PhotoShop/Image Ready N00b ?

So I have a backround JPG image to start off with.
I want to add a animated gif file on top of it.

I cant seem to figure out how to do this? Ive tried dragging the gif onto the JPG but it only seems to drag one frame.
(BTW ive tried this using Image Ready)

I can't seem to add the entire animated gif sequence onto the backround jpg either in Image Ready or Photoshop.

Any help would be appreciated!!

Open up your gif file in Image Ready. There it should show you all the frames in the animation palette and all the layers in the layers palette.
If I understand correctly you want to add a background image to that animation.
Assuming there is a transparent background in your gif this should work.
Create a new layer and drag it to the bottom of the layers palette. So it is underneath all the other layers. Then paste your jpg picture there.
Then on your animation palette on top right corner there should be an arrow, click on it and then choose 'match layer across frames'
That will automatically show that layer in each frame of the animation.
Then you will have that jpg image 'behind' your animation.

Hope I explained this ok
(and Im using an older version of Image Ready but Im assuming its roughly done the same way with newer versions)

yes the gif is transparent

So Ive added a new layer in the layers palette..Yet Im having some trouble pasting the jpg there

The copy option under edit is grayed out, and every time I click the jpg in hopes of dragging it to the new layer on the gif, the palette switches to the jpg's palette which obviously does not contain the new layer i created on the gif?

Excuse my ignorance Im sure Im missing something simple

Ive also tried just cntrl c to no avail.

(BTW thanks for the speedy reply)

ok.....click on the jpg image. press CTRL+A that will select the entire image.

Then press CTRL+C to copy it.

Then.....click back on your gif image to bring its layers palette back up....
Click on the new layer that you made (making sure you dragged it to the bottom) and then press CTRL+V to paste it there.
Then follow the rest of the instructions.....

Ok Ive added the layer succsesfully
Yet now it covers the gif?
By the bottom you mean keeping it at the last frame or do you mean creating the layer before the 1st frame? Does that have something to do with the fact the jgp now govers the gif?

this happens because each and every file you have open has its own set of information. So when youre working on the jpg image, you see 'its' layers palette and when you have the gif 'active' then you can see 'its' palettes.

if you have 3 diff images open, you can click on image1 and then image2 and then image3 and each time watching the layers palette (and whichever other palettes you have open) change so you can see all of their info.

Never Mind Ive answered my own question!

Thank you so much for your help!!

Ive got one more question...

On the gif some of the frames last longer than I would like (for examply most frames last for 0 seconds yet some in the middle last for .15 which slows down the animation giving it a "lag effect"

Can I change the timing on these frames to 0 seconds like the others?

in the gifs layers palette.....the new layer that you created should be at the BOTTOM. Just click on the new layer and DRAG it all the way to the bottom. So then it will be UNDERNEATH everything else, so it will apear BEHIND all the other layers.

(see above post)

on the animations palette underneath each frame it should display their delay. Beside where it says 0 sec or .15 or whichever there should be an arrow, just click and it will bring up a menu where you can choose a diff length of time. And there is also an option for 'other' if the time you want isnt there to select from.
Whenever you see a black arrow that means there is a menu.

Awesome!

Again thanks so much!

Take it easy

Any way to save the image in a non optimized format in the gif format?

If I try to save as I get the PSD format

and Optimized quality is less than desirable..

you can play around with the optimize settings for better quality.
Under 'windows' go to 'show optimize' and then there will be another one of those palettes.....play around with the settings for optimizing.

so the original gif file is 84 kb
The backround Ive added is 80kb
Yet the finished product optimized at lower settings is nearly 2mb

Any idea where im picking up all this extra size?