If y'all're on social media in 2019, you demand to know how to make a GIF. GIFs are helpful for creating eye-catching ads, or connecting with your followers through moments from pop culture.

Think of GIFs equally the midpoint between images and videos. The master advantage of using GIFs is that you tin tell a story or emphasize a point in a flash. Plus, they're minor files to load, and that makes them perfect for mobile.

GIFs take exploded in popularity in recent years. GIPHY, 1 of the web'south more than popular GIF databases, claims to accept over 300 million daily agile users. In 2018, Google bought Tenor, a keyboard app and GIF annal designed to assist users detect the GIFs they desire. Tenor processes over 400 meg GIF searches per mean solar day.

This article will show you lot how to make a GIF using iv different methods. Add them to your social media posts to delight and engage your followers.

Of course, you lot can besides watch this video to hear more about our strategy on how to brand gifs equally function of your brand'south marketing strategy:

Table of contents

How to brand a GIF with Photoshop

How to brand a GIF from a YouTube video

How to make a GIF on mobile

How to create screen-recording GIFs

Bonus: Get the always-up-to-date social media epitome size cheat sheet.  The free resource includes recommended photo dimensions for every type of image on every major network.

How to make a GIF with Photoshop

Notation: all screenshots used in this article are from Adobe Photoshop CC 2018 (nineteen.1.2 release).

Yous can utilize Photoshop to string images together into a GIF. To make the post-obit GIF, Fergus Baird used 20 photos taken in Photo Booth.

You tin can also use a curt video file to brand GIFs in Photoshop. The process is almost the same; only the commencement step will change.

Choose your own adventure:

If you're starting with a photo series, begin at Step 1A.

If you're converting a video into a GIF using Photoshop, outset at Pace 1B.

1A. Starting with photos: Load your deck of photos into Photoshop

In Photoshop, go to File > Stack > Load Files into Stack. Click Browse, then choose the photos ("layers") you desire to use by Shift-clicking on the total listing. Each of these photos will be i frame in your GIF.

Tip: If you want to salvage yourself some time afterwards, number your files (i.e., 001, 002, 003) to make sure they appear in order.

how to make a gif with photoshop

how to create a gif with photoshop

The "Load Layers" screen should look like this one below. Click OK and head to stride 2!


how to create a gif with photoshop

1B. Starting with video: Load your video file into Photoshop

To turn a short video into a GIF using Photoshop, you lot'll need to make layers out of the existing video frames. Beginning, click File > Import > Video Frames to Layers…

how to create a gif with photoshop

A new window will pop up request which portion of the video you'd like to import. You tin can select the range using the slider below the video.

Next, tell Photoshop how many frames information technology should import. Information technology isn't necessary to import every single frame to make a GIF. In this case, we imported ane out of every 3 frames, and only one-half of the video footage. When you're satisfied, click OK.

how to create a gif

Once you've imported your video file into layers, skip to Footstep 4.

2. Create a Timeline for your GIF

Nether the "Window" menu, scroll down and click Timeline.

how to make a gif with photoshop

A pocket-sized box will appear under the beginning image in your list: Create Video Timeline. Click this and change information technology to Create Frame Animation.

how to create a gif with photoshop

iii. Catechumen your photo layers into a ready of looping animation frames

In the height right of the "Timeline" console yous'll meet a little hamburger menu (outlined in yellow).

how to make a gif with photoshop

Click on the hamburger menu, curlicue down, and click on Make Frames From Layers.

how to make your own gif

The "Timeline" console will now show your animation frames in sequence. You lot can drag these around to reorder them.

Press the triangular Play icon (outlined in red below) to get an thought of how your GIF volition look. Likewise, make sure Forever is selected in the drop down menu to the left (outlined in xanthous), otherwise your GIF will only loop a set number of times.

make your own gif

4. Export your GIF

Click File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy)…

make your own gif

Y'all'll come to this carte beneath. It looks a picayune overwhelming, but don't worry. Under the "Preset" card, select GIF 128 Dithered.

make your own gif

Next, alter your Colors setting to 256 (the max number for a GIF).

how to make your own gif

Now you're ready to consign your GIF.

To encounter how it turned out, click Preview… in the lesser left corner. It'll open your default web browser and play a looping preview of your GIF.

how to create your own gif

Next, click Salvage… to name your GIF file, and download the GIF to your computer.

And that'south it! Congratulations! You know how to brand a GIF in Photoshop.

How to make a GIF from a YouTube video

If you don't have access to an Adobe Artistic Suite subscription, don't despair: in that location's more than one way to GIF a true cat.

1. Go to GIPHY.com and click Create

giphy homepage

2. Add the web address of the video you'd like to make into a GIF

how to make a gif

3. Find the part of the video you'd similar to capture, and choose the length

Choosing a longer duration in the top slider volition add together more than time after the "start time" you select in the bottom slider.

how to make a gif

iv. Optional pace: decorate your GIF

At that place are a multifariousness of options in here. Yous can add text, or jazz up the GIF with stickers, filters, or even hand-drawn annotations. I didn't add annihilation because the baby getting torso-slammed by a cat really speaks for itself.

how to make a gif

5. Optional footstep: add together hashtags to your GIF

Add hashtags if you desire people to observe your GIF and share it widely. Include your brand name and some common related terms in your list so it's hands searchable. Think of what you would search for if you were trying to notice this GIF in a hurry.

how to make a gif

six. Upload your GIF to GIPHY

how to make a gif

And with that, you're done! To include the GIF in your social media posts, simply insert the Giphy link or download the Giphy file and attach it.

You can follow these aforementioned steps to upload a GIF you lot've made yourself. Just add a link to the GIF URL in identify of the YouTube video link at the start. You tin can besides use these steps to create a GIF from your own video — simply starting time by uploading it to YouTube.

How to brand a GIF on mobile

Mobile apps like GIPHY Cam allow you to make GIFs on your phone. These are extremely like shooting fish in a barrel to use: if you've ever used Snapchat, y'all can handle GIPHY Cam. If you have not used Snapchat… you can yet handle GIPHY Cam.

1. Launch the app and record your GIF

Tap the photo push button to take a brusk burst of photos, or hold information technology for a longer GIF.

ii. Optional stride: cull a filter, or add stickers/text

how to create a gif

3. Save your GIF and share it with the earth


How to brand a screen-recording GIF

Apps like GIPHY Capture, ScreenToGif, LICECap and GifCam allow you to make GIFs of your on-screen activity. This is a slap-up option if you're writing a short instructional article (similar something for an online help eye) and want to show steps visually.

1. Launch the screen-recording GIF software

When you lot launch the software, you'll come across a recording overlay like the red-outlined section in the screenshot below.

how to make a screen-recording gif

two. Pull the mask over the area you want to record

With GIPHY Capture, you can record annihilation inside the recording overlay (again, outlined in red). To overstate this area, click and elevate the bottom-right corner (outlined in yellow).

how to make a screen-recording gif

Bonus: Get the e'er-up-to-date social media image size cheat sheet.  The free resource includes recommended photo dimensions for every type of prototype on every major network.

Become the complimentary cheat sheet now!

3. Record your on-screen activeness

Press the round ruby-red button in the eye to record, then printing it again to stop recording. Y'all should meet a thumbnail preview of your GIF pop up in the bar below the recording overlay.

how to create a screen-recording gif

4. Customize your GIF settings

Minimize the recording expanse and accept a look at the GIF options carte. Here, you lot can customize your GIF, including the loop type (normal, reverse, or ping-pong) pixel size, and frame rate. Drag the tabs in from the left or right to trim your GIF. Y'all can also add captions from this menu. Simply click captions next to options.

how to make a screen-recording gif

When y'all're ready, you lot can click the blue Summate size text to get an idea of how large your GIF file volition be. Under 3 MB is ideal for fast loading.

v. Save your GIF

Yous can choose to save your GIF to your estimator, or, in the case of GIPHY Capture, upload information technology straight to GIPHY'south online annal.

Nonetheless you cull to use GIFs in your marketing strategy—social or otherwise—make sure your arroyo is carefully considered and stays true to your make values. And don't forget to have fun with it!

You can add your newly created, hilarious GIFs to social media posts with Hootsuite. Easily manage your social channels and engage followers across networks from a unmarried dashboard. Try it free today.

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