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Export Images and Animated GIFs

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  1. Adobe Animate User Guide
  2. Introduction to Animate
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    7. Timelines and ActionScript
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    11. Create timeline layers with Animate
    12. Export animations for mobile apps and game engines
    13. Moving and copying objects
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    15. Find and Replace in Animate
    16. Undo, redo, and the History panel
    17. Keyboard shortcuts
    18. How to use the timeline in Animate
    19. Creating HTML extensions
    20. Optimization options for Images and Animated GIFs
    21. Export settings for Images and GIFs
    22. Assets Panel in Animate
  6. Multimedia and Video
    1. Transforming and combining graphic objects in Animate
    2. Creating and working with symbol instances in Animate
    3. Image Trace
    4. How to use sound in Adobe Animate
    5. Exporting SVG files
    6. Create video files for use in Animate
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    13. Opening Flash CS6 files with Animate
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    18. Working with symbols in Animate
    19. Draw lines & shapes with Adobe Animate
    20. Work with the libraries in Animate
    21. Exporting Sounds
    22. Selecting objects in Animate CC
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    8. ActionScript publish settings
    9. Best practices - Organizing ActionScript in an application
    10. How to use ActionScript with Animate
    11. Accessibility in the Animate workspace
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    13. Enabling Support for Custom Platforms
    14. Custom Platform Support Overview
    15. Working with Custom Platform Support Plug-in
    16. Debugging ActionScript 3.0
    17. Enabling Support for Custom Platforms
  8. Exporting and Publishing
    1. How to export files from Animate CC
    2. OAM publishing
    3. Exporting SVG files
    4. Export graphics and videos with Animate
    5. Publishing AS3 documents
    6. Export animations for mobile apps and game engines
    7. Exporting Sounds
    8. Best practices - Tips for creating content for mobile devices
    9. Best practices - Video conventions
    10. Best practices - SWF application authoring guidelines
    11. Best practices - Structuring FLA files
    12. Best Practices to optimize FLA files for Animate
    13. ActionScript publish settings
    14. Specify publish settings for Animate
    15. Exporting projector files
    16. Export Images and Animated GIFs
    17. HTML publishing templates
    18. Working with Adobe Premiere Pro and After Effects
    19. Quick share and publish your animations
  9. Troubleshooting
    1. Fixed issues
    2. Known issues

 

Use this article to learn how to export images and animated GIFs.

Animate introduces the Export image and Export Animated GIF features that helps you to export assets to .png, jpeg, static and animated GIF format in a user-friendly and interactive fashion.

When preparing images for the web and other online media, you often need to compromise between image display quality and the file size of the image.

You can use the optimization features in the Export image dialog box to preview optimized images in different file formats and with different file attributes. You can view multiple versions of an image simultaneously and modify optimization settings as you preview the image to select the best combination of settings for your needs. You can also specify transparency and matting, select options to control dithering, and resize the image to specified pixel dimensions or a specified percentage of the original size.

When you save an optimized file using the Export image command, you can choose to generate an HTML file for the image. This file contains all the necessary information to display your image in a web browser.

In Animate, you can use the Save As command to save an image as a GIF, JPEG, or PNG file. Depending on the file format, you can specify image quality, background transparency or matting, color display, and downloading method. However, any web features—such as links and animations—that you’ve added to a file are not preserved.

You can also use the Animate Image Processor to save copies of a folder of images in JPEG format. You can use the Image Processor to resize and convert the images’ color profile to web standard sRGB.

Export images

You use the Export image dialog box (File > > Export > Export image and File > Export > Export Animated GIF) to select optimization options and preview optimized artwork.

A. Display options B. Optimize pop-up menu C. Preset options D. Image size options E. Animation options F. Preview G. Toolbars 

Preview images in the dialog box

Click a tab at the top of the image area to select a display option:

Original

Displays the image with no optimization.

Optimized

Displays image with the current optimization settings applied.

2-Up

Displays two versions of the image side by side.

If the entire artwork is not visible in the Export image dialog box, you can use the Hand tool to bring another area into view. Use the Zoom tool to magnify or reduce the view.

  • Select the Hand tool  (or hold down the spacebar), and drag in the view area to pan over the image.
  • Select the Zoom tool   , click in a view to zoom in; hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click in a view to zoom out.

    You can also type a magnification percentage or choose one at the bottom of the dialog box.

View optimized image information and download time

The annotation area below each image in the Export image dialog box provides optimization information. The annotation for the original image shows the file name and file size. The annotation for the optimized image shows the current optimization options, the size of the optimized file, and the estimated download time using the selected modem speed. You can choose a modem speed in the Preview pop‑up menu.

Preview image gamma at different values

The gamma value of a computer monitor affects how light or dark an image looks in a web browser. You can preview how your images will look on systems with different gamma values and make gamma adjustments to the image to compensate. Activating a preview option does not affect final image output.

  • Choose one of the following options by using the Export image dialog box Preview pop‑up menu.

Monitor Color

Makes no adjustments to image gamma. Monitor Color is the default setting.

Legacy Macintosh (No Color Management)

Simulates the default gamma of 1.8 used by Mac OS 10.5 and earlier.

Windows (No Color Management)

Simulates the default gamma of 2.2 used by Windows and Mac OS 10.6 and later.

Use Document Profile

Adjusts the gamma to match any attached document color profile in a color-managed document.

Optimize an image for the web

  1. Choose File > Export Image or File > Export Animated GIF.

  2. Click a tab at the top of the dialog box to select a display option: Optimized or 2‑Up.

  3. (Optional) If your image contains multiple slices, select one or more slices you want to optimize.

  4. Select a preset optimization setting from the Preset menu, or set individual optimization options. The available options change depending on the file format you select.

  5. Fine-tune the optimization settings until you are satisfied with the balance of image quality and file size. If your image contains multiple slices, be sure to optimize all the slices.

    Note:

    To restore an optimized preview to the original version, select it and then choose Original from the Preset menu.

  6. To ensure that the colors your see in the optimized image looks same in different browsers, convert the image colors to sRGB.

  7. Select the following options:

    None

    No metadata saved (except for the EXIF copyright notice in JPEG files). Produces the smallest file size.

    Copyright

    Saves copyright notice, rights usage terms, copyright status, and copyright info URL.

    Copyright and Contact Info

    Saves all copyright information, plus the following information: creator, creator job title, e-mail(s), address, city, state/province, postal code, country, telephone(s), and website(s).

    All Except Camera Info

    Saves all metadata, except EXIF data about camera settings such as shutter speed, date and time, focal length, exposure compensation, metering pattern, and flash use.

    All

    Saves all metadata in the file.

  8. Click Save.

  9. In the Save Optimized As dialog box, do the following, and click Save:

    1. Enter a file name, and select a location for the resulting file or files.

    2. Select a Format option to specify what kind of files you want to save: an HTML file and image files, only image files, or only an HTML file.

    3. (Optional) Set output settings for HTML and image files.

    4. If your image contains multiple slices, select an option for saving slices from the Slices menu: All Slices or Selected Slices.

      Note:

      To reset optimization settings to the last saved version, press Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS), and click Reset. To keep the same settings the next time you open the Save For Web dialog box, press Alt/Option and click Remember.

      5. For a video on saving files for the web in Illustrator, see www.adobe.com/go/vid0063.

Save or delete optimization presets

You can save optimization settings as a named set and apply the settings to other images. Settings that you save appear in the Preset pop‑up menu, together with the predefined named settings. If you edit a named set or a predefined set, the Preset menu displays the term “Unnamed.”

  1. Set optimization options as desired, and chooseSave Settings from the Optimize palette menu.

  2. Name the settings, and save them in the appropriate folder:

    Photoshop

    (Windows XP) Document and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\Adobe\AdobePhotoshop CS5\Optimized Settings

    (Windows Vista) Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\Adobe Photoshop CS5\Optimized Settings

    (Mac OS) Users/[Username]/Library/Preferences/AdobePhotoshop CS5Settings/Optimized Settings

    Illustrator

    (Windows XP) Document and Settings\[Username]\Application Data\Adobe\AdobeIllustrator CS5 Settings\[Language]\Save for Web Settings\Optimize

    (Windows Vista) Users\[Username]\AppData\Roaming\Adobe\AdobeIllustrator CS5 Settings\[Language]\Save for Web Settings\Optimize

    (Mac OS) Users/[Username]/Library/ApplicationSupport/Adobe/Adobe Illustrator CS5/[Language]/Save for Web Settings/Optimize

    Note:

    If you save the settings in a another location, they will not be available from the Preset pop‑up menu.

  3. To delete a preset, select the preset from Preset menu, and select Delete Settings from the Optimize menu.

Compress a web graphic to a specific file size

  1. Choose File > Export > Export image or File > Export > Export Animated GIF.

  2. Click a tab at the top of the Export image or Export Animated GIF dialog box to select a display option: Optimized or 2‑Up. 

  3. (Optional) Select the slices you want to optimize and the file format you want to use.

  4. Select Optimize To File Size from the Optimize menu (to the right of the Preset menu).

  5. Enter the desired file size.

  6. Select a Start With option:

    Current Settings

    Uses the current file format.

    Auto Select GIF/JPEG

    Automatically selects the optimal format depending on image content.

  7. Select a Use option to specify whether you want to apply the specified file size to current slice only, to each slice in the image, or to all slices. Click OK.

Resize artwork while optimizing

In the Export image dialog box, you can resize an image to specified pixel dimensions or to a percentage of the original size.

  1. Click the Image Size tab in the Export image dialog box.

  2. Set any of the additional options:

    Constrain Proportions

    Maintains the current proportions of pixel width to pixel height.

    Note:

    None of the features in the Image Size palette are available for the SWF and SVG file formats except Clip To Artboard.

  3. Enter new pixel dimensions or specify a percentage by which to resize the image, and click Apply.

Preview optimized images in a web browser

You can preview an optimized image in any web browser installed on your system from the Export image dialog box (File > Export > Export image or File > Export > Export Animated GIF ). The browser preview displays the image with a caption listing the image’s file type, pixel dimensions, file size, compression specifications, and other HTML information.

  • To preview an image in your default web browser, click the browser icon at the bottom of the Export image dialog box.
  • In the Browsers dialog box, you can find all browsers on your computer and set the default browser to preview your image.

More Help topics

Optimization options for images and animated GIFs

Output settings for exporting images and animated GIFs

 

 

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