FeatherGIF

What it does

FeatherGIF is a plug-in filter for paint programs. It helps you make GIF images with transparently feathered edges for use on the Web.

How to install

To use this software, you need a paint program which accepts standard Photoshop 3.0 plugins.

Just put the plug-in filter into the folder where your paint program expects to find it. If you have Photoshop, the folder is Photoshop:Plugins:Filters or Photoshop:Plug-ins. You must restart Photoshop before it will notice the new plug-in. It will appear in the menus as Filters->Flaming Pear->FeatherGIF.

Most other paint programs follow a similar scheme.

If you have Paint Shop Pro: you have to create a new folder, put the plug-in filter into it, and then tell PSP to look there. In PSP's menus, choose File-> Preferences->General Program Preferences... and click the Plug-in Filters tab. Use a "Browse" button to choose the folder. The plugin will appear in the menus as Image->Plug-in Filters->Flaming Pear->FeatherGIF.

Controls

Transparency is the first popup menu. You have these options:

• Use selection as is: this uses the selection (and the mask, if you’re using one) to determine what's transparent and what’s not. Areas that are 100% selected will stay opaque.
  
  
• Fade selection’s edge: this will produce a soft, vignetted edge. It produces a very similar result to “use selection as is” with a feathered selection; usually the latter works faster.
  
  
• Fade horizontal edges: the opacity of the sides of the selection will taper off. To set the width the of tapering, use the slider.
  
  
• Fade vertical edges: similar to “fade horizontal edges”.
  
  
• Fade along gradient: the opacity of the selection will taper in a direction that you specify by using the angle control. The more opaque side of the result will be on the same side as the line in the angle control.
  
  
• 50 percent: a 50% screen of transparent pixels appears.
  
  
• Cut hole in graphics: the selection turns into a hole with a drop shadow inside.
  
  
• Cut hole in background: again, the selection turns into a hole with a drop shadow inside, but it is the area outside the selection which becomes transparent. Placed on a web page, this image will appear to be a hole cut in the page’s background.
  
  
• Diaphanize selection: the selection itself will become partly transparent. How much depends on the setting of the opacity slider. If opacity is 100%, nothing will happen; if opacity is 0%, the selection becomes completely transparent.
  
  
• Transparency channels: FeatherGIF will use the current layer’s transparency channel to produce its dither pattern.

Depending on the transparency mode you choose, the remaining controls will become active or inactive.

Invisible color is the color which will be see-through in your finished GIF image. You can use the foreground color, background color, or a custom color. To use a custom color, click the color swtach.

Shadow color, is used for the drop shadows in the 'Cut hole in graphics' and 'Cut hole in background' modes. It's usually black, but you have the same optins as for the Invisible color.

Blur radius sets the blurriness of the feathered edge or shadow edge.

Opacity sets the opacity of the graphics for the mode 'Diaphanize selection'. It also controls the strnegh of the shadows in the 'Cut hole in graphics' and 'Cut hole in background' modes.

X-offset and Y-offset position the shadows for the 'Cut hole in graphics' and 'Cut hole in background' modes.

Angle is for the 'Fade along gradient' mode.

Load Preset and Save Preset buttons let you save your settings in files so you can recall them later. (If you also have FeatherGIF for Windows, you can use your preset files on both platforms. Just drop them on the “Mac/Win FeatherGIF presets” app that came with the filter.)

OK: Applies the effect to your image.

Cancel: Dismisses the filter, and leaves the image unchanged.

Register: Allows you to type in a registration code.

Click OK and see what happens. Your original selection should be enclosed in a fuzzy mark with a rectangular boundary.



Select this rectangular area, use your favorite method of saving it as a GIF with the color of the rectangular mark as the transparent color, and you’re in business.

Some paint programs, including Photoshop, don’t support the use of filters with indexed-color images. In this case, use the millions-of-colors mode, and later convert the picture to 256 colors without using dithering. This way, the color of the transparent pixels won’t be distorted by dithering.

Effects

Try loading the settings files that come with FeatherGIF to see what it can do, or changing the settings until you see something you like.

There are various ways to use FeatherGIF to make fuzzy-edged drop shadowed text for use on graphic backgrounds.


Method A

If you have Photoshop 3.0 or later, use this method. Otherwise, try methods B or C.

In a layer - not the background - fill an area with a neutral color approximating your web page’s background.

Draw your text in black. Apply Gaussian Blur to produce a drop shadow.

Atop that, draw your text again in readable colors.

If you made the text and its shadow in different layers, merge the layers now.

Select the text and its shadow in a rectangular marquee, and run FeatherGIF on it using the “transparency channel” mode.

Select the text-and-shadow rectangle, and save it as a GIF with the proper transparency setting.


Method B

Open a new document. Decide what color your text should be, turn antialiasing off, and use your program’s text tool to draw the text.

Convert the text to a selection: usually this means selection the pointer tool and dragging it anyplace outside the text rectangle. Position the text-shaped selection right on top of the text.

Invert the selection.

Using your selection tools, trim the selected area down to a region around the text. Leave a border around the text at least as wide as the blur radius you will use in FeatherGIF.

Use FeatherGIF with “cut hole in graphic” and your choice of shadow settings and transparent color.

Select the text-and-shadow rectangle, and save it as a GIF with the proper transparency setting.


Method C

Open a new document and decide what color your shadow should be. With that color, blank out an area large enough to contain the finished graphic.

In another region of your document, use your program’s text tool to draw the text.

Convert the text to a selection, and drag the text-shaped selection to the middle of the shadow area.

Feather the selection, perhaps Outward by 8 pixels.

Now it’s time to chose your transparent color.

• If the text is not going to be anti-aliased, the it doesn’t much matter what you choose for the transparent color, as long as it’s different from the shadow and the text.
  
  
• If the text is going to be anti-aliased, then choose the average color of the background you mean to use this graphic with. This is important since hues close to the transparent color will appear in the edges of antialiased text. If your planned background tile is strongly multicolored, choose 50% gray.

Set the foreground color to your transparent color choice.

Use FeatherGIF with “use selection as is” and “invisible color is foreground.”

Now you should have a shadow surrounded by a transparency halo.

Enlarge the area around the halo by drawing some blocks of transparent color. Cover an area large enough to accomodate your text.

At last, choose whatever colors you like and draw the text again near the shadow. Make sure all the text falls on the transparent-halo area.

Select the text-and-shadow rectangle, and save it as a GIF with the proper transparency setting.

How to Purchase

You can place an order online here. A secure server for transactions is available.

If you prefer, you can place an order offline by using the "Register" program that comes with the software.

Purchasing the software removes the time limit. You will get an unlocking code by email in a message titled "Thanks for your payment."

Questions

Answers to common technical questions appear on the support page, and free upgrades appear periodically on the download page.

Trouble with your order? Orders are handled by Kagi, which can be reached at admin@kagi.com .

For bug reports and technical questions about the software, please write to lloyd@flamingpear.com .