About GIF
CompuServe released GIF in 1987. The 1989 revision added the ability to store several frames with delays between them, and the looping animated GIF was born. It has outlived nearly everything else from that era of computing, mostly because every app and platform can play it without a video player.
Its limits are strict. Each frame can use at most 256 colours, chosen from millions. Transparency is on or off per pixel, with no soft edges. Compression is lossless but old, so photographic GIFs are large and speckled with dithering.
What to use GIF for
- Short, simple animations, especially screen recordings of interfaces and reaction images.
- Places that only accept GIF for animation, such as some email clients and older forums.
For still images, PNG does everything GIF does, better. For animation on your own website, a short muted video or animated WebP is usually a fraction of the size.
Making GIFs that are not huge
Size scales with width, height and frame count. Keep animations narrow, around 480 pixels, and short. Flat graphics compress far better than photos. The GIF maker lets you set width and timing before you build.
GIF at a glance
| First released | 1987 |
|---|---|
| Compression | Lossless, but 256 colours at most |
| Transparency | On or off only |
| Animation or pages | Animation |
| Best for | Simple animations |
| Support | Universal |
Questions people ask
How do I make an animated GIF?
Use the GIF maker: add your frames, set the timing, and build.
Why does my GIF look grainy?
GIF is limited to 256 colours per frame, so photos are dithered, which looks like grain.
Is it pronounced GIF or JIF?
Its creator said “jif”. Most people say it with a hard G. Both are understood.