Unleash Your Inner Creative Genius: Learn How to Make a Mind-Blowing Gif in Minutes with Photoshop!

Are you tired of scrolling through your social media feeds and only coming across boring, static images? Do you want to add a little pizzazz to your online presence and showcase your creative abilities? Look no further than creating your very own gif using Photoshop!

Gifs (Graphic Interchange Format) have taken the internet by storm in recent years, offering a unique visual experience that captures attention and elicits emotions in ways that still images cannot. And thanks to the latest technology and software, creating these animations has never been easier or more accessible.

While some may believe that making a gif requires specialized skills and knowledge, the process is actually quite simple and can be mastered by anyone with basic knowledge of Photoshop. Here’s a step-by-step guide to get you started:

Step 1 – Select Images

The first step is to choose the images you want to include in your gif. Select a series of images that illustrate the motion or action you want to showcase. Ensure that each image has a similar size and resolution to avoid issues and inconsistencies when creating the gif.

Step 2 – Open Photoshop

Once you have gathered the images, it’s time to open Photoshop. If you don’t have Photoshop installed on your computer, you can download a free trial version from Adobe’s website.

Step 3 – Create a New File

Click on the “File” tab and select “New.” Enter the dimensions you want your gif to be and select the background color of your choice.

Step 4 – Open the Images

Go to “File” again and select “Open.” Choose the images you want to include in your gif and select “Open” again.

Step 5 – Create Layers and Layer Masks

In the Layers panel, select “Create a new layer” to create a new layer for your first image. Right-click on the first layer and select “Add Layer Mask.” Repeat this process for each image.

Step 6 – Copy and Paste

Click on the first layer and go to “Edit” and select “Copy.” Then, go to the new layer, right-click, and select “Paste into Layer Mask.”

Step 7 – Animate the Layers

In the Timeline panel, select “Create Frame Animation” and then click “Create New Frame” to create a new frame for each image. Ensure that all layers are visible in each frame.

Step 8 – Preview and Export

Click on the “Play” button to preview your animation. If you’re satisfied with the result, go to “File” and select “Export” and choose “Save for Web (Legacy).” Select “GIF” as the file type, and adjust the settings accordingly.

Voila! Your very own gif is now ready to be shared with the world. With a little bit of creativity and a few simple steps, you can create an attention-grabbing gif that will dazzle your friends and followers.

In conclusion, learning how to make a gif is an excellent way to unleash your inner creative genius and showcase your artistic abilities. With Photoshop, the process is quick, easy, and fun, offering endless possibilities for creativity and self-expression. So why wait? Start making mind-blowing gifs today and add a little bit of animation to your online presence!

This article explains how you can create an animated GIF in Adobe Photoshop CC version 20.0.4 using video, images, and text. Most techniques will also work with older versions of Photoshop, but the methodology may not be as exact.

What to Know

Video: File > Import > Video Frames to Layers > Open video > set range > Window > Timeline > Save for Web.Photo: File > Scripts > Load Files to Stack > Window > Timeline > Create Frame Animation > Make Frames.Text: File > New > add/adjust text > New Layer > repeat > Windows > Timeline > Create Frame Animation.

How to Create a GIF in Photoshop With Video

There are a number of great services that can create GIFs for you, but if you can’t get online or just want to understand the nuts and bolts of the process behind it, learning how to create a GIF in Photoshop is a great notch in your belt of web skills. Creating one from a video is a great place to start.

Grab the video that you want to turn into a GIF. You could rip it from YouTube if you don’t plan to use it for anything commercial, but there are a number of websites like Pexels, which have a great number of royalty free videos you can use with and without attribution.
Open Photoshop if you haven’t already, then navigate to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers.
Locate and select the video you want to convert and select Open.
Either select From Beginning to End, if you want to convert the whole video, or use the sliders for Selected Range Only to define a portion of the video you want to import.
When you’re happy with your choice, select OK.
This process can take a long time if you’re trying to convert a long video or if your computer is on the slow side. We would recommend selecting no more than 20 seconds of video.
Select Window > Timeline. This should bring all of the layers into the Timeline as individual frames.
If it doesn’t, or you’re using an older version of Photoshop which requires it to be commanded manually, select the four-line menu icon in the bottom-right of the main window and select Make Frames from Layers.
Use the Timeline media controls to preview your GIF. If there are any frames you don’t want included, you can drag and drop them into the trash can icon in the bottom-left. Alternatively, select them, then select the trash can icon.
Make any changes you’d like to the color, contrast, or even make each frame black and white if you choose, by selecting individual layers from the Layers menu.
You can alter multiple frames at once by selecting multiple layers, but make sure not to merge them together if given the option.
You can also adjust the time each frame takes before transitioning in the Timeline window. You can set that to whatever you like for smoother or choppier transitions. Make sure it has “Forever” listed in the bottom-left if you want the GIF to loop.
If you change your GIF in a way you don’t like, press Ctrl (or CMD) Z to undo your action. Alternatively press Ctrl (or CMD) +Alt+Z to take several undo steps.
When you’re happy with the GIF you’ve created, it’s time to save it. Select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy), or press Ctrl (or CMD)+Shift+Alt+S.
There are a myriad of potential settings you can choose and play around with, but we would recommend the following: Set the Preset to GIF 128 Dithered and Colors to 256. If you are concerned about file or physical size, use the Height and Width settings to adjust the size of the GIF to better suit your needs.
Select Forever in the Looping Options if that’s what you want the GIF to do.
When you’re happy with your settings, select Preview to see what the GIF will look like in a browser. If it looks good to you, select the Save icon, then choose a name and destination for your new GIF.

Create a GIF in Photoshop With Photos

If you have a series of images you want to turn into a GIF, the process is much the same as with a video, except you won’t need to pull the frames into layers first. Here’s how to get started.

Grab the video that you want to turn into a GIF. You could rip it from YouTube if you don’t plan to use it for anything commercial, but there are a number of websites like Pexels, which have a great number of royalty free videos you can use with and without attribution.

Open Photoshop if you haven’t already, then navigate to File > Import > Video Frames to Layers.

Locate and select the video you want to convert and select Open.

Either select From Beginning to End, if you want to convert the whole video, or use the sliders for Selected Range Only to define a portion of the video you want to import.

When you’re happy with your choice, select OK.

This process can take a long time if you’re trying to convert a long video or if your computer is on the slow side. We would recommend selecting no more than 20 seconds of video.

Select Window > Timeline. This should bring all of the layers into the Timeline as individual frames.

If it doesn’t, or you’re using an older version of Photoshop which requires it to be commanded manually, select the four-line menu icon in the bottom-right of the main window and select Make Frames from Layers.

Use the Timeline media controls to preview your GIF. If there are any frames you don’t want included, you can drag and drop them into the trash can icon in the bottom-left. Alternatively, select them, then select the trash can icon.

Make any changes you’d like to the color, contrast, or even make each frame black and white if you choose, by selecting individual layers from the Layers menu.

You can alter multiple frames at once by selecting multiple layers, but make sure not to merge them together if given the option.

You can also adjust the time each frame takes before transitioning in the Timeline window. You can set that to whatever you like for smoother or choppier transitions. Make sure it has “Forever” listed in the bottom-left if you want the GIF to loop.

If you change your GIF in a way you don’t like, press Ctrl (or CMD) Z to undo your action. Alternatively press Ctrl (or CMD) +Alt+Z to take several undo steps.

When you’re happy with the GIF you’ve created, it’s time to save it. Select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy), or press Ctrl (or CMD)+Shift+Alt+S.

There are a myriad of potential settings you can choose and play around with, but we would recommend the following: Set the Preset to GIF 128 Dithered and Colors to 256. If you are concerned about file or physical size, use the Height and Width settings to adjust the size of the GIF to better suit your needs.

Select Forever in the Looping Options if that’s what you want the GIF to do.

When you’re happy with your settings, select Preview to see what the GIF will look like in a browser. If it looks good to you, select the Save icon, then choose a name and destination for your new GIF.

Photoshop has a great tool for grabbing all the images you want to use and getting them ready for you. Select File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack.
From there, select Browse and navigate to the folder your images are in. Select the files you want to import and select Open. Then select OK.
If you don’t see any files, it’s possible Photoshop has defaulted to look for a different kind of file type. Use the selection in the bottom right-hand corner to select All Files.
After a moment or two, you should see your new canvas with all of your images loaded into separate layers. Select Window > Timeline.
OzgurDonmaz/Getty Images
If you like, you can use the Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images toggle to have Photoshop try to line up all the pictures for you. It can be handy, but isn’t required in most cases.
Select all of the new layers. In the Timeline window, select the drop-down icon, then select Create Frame Animation.
If you can’t see the Layers window, select Window > Layers to open it.
Select the four-line menu icon in the right-hand corner of the Timeline window and select Make Frames From Layers.
Select the play icon in the bottom left-hand corner to see how your new GIF animation plays. If it looks to be playing in reverse, select the four-line menu icon again, then select Reverse Frames.
Make any adjustments you might like to each of the individual images by adjusting their layers. You can also change the length of time each image will display in the animation using the numbered controls under each image in the Timeline window.
When you’re happy with the GIF you’ve created, save it; select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy), or press Ctrl (or CMD)+Shift+Alt+S.
Set the Preset to GIF 128 Dithered and Colors to 256. If you’re concerned about file or physical size, use the Height and Width settings to adjust the size of the GIF to better suit your needs.
Select Forever in the Looping Options if that’s what you want the GIF to do.
When you’re happy with your settings, select Preview to see what the GIF will look like in a browser. If it looks good to you, select the Save icon, then choose a name and destination for your new GIF.

How to Make a Photoshop Animation With Text

If you want to animate a GIF with text and nothing else (you can always stick text over individual layers when making a GIF with images) the steps are much the same, but you have to create the layers yourself.

Photoshop has a great tool for grabbing all the images you want to use and getting them ready for you. Select File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack.

From there, select Browse and navigate to the folder your images are in. Select the files you want to import and select Open. Then select OK.

If you don’t see any files, it’s possible Photoshop has defaulted to look for a different kind of file type. Use the selection in the bottom right-hand corner to select All Files.

After a moment or two, you should see your new canvas with all of your images loaded into separate layers. Select Window > Timeline.

If you like, you can use the Attempt to Automatically Align Source Images toggle to have Photoshop try to line up all the pictures for you. It can be handy, but isn’t required in most cases.

Select all of the new layers. In the Timeline window, select the drop-down icon, then select Create Frame Animation.

If you can’t see the Layers window, select Window > Layers to open it.

Select the four-line menu icon in the right-hand corner of the Timeline window and select Make Frames From Layers.

Select the play icon in the bottom left-hand corner to see how your new GIF animation plays. If it looks to be playing in reverse, select the four-line menu icon again, then select Reverse Frames.

Make any adjustments you might like to each of the individual images by adjusting their layers. You can also change the length of time each image will display in the animation using the numbered controls under each image in the Timeline window.

When you’re happy with the GIF you’ve created, save it; select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy), or press Ctrl (or CMD)+Shift+Alt+S.

Set the Preset to GIF 128 Dithered and Colors to 256. If you’re concerned about file or physical size, use the Height and Width settings to adjust the size of the GIF to better suit your needs.

Open Photoshop and select File > New, choose the dimensions you want your eventual GIF to be, then select OK.
Add text to the image and make any adjustments to it you like, including color and size.
If you want your GIF to include the same text on the next frame but in a different size or color, press Ctrl (or CMD)+J to duplicate the layer. If you want to have the next frame say something else, select the New Layer icon in the Layers window, second from the left at the bottom.
Repeat this step as many times as you need for as many frames as you want.
When you’re happy with your various layer creations, select Windows > Timeline, then select the drop-down icon in the middle and select Create Frame Animation.
Select the four-line menu icon in the right-hand corner of the Timeline window and select Make Frames From Layers.
Select the play button in the bottom left-hand corner to see how your new GIF animation plays. Make any adjustments you might need to the times the frames display using the number beneath each frame.
If you want the GIF to loop continuously, select Forever in the bottom left-hand corner.
When you’re happy with the GIF you’ve created, save it; select File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy), or press Ctrl (or CMD)+Shift+Alt+S.
Set the Preset to GIF 128 Dithered and Colors to 256. If you’re concerned about file or physical size, use the Height and Width settings to adjust the size of the GIF to better suit your needs.
Select Forever in the Looping Options if that’s what you want the GIF to do.
When you’re happy with your settings, select Preview to see what the GIF will look like in a browser. If it looks good to you, select the Save icon, then choose a name and destination for your new GIF.

Open Photoshop and select File > New, choose the dimensions you want your eventual GIF to be, then select OK.

Add text to the image and make any adjustments to it you like, including color and size.

If you want your GIF to include the same text on the next frame but in a different size or color, press Ctrl (or CMD)+J to duplicate the layer. If you want to have the next frame say something else, select the New Layer icon in the Layers window, second from the left at the bottom.

Repeat this step as many times as you need for as many frames as you want.

When you’re happy with your various layer creations, select Windows > Timeline, then select the drop-down icon in the middle and select Create Frame Animation.

Select the play button in the bottom left-hand corner to see how your new GIF animation plays. Make any adjustments you might need to the times the frames display using the number beneath each frame.

If you want the GIF to loop continuously, select Forever in the bottom left-hand corner.

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Unleash Your Inner Creative Genius: Learn How to Make a Mind-Blowing Gif in Minutes with Photoshop!#

Step 1 – Select Images#

Step 2 – Open Photoshop#

Step 3 – Create a New File#

Step 4 – Open the Images#

Step 5 – Create Layers and Layer Masks#

Step 6 – Copy and Paste#

Step 7 – Animate the Layers#

Step 8 – Preview and Export#

#

How to Create a GIF in Photoshop With Video#

Create a GIF in Photoshop With Photos#

How to Make a Photoshop Animation With Text#