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GIF

The GIF image format

GIF is the classic format for short animations. It is supported everywhere, but its 256-color limit makes photos look grainy and its files get large quickly.

ConvertGIF → JPGGIF → PNGGIF → WebPGIF → PDFGIF → ICO

What it is

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was introduced by CompuServe in 1987, which makes it one of the oldest image formats still in everyday use. It uses lossless LZW compression, but each frame is limited to a palette of at most 256 colors.

A GIF can contain several frames with a delay between them, which is how animated GIFs work. Transparency is simple: a pixel is either fully transparent or fully opaque, with nothing in between.

In the 1990s, a patent on the LZW compression method caused controversy, which was one of the reasons PNG was created as a free alternative. Those patents have since expired.

Strengths

  • Animation everywhere. Animated GIFs play in every browser, messaging app and email program that shows images.
  • Simple and universal. Practically all software can open a GIF.
  • Good for tiny graphics. Small icons and simple images with few colors compress well.

Weaknesses

  • Only 256 colors per frame. Photos lose color detail and often show visible grain from dithering, or banding in gradients.
  • Large files. Animations with many frames or photographic content get heavy quickly, often much heavier than a short video.
  • Hard-edged transparency. No soft edges, so transparent GIFs can show jagged outlines.
  • No sound. A GIF is a sequence of images, nothing more.

When to use it

Use GIF for short, simple animations that must play everywhere, such as reactions, small interface demonstrations or animated stickers. For still images, PNG is better in every way. For websites, animated WebP or a short video file is usually much lighter than a GIF.

How to convert GIF and make your own

  • GIF to PNG, JPG or WebP: the GIF to PNG converter saves an image as PNG (default), JPG or WebP. For animated GIFs, only the first frame is saved. Transparency is kept in PNG and WebP; JPG uses a background color.
  • Photos to GIF: the GIF maker turns two or more images into an animated GIF. You can reorder frames, set the delay (500 ms by default), loop forever or a set number of times, and choose an output width between 240 and 1080 pixels. A live preview shows the animation.
  • GIF to PDF: the image to PDF tool places images on PDF pages.
  • GIF to ICO: the PNG to ICO converter also accepts GIF files.

The tools work in your browser, so your images are not uploaded.

Frequently asked questions

Why do my photos look grainy as a GIF?

A GIF frame can use at most 256 colors, while a photo contains many thousands. The encoder often approximates the missing colors with fine dot patterns (dithering), which looks like grain. This is a limit of the format.

Can I save all frames of an animated GIF?

The GIF to PNG converter saves only the first frame. To keep the animation, keep the GIF itself or use a tool that exports video or individual frames.

Is GIF or video better for animations on a website?

For anything longer than a few seconds or with photographic content, a short video or animated WebP is usually far smaller. GIF is mainly useful where video is not supported, such as many email programs.