What is a gif?
If you’ve never heard of it before, a gif is short for graphics interchange format. This type of file can be animated, and usually features some sort of movement or action. Such as waving flags in the wind or someone walking.
Gifs can be downloaded to your computer from lots of different websites including gypsy, HowStuffWorks, and Imgur.
The term “gif” comes from how these files are compressed: they’re made by compressing animation data (frames) into a single image file. That’s typically smaller than an equivalent video clip. This process uses the .gif filename extension.
Steps how to download gifs to your computer
- Click on the gif you want to download. You should see a list of “share” options appear below your chosen gif, one being an arrow with dots around it and another being a cloud icon
- Click the arrow/dots option. This will open up a dialogue box that has two tabs: one called “shortcut” and another called “link”. Click the link tab.
- In the address bar, you should see a string of gibberish with ‘magnet:’ at the very front – this is how Magnet Link identifies itself from standard internet addresses which consist only of alphanumeric characters. Copy everything that comes after magnet: in the address bar, but before the next comma.
- Paste this code into your web browser’s address bar. This will take you to a new page with just one button on it – “Download Video”. Click this button!
- If prompted how to open or save the file, choose ‘Save’.
- The gif should start downloading automatically at this point. If it does not, look for a folder or file called “Downloads” in your computer’s main directory where you will find the gif neatly tucked away (i.e., NOT inside any folders but rather on its own).
How to make a gif online?
Open up an internet browser like Google Chrome and navigate to imgflip.com (a free online gif maker site)
Upload the video you want to make into a gif by clicking “choose file” and then selecting your chosen vid.
It should only take a few seconds for the uploader to do its job, after which point you will see several buttons on your screen along with an empty box where you can type in text (optional).
Next click on Create GIF, which is located towards the bottom of imgflip interface. This brings up another dialogue box that asks how many times you would like each frame of motion to be shown– just select how many times or how long/short it takes before things start looping back around! If not satisfied, feel free to try it out again.
How to Transfer Avast License to Another Computer?
Finally, click download. This brings up yet another dialogue box that allows you to choose how big or small you want your gif file/sizes are going to be. The smallest is under 100 kb and the biggest (which will look best) can go as high as 50 MB with a maximum of 200 frames!.
Choose how many fps (frames per second) you would like in your final product along with where on your computer’s hard drive you’d like to store it before hitting “Create GIF”. And voila! You’re done! Your newly made gif should also automatically appear at imgflip. So feel free to share it with friends and family online using imgflip’s share buttons.
How to create a gif on your computer
If you’re looking to create a gif out of something on your computer, Google how to do it with whatever software is most appropriate for the task (i.e., Camtasia Studio if recording screencasts).
If trying to make one from existing video footage, download free converter programs like Miro Video Converter or Freemake Video Downloader that allow you to take any vid and convert it into multiple file types–including GIFs!
Other options include GifBoom which does exactly what its name suggests while also letting users add text, change speed/size, etc…
Another great option is Giphy’s desktop upload feature provided by their website. It allows users to simply drag & drop videos onto their page to start converting them into gifs.
Of course, if you have something of your own that you want to turn into a GIF then how about following these basic steps:
(i) Open up an image editor like Photoshop or GIMP,
(ii) Figure out how many frames per second/how long before looping back around will look best for whatever it is you’re trying to animate–and how large the finished product should be in terms of kb;
(iii) Copy and paste all relevant images on top of one another so they are arranged consecutively as layers within one file.
This can be done by clicking “file” -> “open as layers” while browsing through your computer’s hard drive until finding what you need.
After this, save the file as a .gif and upload it to imgflip just like how you would an existing video.