How to Create an Animated GIF in Photoshop
By Brian D'Alessandro
June 29, 2010
Animated GIFs are a popular way to add movement and interest to your website or blog. They're relatively easy to create, and with the right tools, you can make them look professional. In this tutorial, I'll show you how to create an animated GIF in Photoshop CS5, CS6, or CC.
Before we get started, let's take a quick look at what GIFs are and how they're different from other file types.
GIFs are a type of image file that supports animation. This means that you can create a series of images that play back in sequence, creating an animation. GIFs are often used for simple animations, such as logos, buttons, and banners. They're also popular for creating memes and other viral content.
GIFs are different from other image file types in that they use a lossless compression algorithm. This means that the quality of the image is not degraded when it is compressed. However, GIFs can only display a limited number of colors, so they are not suitable for complex images with a lot of detail.
Now that you know a little bit about GIFs, let's get started on creating one.
Step 1: Import All Images
The first step is to import all of the images that you want to use in your animation. To do this, go to File > Import > File. Select the images that you want to import and click Open.
Step 2: Create Frame Animation
Once you have imported all of your images, you need to create a frame animation. To do this, go to Window > Timeline.
The Timeline panel will appear at the bottom of the Photoshop window. Click on the Create Frame Animation button.
A new timeline will appear below the image. This timeline will contain all of the frames in your animation.
Step 3: Save GIF File
Once you have created your animation, you need to save it as a GIF file. To do this, go to File > Save As. Select GIF from the Format drop-down menu and click Save.
In the Save As dialog box, you can choose the quality of the GIF file. The higher the quality, the larger the file size will be. You can also choose to loop the animation or to play it once.
Once you have made your selections, click Save. Your GIF file will be saved to the location that you specified.
And that's it! You have now created an animated GIF in Photoshop.
Example
Here is an example of an animated GIF that you might make using this tutorial:
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