How to Create Animated GIFs Using Photoshop

PDF download Download Article
PDF download Download Article

This wikiHow teaches you how to make an animated GIF in Adobe Photoshop by creating one from scratch, or by converting a video. You will need Adobe Photoshop CS6 or later.

Method 1
Method 1 of 2:

From Scratch

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's the app with a light-blue "Ps" on a dark background.
  2. To do this:
    • Click File .
    • Click New .
    • Select your project size.
    • Click Create .
    Advertisement
  3. Every layer in your animated gif will be its own frame. If you are drawing an animation by hand or arranging a set of still pictures, make sure that every frame is on a new layer. You can create a new layer in several ways:
    • Click the New Layer icon at the bottom of the layer window.
    • Click Layer , New , Layer .
    • Press Shift + Ctrl + N (PC) or Shift + Command + N (Mac).
  4. This will add a video timeline at the bottom of your Photoshop project, similar to the timeline in video editors.
  5. You may have to click the
    Android 7 Expand More
    button first to see this option.
  6. It's in the top-right of the Timeline window. Clicking it opens a drop-down menu.
  7. This will convert each layer into a single frame of the animated GIF.
  8. This is the setting for how many times you would like the animation to repeat.
  9. This will set the animated GIF to repeat the animation constantly.
    • You can also click the
      Android 7 Expand More
      icon under each frame to adjust the timing if you want it to appear on-screen for a longer or shorter time during the animation.
  10. This opens the export options for web format images.
  11. If you want to save the GIF as a lower-quality file so it will load faster, first click the Optimized , 2-Up , or 4-Up tabs and select an option that has a smaller filesize in the bottom-left of each image preview.
    • Make sure "GIF" is selected in the drop-down box on the right.
  12. Your animated GIF will be exported. You can now open the image, post it on the web, or send it to friends.
    13. Advertisement
Method 2
Method 2 of 2:

From a Video

PDF download Download Article
  1. It's the app with a light-blue "Ps" on a dark background.
  2. This will import the video into Photoshop and place it in a Timeline window at the bottom. To do this you can drag and drop the file directly into Photoshop, or you can:
    • Click File , then Open .
    • Select your video file.
    • Click Open .
  3. Click the very beginning or end of the video file on the timeline and drag it to the other side to adjust where the video clip starts playing and where it stops playing.
    • If you want to preview your changes at any time, press the play button on the left in the Timeline window.
  4. If you want to speed up or slow down the rate at which the video plays, you can right-click on the clip in the timeline and change the Speed parameter. You can enter a new percentage number (i.e. 50% plays the video at half speed, 200% plays the video and double speed) or:
    • Click
      Android 7 Expand More
      and drag the slider left or right to adjust the speed manually.
  5. If you imported an HD quality video, chances are the image size is quite large. If you want to post your animated GIF on the web and don't want it to take a long time to load, you will want to reduce the size. To do that:
    • Click Image .
    • Click Image Size .
    • Enter a new image size (350 by 197 is recommended for HD videos).
    • Click OK .
    • Click Convert .
  6. This opens the export options for web format images.
  7. If you want to save the GIF as a lower-quality file so it will load faster, first click the Optimized , 2-Up , or 4-Up tabs and select an option that has a smaller filesize in the bottom-left of each image preview.
    • Make sure "GIF" is selected in the drop-down box on the right so the image will save as a GIF file that supports animation, and not a JPEG or PNG.
  8. It's in the bottom-right of the window. Select whether you want your GIF to play through once, or loop forever.
  9. This will open the save window.
  10. Your animated GIF will be exported. You can now open the image, post it on the web, or send it to friends.
    11. Advertisement

Community Q&A

Search
Add New Question
  • Question
    I created a GIF, but it will not open in Internet Explorer. Do I have an incorrect setting?
    Community Answer
    Internet Explorer is somewhat limited; try it in Google Chrome. As that's currently the most-used browser, that will be a good test to ensure others are able to see it.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 1 Helpful 9
  • Question
    In CS2, even though I select cycle once, and the preview only cycles once, the saved GIF cycles continuously. What's up?
    Community Answer
    Every GIF cycles continuously; this cannot be changed. It may preview once but will loop, no matter where you place the GIF.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
    Yes No
    Not Helpful 6 Helpful 1
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
      Advertisement

      Tips

      • For Looping Options, instead of "Once" or "Forever," you can also select "Others" and select the number of times that you want your animation to loop.
        Thanks
        Helpful 0 Not Helpful 0
      Submit a Tip
      All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
      Name
      Please provide your name and last initial
      Submit
      Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
      Advertisement

      Warnings

      Advertisement

      You Might Also Like

      How to
      Make a PSD File Using Photoshop (Beginner)
      A Complete Guide to Layer Masks in Photoshop
      How to
      Insert an Image in Photoshop
      How to
      Fix "Scratch Disks are Full" Error in Photoshop
      How to
      Trace an Image in Photoshop on Windows or Mac
      3 Ways to Simply Import Fonts to Photoshop
      How to
      Install Plug-ins for Adobe Photoshop
      How to
      Make a Gradient in Photoshop
      4 Easy Ways to Insert a Bullet Point in Adobe Photoshop
      Quickly Change the Color of Background in Photoshop
      2 Easy Ways to Edit and Change Text Color in Photoshop
      Replace Text in Adobe Photoshop: 2 Simple Methods for Removal
      How to
      Add a Hyperlink to a JPEG in Photoshop
      How to
      Design an ID Card Using Adobe Photoshop
      Advertisement

      References

      1. Saving GIF Files in Photoshop

      About This Article

      In other languages
      Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,944,048 times.

      Reader Success Stories

      • Shaun Rox

        Apr 12, 2017

        "This article really helps me in understanding the making of a GIF. The best part is that it is step-by-step, which ..." more
      Share your story

      Is this article up to date?

      Advertisement