GIFs are a fun, dynamic way to express yourself on the Net. These animated files feature a short, looping video clip — usually one that expresses an emotion. Humans are visual creatures, and if a picture is worth a thousand words, so an animated GIF is worth even more.

Because they're such a fun, clear, and succinct way to express a feeling, GIFs are incredibly popular. That's why 'reaction GIFs' are one of the virtually common ways to utilise this kind of file. GIPHY, one of the biggest GIF platforms online, has an unbelievable 500 million agile users — and they send 7 billion GIFs every single day!

Ane common utilize of animated GIFs is in private or straight social messages, and they're besides popular on sites like Tumblr. However, they as well work well in many types of artistic content, such equally blog posts, landing pages, emails and social media posts.

How to Make a GIF From a Video in 6 Steps

In that location are GIF files made from looping images, or fifty-fifty still images, but this article is all about explaining how to create GIFs from a video. We'll break downward why yous should be using GIFs, what makes a GIF bully, and how to make a GIF from a video yourself — even if yous're a total beginner!

Why use GIFs instead of videos?

GIFs give yous all the expressive power of a video, with a much lighter file size that won't deadening down your page'south loading fourth dimension or performance.

For instance, if you're writing a blog mail about managing teams, it wouldn't make sense to embed a bunch of short videos that illustrate topics similar stress, productivity, belonging, and workplace trust. Simply adding in a few dissimilar GIFs will work — and they'll make your web log mail a lot more than fun and engaging to read!

Specially because then many readers tend to skim through written content online, GIFs are a adept way to make sure the overall letters of what you're saying come through finer.

GIFs also tend to be funny, so they're a expert way to go on things calorie-free hearted. This is a good strategy if yous're writing about drier content, and you even so want the piece to be entertaining and dynamic.

GIFs are as well trendy — and they're non going anywhere. Especially for younger audiences, like Millennials and Gen Z, they're an integral part of communicating online, expressing emotions, referencing popular culture, and harnessing the ability of video in a quick and shareable way.

How to make a GIF from a video

In that location are hundreds of millions of GIFs available online that you can use to express yourself, but making your ain couldn't exist easier, so there's no reason not to get creative! Here's a step-by-footstep guide to making your ain GIF — you won't need fancy tools similar Photoshop to do it.

There are lots of options for online tools you can use to create animated GIFs, like EZGif, Imgflip, GifMaker, and GIPHY. And of course, you tin can also create a GIF out of JPG or PNG images. Just GIPHY is one of the most pop tools, and GIFs that use video files, like pic GIFs, are one of the near popular types.

So hither, we'll be guiding you lot through how to brand a GIF from a video, using GIPHY.

Step i: Prepare your video

Make a GIF from a video

A expert GIF starts with a good video, so you lot'll desire to brand sure yours fits all GIPHY's specifications.

Your video should:

  • Exist up to 15 seconds long, only ideally 6 seconds or less
  • Be upwardly to 100MB, just ideally under 8MB
  • Have resolution upward to 720p, but 480p is best
  • Be nether 200 frames per second, or ideally nether 100 frames per second
  • Have content that will wait expert and be clear on small screens

In one case you take a video ready that you're happy with, click on the 'Create' push button in the upper correct corner of GIPHY'southward homepage.

Step 2: Upload your video to GIPHY

Make a GIF from a video

Adjacent, upload your video file to GIPHY by selecting 'Cull File' nether GIF (since that's what yous desire to create).

You can besides enter a YouTube link, or another URL, to use a video directly from YouTube, Vimeo, or another video-hosting site.

GIF from a video

Next, GIPHY does about of the work for yous. You'll just need to tell the tool which section of your video you'd like to transform into a GIF, by trimming your video and selecting when yous'd similar the GIF to kickoff.

Footstep 4: Get creative

text for a meme style

GIPHY also gives y'all the option to decorate your masterpiece with stickers, filters, and a few unlike styles of caption.

If you're in the mood to add together text for a meme-style GIF, make information technology sparkle with stickers, or add a filter to make the subject area of your video look amazing, at present's your adventure.

Optimize your GIF

You're washed! All y'all demand to do is hit 'Upload to GIPHY', and your cosmos volition start uploading and ready to join the huge and thriving online GIF ecosystem.

You'll and then be able to download it to your computer, to utilize it in your brand content.

BONUS! Stride 6: Optimize your GIF

optimize your gif

If y'all desire to exist extra sure that your GIF will await not bad on every platform, optimizing information technology is quick and easy. We like EZGif's free optimizer, which makes it easy to find the right rest between a small-scale, quick-loading file size, and a proficient compression quality so that your GIF looks crisp and cute. It also lets you lot customize your GIF with a few other tools, such as a crop or resize function, if y'all need.

What makes a skilful GIF?

Making a GIF is easy — but how can you make an animated GIF that'south as practiced every bit information technology tin can peradventure be?

Well, the best GIFs first with a great video. And then make sure the video you're starting with is proficient quality, fits in with all the required specs, and most importantly, really conveys the feeling, bulletin, or idea y'all need it to.

Other than their expressive powers, GIFs' quick loading capability is their other major reward. So make sure your GIF isn't also large of a file size, ideally by using the GIF optimizing tool nosotros shared above!

Once you know your GIF itself is keen, it's all about how you use it. Try using GIFs to add involvement, movement, and expressiveness to your weblog content, email campaigns, and landing pages. They're besides great on social media, and fun to share with your team over Slack.

Go get artistic!

GIFs are the perfect fashion to liven up many different types of content and go along things fun, electric current, and relatable. There are millions of GIFs to choose from, but making your own couldn't be easier.

With GIPHY, EZGif, and a multitude of other options, you'll be creating amazing GIFs in no fourth dimension. Go try it out for yourself and accept fun becoming a superstar GIF creator!