Layers TV: Episode 45

Corey has a tutorial about using custom symbols to modify the bevel feature in Illustrator.

• Open an Illustrator document and type some text. Apply a 3D effect to the text
• Change the type of bevel effect applied using the dropdown menu
• Create your own style of bevel using a custom shape
• Go into file menu and locate the plugins folder and open a document called bevels.ai which contains instructions for creating custom bevels
• Use the pen tool to draw a random shape and then save it as a custom symbol
• Quit and re-launch Illustrator. Open a new document
• Add some text and use the create outlines command to convert it to a regular shape
• Apply a 3D effect and go to the bevel menu. Locate your new symbol and apply it to any text, shape, etc.

Special guest Rich Harrington is back and this time he is teaching us how to use alpha channels from Photoshop to create transparency in video clips.

• There are actions in Photoshop CS2 and above that are specifically made for creating an alpha channel for video
• Go into the actions palette submenu to find these actions
• Use the action to make an alpha channel from visible layers
• save the alpha channel. Rich recommends saving the alpha channel in the .tiff format
• Open Premiere and import the alpha channels
• Drop the files into the timeline above a video clip
• Visit Photoshopforvideo.com for more video tutorials about using alpha channels in video

Contest Winner
RC and Corey have decided that the weekly contest winner from Layers TV will be announced in RC’s blog post. Remember when you submit your answer in the contact form to choose Layers Blog from the drop-down menu. Be sure to check the front page post for the name of this week’s winner and tune in to this week’s episode to find out what the contest question and prizes are.