Easy Steps for Converting Video to GIF using Photoshop
Making GIF from videos was something I always wanted to do, but I had no idea how. It seemed too hard. Then, a friend sent me a link to a tutorial on X (Twitter) that taught me how easy it was.
Thanks to “How to make GIF from video using Photoshop?” tutorial that showed me how to convert any video to GIF quickly. I just needed a video file, Photoshop installed, and a few clicks. That tutorial told me how to import the video, choose the start and end time, change the size and quality, and export the GIF.
I had so much fun and it was easy! I made GIF from my favorite movies, TV shows, and memes in minutes.
That tutorial helped me a lot, but it had no pictures to guide me. It also used some terms that I didn’t know. So I wrote my own tutorial with pictures and simpler language for people who are not familiar with Photoshop like me.
Prerequisites
For convert video to GIF, you need two things:
- A video file in any format that Photoshop can handle, such as MP4, MOV, AVI, and so on.
- Photoshop software on your computer. You can use any Photoshop version, but this tutorial will use Adobe Photoshop 2023.
Steps
To complete the tutorial successfully, you need to follow the steps.
Step 1: Import Video
Launch Photoshop and choose the Video Frames to Layers… option from the File > Import menu. Next, pick the video file that you want to convert to GIF.
Step 2: Frames to Layers
Under Range To Import on the Import Video to Layers window:
- From Beginning To End: This option will import the whole video for you. Be careful not to click on this option if you have a large video! Otherwise, the import might take a long time.
- Selected Range Only: With this option, you can choose a part of the video to convert to GIF. To do this, use the trim controls under the video preview. Keep in mind that the shorter the part you choose, the smaller the GIF size will be.
- Limit To Every (#) Frames: This option which determines how many frames to merge into one layer in Photoshop.
My video is 5 seconds long and has a frame rate of 30 frames per second, so it has 150 frames in total. I set it to every 2 frames. That way, I have 75 layers. That makes sense!
For smoother HQ GIF, you need every frame, so leave this box unchecked. But I suggest checking it, otherwise the size will be too big.
Of course, some videos might work well with 3 too. It’s up to you. The bigger this number, the smaller your GIF size will be.
If you want to check the Frame Rate of your video, right-click on your video file and choose Properties. Then click on the Details tab. You can find the Frame rate under the Video section.
At last, click OK button.
Step 3: Editing
I have 75 Photoshop layers created from the video. I can edit each layer like a photo, for example, add text or emoticon to it, blur a part, or any other modifications.
A new panel called Timeline has been added to Photoshop at the bottom of the page. Here I can adjust things like timing, moving frames and animate them. It didn’t appear for me at first, I had to enabled it.
The Timeline panel is at the bottom and the Layers panel is on the right by default. If you don’t see them, make sure they’re enabled from Window > Layers & Timeline.
Step 4: Export GIF
After you have done the changes you wanted, you can click on the Save for Web (Legacy)… option from the File > Export menu. This will open a page for exporting GIF. It’s similar to working with video or audio conversion software if you have done that before.
Step 5: Save GIF
These are some settings that you should know. These are what I used:
- Preset: Choose GIF from the drop-down menu under Preset menu. Then, the Preset menu will change to [Unnamed]. It means that you have customized it.
- Colors: Color depth is how many colors GIF can show. The more colors, the higher the quality and the bigger the file size. The fewer colors, the lower the quality and the smaller the file size. I used 128.
- Dither: Dithering level is how much your GIF blends pixels of different colors to make smooth transitions and shades. The more dithering, the more realistic your GIF looks. The less dithering, the more pixelated your GIF looks. I used 60%.
- Lossy: To use lossy compression algorithm that removes some data, change Lossy setting. The higher the Lossy value, the more data will be removed and the smaller the file size will be. But this can also reduce the image quality and add artifacts or noise. I used 20.
- Image Size: The smaller the image size in height and width, the smaller the file size. This is because the image size is how many pixels are in the image. Remember to lock the ratio. I set the width to 320px and the height was set to 180px automatically. I think this GIF has a good size for posting in comments or sending during chat.
- Looping Options: You can decide how your GIF repeats itself. It can either loop forever or stop after a certain number of times. I set it to Forever, to make my GIF loop endlessly.
At last, click Save… button and pick the save location.
Why did I choose 128-Colors, 60%-Dither and 20-Lossy?
I know that higher quality looks more attractive and realistic, but I wanted to share my GIF with others on social media platforms, so lower size was more important. You can increase Colors and Dither to the maximum level and disable Lossy. That means you can use 256 for Colors, 100% for Dither and 0 for Lossy. This will make your GIF look more realistic, but it will also increase the file size and the loading time. I don’t think that’s suitable for use on websites and social networks.
Next Steps
Creating GIF from my favorite movie scene was so fun and satisfying. It was a hilarious moment from Stranger Things that I wanted to share with my friends. I hoped they would laugh and admire my skills.
One of the best ways to use your mobile is to make your own videos and convert them to GIF. You can record anything you like, such as your pets, your hobbies, or your travels. When you are pleased with your GIF, you can post it on social media platforms like Instagram, Facebook, Telegram, Discord, or X (Twitter). Your friends will enjoy watching your GIF and commenting on them. Making and sharing GIF is a wonderful way to express yourself and your creativity online.
