Before we get started on how to make animated GIF in Photoshop, first of all, how do you pronounce it? Do you say GIF with the G sound, or are you one of those who insist it is a J instead? Whichever category you fall into, one thing remains common; we all agree that animated GIFs are fun.
And the best part about them? They are not hard to make. If you have access to Photoshop and a few minutes to spare, you can create an animated GIF in no time.
What is an animated Gif?
An acronym for Graphics Interchange Format. GIFs are nothing but a type of image file. And not necessarily an optimal one, at that. The 8-bit format means they can only display 256 colors. They make photos look grainy. And even though they do not contain any audio, they can still be as bulky as an MP4 video file because they’re not compressed.
CompuServe introduced the format way back in the digital Stone Age of 1987 as a means of posting simple graphics like stock market quotations. In fact, GIFs existed two years before the World Wide Web, the internet, was born. As a relic of chat rooms, MySpace, and dial-up, they should have gone extinct long ago.
However, this tech dinosaur has endured due to one major factor, and that is animation. Although the format was developed to display basic graphics, it can hold more than one image at a time. Then, one day, someone had the bright idea that if you put a series of images into a GIF and sequenced them properly, you would have a simple animation.
GIFs were well enough suited for their original purpose: displaying logos, line art, charts, and such on the web. Today, though, we think of them primarily as short, looping animations.
A GIF isn’t the same thing as a video, primarily because of the lack of audio. That is why it is called an animated GIF instead, or a GIF animation. However, they are so useful for that one purpose that they are now one of the most popular formats for images that will appear mainly on the internet.
Difference between an animated GIF and other image file types
GIF (Graphics Interface Format)
GIFs are ideal for small graphics on websites and in emails. If you see any small animated image on the internet, you’re probably looking at a GIF.
However, animated GIFs are limited to just 256 simultaneous colors, so they can’t achieve photographic quality. Although they are not compressed, these files are typically small and highly portable. That makes them well-suited for web images. And, of all these image file types, only GIFs can be animated.
PNG (Portable Network Graphics)
PNGs are a lossless format that was intended as the next-generation replacement for GIFs. It supports transparency and up to 16 million colors.
Although GIFs are technically suitable for buttons and banners on websites, which don’t require lots of colors, web developers typically prefer to use the newer PNG format. This is primarily because it supports a broader range of colors and blends smoothly with webpage backgrounds.
JPG or JPEG (Joint Photographic Experts Group)
JPGs are the best choice for nearly all other types of online images and for some printed photographs and artwork. These files are compressed but with only a slight loss of quality. The JPG format supports millions of colors and is popular for storing digital photos. JPG files are very common on the internet.
They are also used for non-professional printing and for inserting images into documents of all kinds.
TIFF (Tagged Image File Format)
TIFFs are the workhorse format for high-resolution printing, including art photography and other fine artwork. It is a lossless type of image file that retains extremely high photographic quality for scanning and printing.
However, TIFF file sizes are huge. This, though, makes them best reserved for high-quality prints, professional publications, and archival purposes.
How to create an animated GIF in Photoshop
This technique works well for creating a timelapse animation using series of photos taken from a DSLR or point-and-shoot camera, or even a mobile device.
Step one: Import a series of photos
Open Photoshop and go to File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack.
Click Browse and locate the photos you want to use. While holding down the Shift key, select all the files and click Open.
Click OK to import the photos into a single layered file.
Note that a number of new layers have been created in the Layers panel on the right side of your workspace.
These individual layers will become the frames of the animated GIF.
Step two: Open the Timeline
Go to Window > Timeline to open the Timeline panel.
Click the arrow on the button in the middle of the panel and select Create Frame Animation. Then click the button to create a new frame animation.
Step three: Convert layers into animation frames
Click the menu icon from the upper right corner of the Timeline panel. Click Make Frames From Layers.
This will convert all the layers in the Layers panel into individual frames in your animation.
Click the Play button from the bottom of the Timeline panel (or press the Spacebar on your keyboard) to preview the animation.
Note: If your animation is playing in reverse, click the Timeline menu icon again and select Reverse Frames.
Step four: Set the animation to loop
Click the repeat menu from the bottom of the Timeline panel and select Forever. This will create a looping animation.
Click the Play button from the bottom of the Timeline panel (or press the Spacebar on your keyboard) to preview the animation.
Step five: Export the animation as a GIF
Go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy)…
- Select GIF 128 Dithered from the Preset menu.
- Select 256 from the Colors menu.
- If you are using the GIF online or want to limit the file size of the animation, change the Width and Height fields in the Image Size options.
- Select Forever from the Looping Options menu.
Click the Preview… button in the lower-left corner of the Export window to preview your GIF in a web browser.
Click Save… and select a destination for your animated GIF file.
This is how to create an animated GIF in Photoshop. Note that you can also use this technique for any layered Photoshop file.
How to create an animated Gif in Photoshop from a video
You can also use this technique to create an animated GIF from a short video. First, though, you will first need to convert the frames of the video into individual layers. Go to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers. Locate and select the video file you want to use and click Open.
Click OK to convert the video frames to a single layered file. Then proceed to step two above and continue from there.
Note: Photoshop may not be able to fully import a video if it is too long. Use the options in the Import window to limit the amount of frames imported. You can select to import the entire video or choose just a segment of the video.
You can also limit the number of frames imported to a set interval, such as every 2 frames.
How to add a GIF in Photoshop
There are a few different ways that you can add a GIF to Photoshop.
One way is to use the “File” menu, and select “Open.” Another way is to use the “Insert” menu, and select “Picture.” Or go to the “File” menu and select either the “Place” option or insert GIFs from Adobe Stock.
Difference between an animated GIF and a meme
A GIF, even an animated GIF, is just an image file type. Whether it moves or not, it can be any type of image (or series of images), used for any purpose.
Memes, on the other hand, are typically static images, often a photo or an artwork, usually displayed with a caption of some kind. Normally, they make a topical or pop culture reference — often humorous — spreading like wildfire across the internet and mutating rapidly as they go.
Like memes, GIFs are a quick visual way to communicate a joke, an idea, or an emotion — that’s one reason they’ve become so popular. And, all that said, GIFs can certainly be used to make a great meme.
Issues to consider when creating a GIF
Work out the first shot
A GIF may sometimes be displayed improperly, e.g. in some mail services. In this case, users will see only the first static shot instead of animation. This is because the creator probably did not properly format the shots.
Make sure that the message you want to convey is already understood on it and, if possible, check in advance how the GIF works on various media.
Ensure the shots match
When uploading the photos for animation, remember that the first and the last shots must match. This ensures a smooth transition, and therefore a better picture.
Mind the size
Since each shot of animation is a separate image, the size of the GIF can be too large. This can make it slow down the loading of web pages and annoy users. To avoid this, do not forget to compress the file before saving it.
Be sure that it does not exceed 1 megabyte.
What are GIFs good for?
The earliest animated GIFs were so crude that no serious web developer would consider using them. However, somewhere between the birth of YouTube and the expansion of broadband — as the internet began to pick up steam — they started coming into their own.
Technical quality improved and they became easier to create. Social media sites stopped shunning them. Designers and artists started exploring what they could do with them. Whole platforms were developed just to collect and share them. And once they hit smartphone keypads, there was no stopping them.
Today, you can hardly escape GIFs if you tried, because they are everywhere. All over the internet in websites and blogs and social media. In your emails and Slack convos and direct messages. In the ads and digital marketing campaigns that bombard you every day. On your phone, and so much more.
GIFs are now part of our cultural infrastructure. They provide a common visual language we’ve come to rely on as a way to express our emotions, demonstrate a reaction to something, or just share a laugh.
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