This short article describes what a GIF is, how to open one on your computer or phone, how to make your own or modify an existing one, and how to transform a GIF to a different image or video format.
What Is a GIF?
A file with the GIF file extension is a Graphical Interchange Format file. GIFs (noticable ‘gif’ or ‘jiff’) are typically little image files that many people utilize to produce animated images to share on social networks. However, a GIF can be used with large files too.
How to Use Gifs
Although GIFs do not contain audio information, they’re typically seen online as a method to share video clips. Websites typically utilize them, too, to display animated items like buttons or header images. Since they’re conserved in a lossless format, image quality isn’t degraded when utilized with GIF compression.
Graphics File Format Types and When to Use Each One
How to Open a GIF File
Before you look into the programs mentioned listed below, initially choose what it is that you’re after. Do you desire a program that can play the GIF like a video or image audience, or do you desire something that will let you edit the GIF?
On nearly all operating systems, most web browsers (Chrome, Firefox, Edge, etc) open online GIFs with no issue– you do not require any other program on your computer system. Open regional GIFs with the Open menu, or possibly with a drag-and-drop into the internet browser window.
With other applications like Photoshop, while the software application can technically open the GIF like it can with other graphics, it doesn’t really display the GIF as you ‘d expect it to. Instead, it opens each frame of the file as a different layer. While this is excellent for modifying the GIF, it’s not so excellent for playing/viewing it with ease like in a web browser.
Next to a basic web internet browser, the default graphics audience in Windows, called Photos, is most likely the simplest way to open them because OS.
Some other programs for Windows that can open GIF files are Adobe’s Photoshop Elements and Illustrator programs, CorelDRAW, Corel PaintShop Pro, and Canvas.
If you’re using macOS, Apple Preview, Safari, and the Adobe programs discussed above can work with GIF files. On Linux, utilize GIMP, while iOS and Android gadgets (and any desktop OS) can view GIF files in Google Drive.
Some mobile phones open GIFs in their respective default image applications. It might depend on how old your device is or if the software application is current, but the majority of them can download and show GIF files without having you install any additional apps.
Thinking about the number of programs that open GIF files, and that you might have at least 2 set up right now, there’s a very real chance that the one that’s set to open them by default (i.e. when you double-click or double-tap on one) isn’t the one you ‘d like to utilize. If you discover that to be the case, you can alter that default GIF program in Windows.
How to Convert a GIF File
Converting a GIF file to a different file format is most convenient if you utilize an online file converter. That way, you don’t need to download a program simply to transform a couple GIFs FileZigZag is a wonderful site that converts the GIF to image formats like JPG, PNG, TGA, TIFF, and BMP, but also to video file formats like MP4, MOV, AVI, and 3GP. Another online GIF converter like that a person is Zamzar.
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The GIF audiences mentioned above may be some other options for conserving the file to a various format. The majority of those programs are image editors, so possibilities are you can actually utilize them to edit the GIF as well as save it to a video or image file format.
The majority of converters can do the opposite, too, and transform an image or video to the GIF format.
How to Create GIFs and Download Free GIFs
To make your own GIF from a video, utilize free online GIF-making tools. Imgur makes GIFs from online videos by letting you choose which area of the video should be a GIF. It even lets you overlay text.
In addition to Imgur, GIPHY is one of the very best locations to discover popular and new GIFs that you can then download or easily share on other websites. You can share the GIF to Facebook, Twitter, Reddit, and a number of other locations, plus download it on your own and email the GIF. GIPHY also publishes a link to the HTML5 version of each of their GIFs.
As we pointed out above, Photoshop is another example of a program that can convert a series of images into a GIF file; our How to Make a GIF in Photoshop guide supplies all the details. See our GIMP animated GIF tutorial if you ‘d rather use that totally free program.
The Workflow automation app readily available on iPhones and iPads is another easy method to produce GIFs from your own photos and videos. We likewise have this list of GIF maker apps for your phone (consisting of Android).
How to Make a GIF From a YouTube Video。
More Information on GIF Files
Parts of a GIF file can be transparent to reveal the background behind the image.
Considering that GIF files are generally limited in the number of colors they can show (simply 256), other graphic formats like JPG, which can keep numerous countless colors, work best for full images like those created with a digital cam. GIF files, then, are used on websites when there does not need to be an enormous variety of colors, like for buttons or banners.
GIFs can really store more than 256 colors, but it includes a process that leads to the file being much larger than it requires to be– something that can be achieved by JPG without affecting the size as much.
Some History on the GIF Format
The original GIF format was called GIF 87a and was published by CompuServe in 1987. A couple years later on, the business updated the format and called it GIF 98a.
While both versions of the GIF format enable animations, it was 98a that consisted of postponed animation support.
FAQHow do you make a GIF in Photoshop?
To make a GIF in Photoshop, choose File > Import > Video Frames to Layers and open the video you wish to become a GIF. Select a portion of it using Selected Range Only, then go to Window > Timeline to preview it or make edits.
How do you modify a GIF?
Utilizing the free online tool EZGIF.com, open the GIF you want to modify in the GIF Maker. Then you can rearrange the order of the images, avoid images you don’t wish to consist of, resize the GIF, and more. Have a look at Lifewire’s guide to modifying a GIF without Photoshop for more detailed details.
How do you publish a GIF on Facebook?
Start a new post on Facebook, then navigate to the Add to Your Post section and choose the More icon (three horizontal dots) > GIF. Pick from among the recommended offerings or use the search bar to discover a specific GIF to contribute to your brand-new post.
How do you make a GIF from a YouTube video?
Copy the link to the YouTube video you wish to utilize, then go to GIFS.com. Paste the link in the required field and select Continue. When the video uploads, utilize the sliders to choose the start and end times for your new GIF, crop it, include stickers or captions, or include some unique impacts like blurring.
How do you put a GIF into Google Slides?
Select Insert > Image. You can choose to upload the file from your computer system or browse the web for a suitable GIF. Once you find the GIF you want to use and place it into your presentation, you’re able to adjust its size and position in the slide. See our guide on placing GIFs into Google Slides for more assistance.
