Every day, humans spend roughly 2 hours and 24 minutes on social media. That’s 144 minutes of scrolling through people’s thoughts, videos, memes, and the ever-popular GIF.
You can find these little five-second videos all over the internet. If you are ever looking for a fun way to express how you feel about something, a GIF is always a smart way to go.
Although there are libraries that have so many out there already, you might stumble across a video clip that you think has GIF potential and hasn’t been made into one yet. That’s why you should know how to make one yourself, do-it-yourself style.
To learn how to make a GIF from a video, continue reading.
The History Of The GIF
Believe it or not, the GIF was created in 1987 but didn’t exactly serve the same purpose as it does now. Back when computers didn’t have much memory and had difficulty handling large files, it was challenging to send people photos via email.
The GIF (Graphics Interchangeable Format) prevented this conflict from occurring, as it took still images and compressed any repetitive patterns in the data without changing it. As computers evolved and gained more memory, the need for GIFs started to dwindle.
However, because of its ability to convert still images and videos and make them into these short clips we now see on the internet, it stayed alive. The great thing about GIFs is that you can store a ton of them on your phone without having to worry about them filling up all your storage.
Their popularity has seen its ups and downs over the past decade. As of right now, though, they’re going strong.
GIF-Making Platforms
Despite what you make think, you don’t need to be that tech-savvy to create a GIF. Some platforms cater to those who want to make a quick creation, and others are for those who want to create a more polished piece of work.
Some platforms allow you to use their services via laptop only, while others have an app for your phone. Here are some of the most highly recommended platforms and how to use them:
Giphy
Giphy is probably the most well-known out of all the platforms, in part because their library is so expansive, having just reached 1 billion GIFs. Making your own is just a quick and easy three-step process. They want you to create an account before starting, but it’s free to do so, and it doesn’t take that long.
Click that purple “Create” button at the top of the screen, right in between the “Upload” and “Log In” buttons. From there, a screen that gives you the option of making a GIF, a sticker, or a video call backdrop will pop up.
When you click the GIF option, you can upload a video file from your computer. Below the three options is a place to paste a URL from YouTube or Vimeo if you prefer to make one that way.
When you get to the editing portion of the process, all you have to do is pick when you want the gif to start and end. Then you choose the duration—Giphy recommends 6 seconds maximum.
Then there’s the design element of GIF-making, where you can put text or stickers over the video. The text comes in all kinds of fonts and colors, and most of the stickers move.
The final screen allows you to add hashtags, making it easier for others to find your creation in the massive sea of GIFs. Use the emotion that is depicted in GIF as a hashtag. If there are characters in your GIF, you can use their names in a hashtag as well.
Once you finish your hashtag(s), you can then upload your GIF to Giphy. You can also download the GIF and upload it to social media or send it to a friend.
Want to put your GIF in an email? The folks at https://setapp.com/how-to/email-a-gif-on-mac-in-seconds have you covered. They’ll walk you through the process step-by-step of how to send a GIF using Gmail and Yahoo Mail.
Giphy App
Apple and Android users can download the Giphy app right onto their phone or iPad and make GIFs wherever they go. The app is very similar to the website, as it also allows you to edit, design, and share your GIF.
You can record a video and turn it into a GIF on the app, though, which is a feature that you don’t have on the website. Using the Giphy app will also make it easier for you to text GIFs to your friends and family.
Adobe Photoshop
If you want are more advanced or want a higher-quality GIF, Adobe Photoshop one of the best places to go. First, you’ll click the “File” button in the top left corner of your screen. In the drop-down menu, choose “Import” and then click the “Video Frames to Layers” option.
Next, the “Range to Import” options will pop up. You’ll need to choose how many slides out of your video you’re going to want to use. Then you’re going to export your project by clicking “File,” then “Export,” then “Save for Web (Legacy).”
Right before your GIF exports, you’ll have a chance to change the size of your file. Additionally, there’s a color setting where you can ensure that the colors on your GIF pop by setting it to the maximum number.
Afterward, you’ll find your GIF in your files, and then you can send it or share it with as many people as you like. Having it saved to your computer makes it easier to find too.
Other Places To Make GIFs
There are so many other GIF website and apps that you can use. Make A GIF is a little bit more advanced than Giphy but less sophisticated than Adobe Photoshop. They also allow you to upload videos from Facebook and Webcam, alongside Youtube on there.
ImgFlip is simple to use as well, but unless you have the premium version, they’ll put a watermark on all your GIFs. Snagit allows you to make a GIF out of an entire video and not just a snippet of a video. Lively and GIF Toaster are mobile apps that are free to download but have in-app purchases, meaning that there are features that you’ll have to purchase to use.
Now You Know How To Make A GIF From a Video
Now that you know that the process of how to make a GIF from a video is simple, go ahead and try to make your own GIF. Then once you have the basics down, then continue on your journey to becoming an expert GIF maker.
Browse all the tech tips on this site to learn more.
