current time in the selected blank video layer.

Specify onion skin settings

Onion skin mode displays content drawn on the current frame plus content drawn on the surrounding frames. These additional frames appear at the opacity you specify to distinguish them from the current frame. Onion skin mode is useful for drawing frame-by-frame animations because it gives you reference points for stroke positions and other edits.

Onion skin settings specify how previous and later frames appear when onion skins are enabled. (See Timeline panel overview.)

Open the Timeline panel and choose Onion Skin Settings.

Specify options for the following:

Onion Skin Count

Specifies how many previous and forward frames are displayed. Enter the Frames Before (previous frames) and Frames After (forward frames) values in the text boxes.

Frame Spacing

Specifies the number of frames between the displayed frames. For example, a value of 1 displays consecutive frames, and a value of 2 displays strokes that are two frames apart.

Max Opacity

Sets the percentage of opacity for the frames immediately before and after the current time.

Min Opacity

Sets the percentage of opacity for the last frames of the before and after sets of onion‑skin frames.

Blend Mode

Sets the appearance of the areas where the frames overlap.

Photoshop Onion skinning — Onion skinning

A. Current frame with one frame afterB. Current frame with both one frame before and afterC. Current frame with one frame before

Open a multilayer animation

You can open animations that were saved in older versions of Photoshop as multilayer Photoshop (PSD) files. The layers are placed in the Timeline panel in their stacking order, with the bottom layer becoming the first frame.

Choose File > Open, and select the Photoshop file to open.

In the Layers panel, select the layers you want for the animation, and choose Make Frames From Layers from the panel menu.

You can edit the animation, use the Save For Web command to save an animated GIF, or use the Render Video command to save the animation as a QuickTime movie.