Unlock Advanced Animations: Elementor Free Version Tutorial

Preface

Ready to take your Elementor skills to the next level? You might think creating advanced animations requires the Pro version, but guess what? You can achieve stunning effects with just the free version! This comprehensive guide will show you how to create advanced animations with Elementor free, turning your website into an engaging experience for your visitors. Let’s dive in and unlock the secrets of Elementor animation!

Why Use Animations on Your Website?

Animations aren’t just eye candy; they serve a purpose. Here’s why you should consider adding animations to your website:

• Enhance User Experience: Subtle animations can guide users through your content, making the experience more intuitive and enjoyable.
• Increase Engagement: Dynamic elements grab attention and keep visitors on your page longer.
• Highlight Important Information: Animations can draw the eye to key messages, calls to action, or special offers.
• Improve Brand Personality: Well-placed animations can reflect your brand’s style and create a memorable impression.

Understanding Elementor’s Animation Capabilities (Free Version)

The free version of Elementor offers a solid foundation for creating basic animations. Here’s what you can work with:

• Entrance Animations: These animations control how elements appear on the screen when the page loads or when they scroll into view. Options include Fade In, Slide In, Zoom In, Bounce In, and more.
• Motion Effects: Elementor provides basic motion effects like scrolling effects (e.g., making elements move as the user scrolls) and mouse effects (e.g., making elements react to mouse movement).
• Transform Effects: You can apply basic transform effects such as translate (moving elements), rotate, scale (resizing elements), and skew (distorting elements).

Hint: Combine these features strategically, and you can achieve sophisticated animations even without the Pro version.

Step-by-Step Guide to Creating Advanced Animations with Elementor Free

Follow these steps to create impressive animations using only the free version of Elementor:

1. Planning Your Animation

Before you start tweaking settings, take a moment to plan your animation. Consider these questions:

• What effect are you trying to achieve?
• Which elements should be animated?
• How should the animation interact with the user?

Info: Sketching storyboards or creating simple mockups can help visualize the final result and streamline the design process.

2. Entrance Animations: Adding Initial Movement

Entrance animations are the easiest way to add movement to your page. Here’s how to apply them:

1. Select the Element: In the Elementor editor, click on the element you want to animate.
2. Go to the ‘Advanced’ Tab: Navigate to the ‘Advanced’ tab in the Elementor settings panel.
3. Find ‘Motion Effects’: Expand the ‘Motion Effects’ section.
4. Choose an ‘Entrance Animation’: Select an animation from the dropdown menu. Common choices include Fade In, Slide In, or Zoom In.
5. Adjust Settings: Customize the animation duration and delay to achieve the desired effect. A shorter duration (e.g., 0.5 seconds) creates a snappy animation, while a longer duration (e.g., 1.5 seconds) provides a smoother transition.

3. Scroll Effects: Creating Dynamic Interactions

Scroll effects allow elements to animate as the user scrolls down the page. This can create a sense of depth and interactivity.

1. Select the Element: Choose the element you want to animate on scroll.

2. Go to ‘Motion Effects’: Navigate to the ‘Motion Effects’ section in the ‘Advanced’ tab.

3. Enable ‘Scrolling Effects’: Toggle the ‘Scrolling Effects’ option to ‘On’.

4. Vertical Scroll: Use the ‘Vertical Scroll’ settings to control the element’s vertical movement. You can set the element to move faster or slower than the scroll speed, creating a parallax effect.

   • Speed: Adjust the speed of vertical movement. A negative value makes the element move upwards as you scroll down, while a positive value makes it move downwards.
   • Viewport: Determine when the animation starts and ends based on the viewport position.

5. Horizontal Scroll: Similar to vertical scroll, you can use ‘Horizontal Scroll’ to make elements move horizontally as the user scrolls. Experiment with speed and viewport settings to get the desired effect.

6. Transparency: Adjust the transparency based on scroll position, create fade-in or fade-out effects as the user scrolls down the page.

7. Blur: Apply a blur effect that changes based on scroll position. Example: As a user scrolls down, the element becomes increasingly blurred, creating an interesting visual dynamic.

8. Scale: Modify the size of the element based on scroll position. This can create a zoom-in or zoom-out effect as the user scrolls.

9. Rotate: Rotate the element based on scroll position. As the user scrolls down, the element gradually rotates, adding a dynamic twist to your design.

Hint: Use scroll effects sparingly. Overusing them can overwhelm users and make your page feel cluttered.

4. Mouse Effects: Responding to User Actions

Mouse effects add another layer of interactivity by making elements respond to mouse movement.

1. Select the Element: Choose the element you want to animate.
2. Go to ‘Motion Effects’: Navigate to the ‘Motion Effects’ section in the ‘Advanced’ tab.
3. Enable ‘Mouse Effects’: Toggle the ‘Mouse Effects’ option to ‘On’.
4. 3D Tilt: This effect makes the element tilt slightly as the mouse moves around it. Adjust the ‘Speed’ setting to control the sensitivity of the tilt.
5. Mouse Track: Use this effect to make the element follow the mouse cursor. You can set the element to move directly with the mouse or with a slight delay.

Info: Be mindful of performance when using mouse effects. Complex animations can slow down your page, especially on mobile devices. Test thoroughly!

5. Transform Effects: Precise Control Over Element Positioning

Transform effects offer more granular control over element positioning and appearance. Use them to create subtle but effective animations.

1. Select the Element: Choose the element you want to transform.
2. Go to the ‘Advanced’ Tab: Access the advanced settings for this element.
3. Find the ‘Transform’ Section: Scroll down and expand the ‘Transform’ settings.
4. Translate: Move the element horizontally or vertically. You can use pixels, percentages, or viewport units (vw/vh) to define the distance. Combine with mouse effects to create a parallax effect.
5. Rotate: Rotate the element around its center point. Use degrees to specify the rotation angle. Use it to rotate an image slightly when the mouse hovers over it, creating an engaging interaction.
6. Scale: Resize the element. A scale value of 1 represents the original size, while values greater than 1 increase the size, and values less than 1 decrease it. Create a zoom-in effect on an image making it larger when the mouse hovers over, providing users with a clearer view.
7. Skew: Distort the element by slanting its sides. Use degrees to specify the skew angle. This can add a unique touch to headings or shapes.

Hint: Combine transform effects to create complex animations. For example, you could translate an element horizontally while simultaneously rotating it to create a dynamic movement.

6. Combining Animations for Complex Effects

The real magic happens when you combine different animation types. Here are a few examples:

• Entrance Animation + Scroll Effect: Use an Entrance Animation to fade in an element when the page loads, then apply a Scroll Effect to make it move vertically as the user scrolls.
• Mouse Effect + Transform Effect: Use a Mouse Effect to tilt an image slightly when the mouse hovers over it, and combine it with a Transform Effect to scale the image up slightly at the same time.
• Multiple Entrance Animations: Animate different parts of a section with different entrance animations to create a coordinated effect.

Best Practices for Elementor Animations

Keep these best practices in mind when creating animations:

• Keep it Subtle: Over-the-top animations can be distracting and annoying. Use animations sparingly and ensure they serve a purpose.
• Maintain Consistency: Use a consistent style of animation throughout your website to create a cohesive brand experience.
• Optimize for Performance: Complex animations can slow down your page load time. Optimize your images and use CSS animations whenever possible.
• Test on Different Devices: Make sure your animations look good and perform well on desktops, tablets, and smartphones.
• Consider Accessibility: Be mindful of users with disabilities. Avoid animations that flash rapidly or cause seizures. Provide alternative ways to access the same information.

Info: CSS animations tend to be more performant than JavaScript-based animations. While Elementor’s built-in animations are primarily JavaScript-based, optimizing your content and using simple effects can minimize performance issues.

Examples of Advanced Animations with Elementor Free

Here are a few examples to inspire you:

• Parallax Scrolling: Create a parallax effect by making background images move slower than foreground content as the user scrolls. This adds depth and visual interest to your page. Use also different Layers of Google Fonts. Learn more on how to choose the right fonts for your website with this guide: How to Choose the Right Fonts for Your Website. Or get inspired from the Top 10 free Google Fonts: Top 10 Free Best Google Fonts for Your Website.
• Animated Headlines: Animate the words in your headlines to draw attention. You can use entrance animations to reveal the words one by one, or use transform effects to make them rotate or scale.
• Interactive Buttons: Make your call-to-action buttons more engaging by adding hover effects. For example, you could change the button’s color, scale it up slightly, or add a subtle shadow when the user hovers over it.
• Revealing Content on Scroll: As the user scrolls down the page, you can reveal additional content with the entrance animation. This keeps the user engaged and encourages them to explore more.

Resources for Learning More

• Elementor Documentation: The official Elementor documentation is a great resource for learning about all of Elementor’s features. Check out the official documentation: Elementor Help Center.
• YouTube Tutorials: There are many excellent YouTube tutorials that demonstrate how to create advanced animations with Elementor. Just search for ‘Elementor animation tutorial’. A great video that can help you is this: How to Create Amazing Website Animations with Elementor.
• Online Forums and Communities: Join Elementor forums and communities to ask questions and share your knowledge with other users. One of many Communities you can join is this : Elementor Community on Facebook.

Take also a look at this internal blog posts to get knowledge about:

• 10 Expert Tips and Tricks for Mastering Elementor Page Builder
• Getting Started with Elementor: The Complete Guide
• Inspirational Showcase of Beautiful Websites Built with Elementor 1

  Conclusion

Creating advanced animations with Elementor free might seem challenging, but with a bit of creativity and the right techniques, you can achieve remarkable results. By combining entrance animations, scroll effects, mouse effects, and transform effects, you can transform your website into a dynamic and engaging experience for your visitors.

So, go ahead and start experimenting with Elementor’s animation features. Don’t be afraid to try new things and push the boundaries. With practice, you’ll be able to create stunning animations that set your website apart from the competition. Good luck, and happy animating!