GIFs are a fun, dynamic manner to express yourself on the Internet. These animated files feature a brusque, looping video clip — usually i that expresses an emotion. Humans are visual creatures, and if a picture is worth a one thousand words, so an animated GIF is worth fifty-fifty more.

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

One mutual utilize of blithe GIFs is in individual or straight social messages, and they're too popular on sites like Tumblr. However, they too work well in many types of creative content, such every bit blog posts, landing pages, emails and social media posts.

How to Make a GIF From a Video in 6 Steps

At that place are GIF files made from looping images, or fifty-fifty still images, but this commodity is all virtually explaining how to create GIFs from a video. We'll break downward why you should exist using GIFs, what makes a GIF great, and how to make a GIF from a video yourself — even if you're a total beginner!

Why utilize GIFs instead of videos?

GIFs give y'all all the expressive power of a video, with a much lighter file size that won't slow downwards your page's loading time or performance.

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

Particularly because so many readers tend to skim through written content online, GIFs are a expert way to make sure the overall messages of what you're saying come up through effectively.

GIFs also tend to be funny, and then they're a good way to keep things light hearted. This is a skilful strategy if yous're writing most drier content, and you all the same want the slice to be entertaining and dynamic.

GIFs are likewise trendy — and they're not going anywhere. Especially for younger audiences, like Millennials and Gen Z, they're an integral office of communicating online, expressing emotions, referencing popular civilization, and harnessing the ability of video in a quick and shareable way.

How to make a GIF from a video

There are hundreds of millions of GIFs bachelor online that y'all can utilise to express yourself, merely making your own couldn't be easier, and then at that place'southward no reason not to get creative! Here's a pace-by-step guide to making your own GIF — you won't demand fancy tools like Photoshop to do it.

There are lots of options for online tools you can use to create blithe GIFs, similar EZGif, Imgflip, GifMaker, and GIPHY. And of class, y'all can also create a GIF out of JPG or PNG images. Merely GIPHY is one of the most popular tools, and GIFs that use video files, like movie GIFs, are one of the about popular types.

So here, nosotros'll be guiding y'all through how to brand a GIF from a video, using GIPHY.

Pace ane: Prepare your video

Make a GIF from a video

A skilful GIF starts with a good video, so you'll want to brand sure yours fits all GIPHY'south specifications.

Your video should:

  • Be upwards to xv seconds long, just ideally half-dozen seconds or less
  • Exist upward to 100MB, merely ideally under 8MB
  • Accept resolution up to 720p, but 480p is best
  • Be under 200 frames per second, or ideally under 100 frames per 2d
  • Have content that will look good and exist clear on minor screens

Once you have a video ready that you're happy with, click on the 'Create' push in the upper right corner of GIPHY's homepage.

Footstep 2: Upload your video to GIPHY

Make a GIF from a video

Side by side, upload your video file to GIPHY by selecting 'Choose File' under GIF (since that's what you want to create).

Yous can also enter a YouTube link, or another URL, to use a video directly from YouTube, Vimeo, or some other video-hosting site.

 GIF from a video

Next, GIPHY does most of the work for you. Yous'll just need to tell the tool which section of your video y'all'd like to transform into a GIF, by trimming your video and selecting when you'd like the GIF to commencement.

Stride four: Get creative

text for a meme style

GIPHY also gives yous the selection to decorate your masterpiece with stickers, filters, and a few different styles of caption.

If you're in the mood to add together text for a meme-style GIF, make it sparkle with stickers, or add a filter to make the bailiwick of your video look amazing, at present'due south your chance.

Optimize your GIF

You lot're done! All you lot need to do is hitting 'Upload to GIPHY', and your cosmos will start uploading and set to join the huge and thriving online GIF ecosystem.

You lot'll and then be able to download it to your computer, to use information technology in your make content.

BONUS! Stride vi: Optimize your GIF

optimize your gif

If you want to be extra certain that your GIF volition look peachy on every platform, optimizing information technology is quick and like shooting fish in a barrel. We like EZGif's free optimizer, which makes it easy to find the right balance between a small, quick-loading file size, and a skillful compression quality so that your GIF looks crisp and cute. It also lets you customize your GIF with a few other tools, such every bit a crop or resize office, if you need.

What makes a good GIF?

Making a GIF is piece of cake — simply how tin y'all make an animated GIF that'due south as adept as information technology can possibly be?

Well, the all-time GIFs starting time with a bang-up video. So make sure the video you're starting with is adept quality, fits in with all the required specs, and most importantly, actually conveys the feeling, bulletin, or thought you need it to.

Other than their expressive powers, GIFs' quick loading capability is their other major advantage. And then make sure your GIF isn't too big of a file size, ideally by using the GIF optimizing tool we shared higher up!

One time you know your GIF itself is great, it'southward all about how you utilise it. Try using GIFs to add interest, motion, and expressiveness to your weblog content, email campaigns, and landing pages. They're besides great on social media, and fun to share with your squad over Slack.

Get become artistic!

GIFs are the perfect way to liven upwards many different types of content and go along things fun, current, and relatable. There are millions of GIFs to choose from, simply 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 attempt it out for yourself and have fun becoming a superstar GIF creator!