How To Create Smooth Animations From .png Files

In this tutorial, we'll have a shut look at all the available options to catechumen a video to a GIF blitheness, and how to optimize its file size.

What Is a GIF File?

Earlier we start, let'south accept a closer wait at the question, "What is a GIF file?" GIF is the standard format for compressing images with big areas of solid colors and crisp details like those in line art, logos, or type. Existence an viii-chip-depth image format, it would have disappeared from the web subsequently the introduction of the JPEG and PNG file formats. But GIF is still a favored spider web file format thanks to its frame animation feature.

By the way, if you work with animated GIFs oft, yous may want to check out an automatic solution: the Gift Export Photoshop Action available on GraphicRiver.

How to Optimize an Animated GIF: ten Ways

If yous want to learn these techniques via video, bank check out our lesson on the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

1. How to Trim the Animation

Outset of all, you'll need to open up the video file with Photoshop. Most of the time, you won't need the whole sequence for the GIF blitheness, so you can trim the video past going to Window > Timeline. Plow on the Loop selection and try to find a good identify to trim your video.

Reduce GIF Size Photoshop Tutorial Trimming the video in adobe photoshop

2. How to Reduce the GIF Image File Size

You lot tin can either reduce the GIF paradigm file size by going to Image > Image Size or by hitting Alt-Control-I. Your video layer will have to be turned into a Smart Object if you reduce the GIF size, but you don't have to worry about this—it won't bear on our workflow at all.

How to Reduce GIF Size Tutorial Resizing the image size

3. How to Save the GIF File for the Web

Another option to reduce GIF size in Photoshop is the "Save for Web" function. You tin can find it by going to File > Export > Save for Web or by pressing Alt-Shift-Control-S.

My favorite thing most this workflow is that nosotros don't accept to exercise whatsoever conversion on the Timeline panel to be able to salvage a frame animation, every bit the Save for Web dialog box will do the work for us once y'all select the GIF file format as your output.

Find that the animation options will appear in the lesser correct corner of the dialog box. If you lot make up one's mind to farther reduce the GIF size in Photoshop, you can still do information technology here.

How to Reduce GIF Size Tutorial saving the gif file for Web

4. How to Reduce the Number of Frames

You tin can also reduce the GIF size if y'all reopen the exported GIF dorsum into Photoshop and delete every 2nd or third frame from the Timeline panel. Then you should select all the remaining frames and increase their duration to recoup for the loss of frames. If you don't practise this compensation, your animation will be played faster than the original. Once yous're gear up, you tin can salve the new optimized GIF, which should be much smaller than the original.

How to Compress GIF Tutorial Reducing the number of frames in GIF

5. How to Change the Number of Colors That Are Animated

The nearly relevant selection for optimizing GIF size is the number of colors used in the Color Table. The maximum amount of colors is 256, which comes from the 8-bit-depth limitation. Mostly speaking, information technology's expert to stick with 64 colors or less to compress the GIF file in Photoshop. Only depending on the original video, yous might need to increase the number of colors to get a better result.

How to Compress GIF Tutorial change the number of the colors of the GIF

6. How to Cull the Color Reduction Algorithm

Hither are the options for choosing color reduction:

Perceptual to create a custom color tabular array by giving priority to colors for which the human center has greater sensitivity.
Selective to create a color table similar to the Perceptual color table, but favoring broad areas of color and the preservation of web colors. This color tabular array ordinarily produces images with the greatest colour integrity. (Selective is the default choice.)
Adaptive to create a custom color table past sampling colors from the spectrum appearing about commonly in the image. For example, an prototype with merely shades of dark-green and bluish produces a color table made primarily of greens and blues. Most images concentrate colors in particular areas of the spectrum.
Restrictive uses the standard, 216‑colour, web‑rubber color tabular array mutual to the viii‑fleck (256‑color) panels of Windows and Mac operating systems. This option ensures that no browser dither is applied to colors when the prototype is displayed using viii‑bit colour. If your epitome has fewer than 216 colors, unused colors are removed from the table.

How to Compress GIF Tutorial choosing the color reduction algorithm

7. How to Use Dithering to Reduce the GIF File Size in Photoshop

Since GIF files incorporate a express number of colors, nosotros may desire to imitate the missing colors with bachelor ones using dithering. From the Dither menu, we choose one of the algorithms for such imitation. The Diffusion method lets us suit the amount of dither. With theDesign and Racket algorithms, in that location'due south zilch to adjust.

The more dithering in an epitome, the larger the file size. Dithering adds different-colored pixels in close proximity to each other to simulate secondary colors or smooth gradations in color. Some images must comprise dithering to expect practiced, but it'southward best to employ the least amount of dithering possible to go along the smallest file size.

Compress GIF Photoshop Tutorial choosing the dither function

8. How to Utilise the Web Snap, Lossy, Transparency, and Interlaced Functions

Web Snap is used to assist prevent dithering in a browser. Information technology's done by snapping some of the colors to web-safety colors. The more web-safe colors nowadays in a GIF, the less browser dithering will upshot. A value of 0% won't alter any colors, while a value of 100% will change all the colors in the image to web-safe.
Lossy compression discards visual information, which can compress the GIF file size.
If the prototype contains Transparency, select Transparency to preserve transparent pixels; deselect Transparency to fill up fully and partially transparent pixels with the matte color.
Interlaced GIF files are loaded in a browser in a few passes (like progressive JPEGs).

Compress GIF Photoshop Tutorial using web snap lossy transparency and interlaced functions

9. How to Compare the Original and Optimized Version of the GIF File

One time you lot've fabricated a lot of custom changes, yous can bank check the divergence in file size and quality by using the 2-Up view.

Optimize GIF Photoshop Tutorial comparing the original and optimized gifs

10. How to Use Preview, Salvage Preset, and Optimize to File Size

If yous're happy with your settings, have a look at your final optimized GIF with the Preview selection in a browser, and don't forget to relieve your settings equally presets. You can too specify a file size limit with this boosted option from the Optimize carte du jour, and one time this is practical, Photoshop will try to fit the size with the best possible image quality.

Reduce GIF File Size Tutorial saving the preset using preview and optimizing to file size

Which Style of Optimizing a GIF File Do You Prefer to Utilize?

Now you know 10 simple means to optimize your GIF files. I hope this article was helpful to you. If you're looking for GIF-related Photoshop products, then check out these crawly actions and templates:

GIF Export Photoshop Activity (ATN)

GIF Consign Photoshop Action lets you take multiple images, automatically upload them in Photoshop, and export them every bit a GIF.

Animated VHS Instagram Stories Template v.2 (PSD)

If yous want to create glitched and VHS-looking blithe Instagram stories or animated GIF files from your static pictures, cheque out this Photoshop template, which is extremely easy to employ and suitable for any photo.

Animated Zombie Grime Art Photoshop Action (ATN, PAT, PDF)

This awesome Photoshop activity will assistance yous to add the trendy blithe zombie/crud effect to your photos. In the primary archive, you'll detect ane action file, one pattern file, and a link to a video tutorial.

GIF Blithe Sparkles Photoshop Activeness (ATN, ABR, PAT, PNG, PSD)

If you lot're looking for something more bright and magic-looking, GIF Animated Sparkles Photoshop Activeness is the all-time choice for you. It gives your photos that fabulous glowing wait in a few simple clicks.

Animated eighty's Synthwave Poster: Photoshop Action (ATN, ABR, PAT)

This activity is ane of my favorites as well. It gives you lot the possibility to create amazing animated posters in Adobe Photoshop, in synthwave/retrowave styles. It'southward a handy tool for recreating the atmosphere of the 80s.