I downloaded photoshop cs3 and have figured some of the things out but I can't figure this one out.  I open an animated.gif and want to change the words in one layer, but it won't open in a layer format it keeps opening as a flat file.  What do I do to keep the animation and just change one layer?  Can this be done?

G'day ninak.

I don't use Photoshop so it's a bit hard for me to help but I'll do my best as I understand your question.

I don't know if you're simply using the wrong terms to describe what you're doing or if you're doing it wrong.

1)  An individual gif file doesn't handle layers. The file, if originally in layers when made in some other format, has to be flattened in the save process. One layer only.

2)  An animated gif doesn't work in layers, it works in frames. Each frame is a gif file. You should be able to find your frames, wherever you saved the animated gif.

They'll be called something like:
wheelbarrow_frame_01.gif
wheelbarrow_frame_02.gif
wheelbarrow_frame_03.gif
wheelbarrow_frame_04.gif
And so on.

Regards,
Laurie.

Hi Ninak,

I use Adobe Image Ready in editing animated gif instead of Adobe Photoshop.

Thank you both.  I got the gif from a client.  The web designer before created the animated button but instead of just a plain button with the animation she put words on it and we want to get rid of the words as his navigation has changed.  He wants to keep the flaming buttons, but I am having a heck of a time with it.  Thanks again for your help.
I really don't know too much about photoshop.  Just learning among other things.

doesn't photoshop come with "image ready" - the animated side of photoshop?

I'd use that!

ninak wrote:

I downloaded photoshop cs3 and have figured some of the things out but I can't figure this one out.  I open an animated.gif and want to change the words in one layer, but it won't open in a layer format it keeps opening as a flat file.  What do I do to keep the animation and just change one layer?  Can this be done?

niknak, all you need to do is open the 'animation' window
click window > animation

That wil open the gif with each frame, but each frame will still be flat because you can't have a layered gif file.  The original psd will be layered.

Then after you have made changes, click:
File > Save for Web and Devices
Then make sure the format is set to gif

Thank you, I will try that as soon as I can figure out this preference workspace thing that keeps going back to what I had started with.

I have never used this program and it is taking a bit of getting use to.  (Use to recolor and cut pictures out pixel by pixel).