How do I convert jpeg to gif in ImageReady?

[Doctor Q]

In Adobe ImageReady, I can open a few jpegs, put them on layers, and then create frames for animation out of them. But I get an error message if I try Save Optimized as a gif. It tells me that jpegs don't support animation so it can save only one frame. I know that jpegs don't do animation; that's why I'm trying to save it as a gif!

Apparently I need to convert the jpegs to gifs before I save, but I don't see anything in the Image menu, or other menus or palettes, that seems to do that. It must be really obvious, right?

I read a dozen help pages, but I don't see the answer. My crude workaround (moving each image to Photoshop, converting it, then bringing them all back to ImageReady) is immensely annoying.

I'm using ImageReady CS, Version 8.0.

Can you de-clueless me?

 

[Blue Velvet]

Intermediate step: Make sure you're in 8-bit RGB mode and try 'saving as' your layered files from ImageReady as a .psd file, before optimising them as a gif.

 

[Doctor Q]

That's where I get stuck. ImageReady doesn't have the Image -> Mode menu for me to pick RGB and 8-bit. Which is why I end up having to switch back to Photoshop.

If I had the foresight to start in Photoshop and get the images ready, this wouldn't be such an issue, but I'm always knee deep in ImageReady on a big file full of images, layers, and frames when I run into this.

 

[Blue Velvet]

So can you not just save as .psd from your layered file anyway?

Edit: I'm not quite following exactly what you're doing. I open a jpg in Photoshop then usually bounce it into ImageReady from there (Shift-Apple-M) and then when I start adding layers and so forth, I go to save and it automatically chooses .psd as the default file format.

If I open a jpg straight in Imageready and start adding stuff, dragging other layers from other jpgs and messing with layers, the option to save as .psd is still there...

 

[Doctor Q]

So can you not just save as .psd from your layered file anyway?

Yes I can.

Edit: I'm not quite following exactly what you're doing. I open a jpg in Photoshop then usually bounce it into ImageReady from there (Shift-Apple-M) and then when I start adding layers and so forth, I go to save and it automatically chooses .psd as the default file format.

I can do that too, although in this case I don't start in Photoshop.

If I open a jpg straight in Imageready and start adding stuff, dragging other layers from other jpgs and messing with layers, the option to save as .psd is still there...

It's there for me too.

What I'm trying to do, but can't, is to create an animated gif while I'm in ImageReady. I can save the whole file as a .psd or one frame as a .jpg or one frame as a .gif, but I can't save the whole file as a .gif, and I can't convert it to a format that WILL let me save the whole file as a .gif.

 

[Blue Velvet]

...but I can't save the whole file as a .gif, and I can't convert it to a format that WILL let me save the whole file as a .gif.

To create the GIF from the psd or even the jpg file, you have to have the Optimise palette open in ImageReady, and have GIF selected under the Format tab. You can then tweak the colour table, transparency, dither etc on the same palette. Then save as optimised...

Edit: Which is probably the answer you were looking for in the first place. I just got tied up trying to understand your process. Apologies.

 

[Doctor Q]

Wow! It was sooooooo easy once I learned the secret.

I never noticed the Window->Optimize menu choice before, and never saw that palette. All it took was one menu selection and one drop-down setting!

Thanks a million, Blue Velvet.

 

[loneshark]

does anyone know of an online tutorial or video tutorial out there for mac users who have imagereay ??

there are alot of tuts, on the PC version on yourtube, but none for mac.

i may be the first to make one, once I figure it out.

help me ! werd.