If a picture is worth a grand words, then a GIF has to be worth a one thousand thousand. The short, looping photos are perfect for those moments when words alone won't practice. While a simple text can lack emotion or tone, GIFs requite y'all the chance to send a facial expression or a visual response. It really is no surprise to see merely how popular GIFs accept become. Particularly now, popular messaging apps have integrated ways to make information technology easier to search for and send them.

Only, there are moments when you lot might wish you could make your own GIFs. Don't worry. This commodity volition show you how to convert videos into a GIF or how to create your very own on your Mac.

What is a GIF file?

Earlier y'all jump into making a GIF, it'southward important to empathize what exactly information technology is. Because while it looks more than like a video, GIFs are actually closer to photos. In fact, some GIFs can be static.

The file acronym stands for Graphics Interchange Format. It was designed to be a lightweight and universal manner to share pictures. Simply it was quickly replaced by PNGs which can compress images better and support transparent backgrounds. That being said, yous can probably figure out the one thing GIFs exercise that PNGs tin can't. Yup, it'due south motion and animations. GIFs are capable of bringing life into situations that static images just can't compete with.

Unlike videos, GIFs don't require a video player or a plug-in. This is why they're used so frequently on websites because it doesn't matter what browser you're using – GIFs will always piece of work.

How to make a GIF on Mac from scratch

Finding the perfect GIF to respond with can crave a lot of search and patience. Sometimes, you might even remember information technology would be easier just to brand your own. Well, creating a GIF on your Mac might not be every bit headache-inducing as it sounds.

The first affair you need to exercise is make all the frames of your GIF. Think of it equally private pages of a flipbook. Chances are you're using an app similar Photoshop to create those frames. So, the first way I'll bear witness you lot how to make a GIF is with Photoshop.

  1. On your Mac, open Photoshop.
  2. Click File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack.
  3. Select all the photos yous want to utilize for your GIF and click Open.
  4. Then, click 'Ok' to import photos.
  5. From the menu bar, select Window > Timeline.
  6. Cull 'Create Frame Blitheness.'
  7. In the elevation right of the Timeline panel, click the carte icon.
  8. Select 'Make Frames From Layers.'
  9. From the bottom of the Timeline panel, click the repeat menu, then select 'Forever.'

Then, in one case y'all have all of your frames loaded into Photoshop, you tin can press the spacebar on your keyboard to play the GIF.

Peradventure you don't have Photoshop, don't worry – in that location'due south another, perhaps more straightforward style to create a GIF. Y'all only need the apps GlueMotion to make a video and Permute to convert the video into a GIF.

Once y'all have those apps download and installed on your Mac, only follow these steps:

  • Open GlueMotion.
  • Click 'Browse Files.'
  • Select the images you lot want to plough into a GIF.

Tip:

It'southward best to have all of the images you're using stored in one folder.

  • Put the pictures in the order you want, and then click 'Edit Frames' in the top right.
  • Check the deflickering result, if you lot'd like to utilise it.
  • So, select the file type you want to export it as.
  • In the superlative right, click 'Export Timelapse.'
  • Choose the folder you want to salvage your Timelapse in.
  • Open up Permute.
  • Click File > Open.
  • Find the video you just exported and click 'Open.'
  • In the drop-downwardly menu, select GIF Blitheness.
  • Click the play button.

How to convert other epitome formats to GIF

Fortunately, making one from scratch is not the only way to create GIFs. Yous can convert a movie or video file into GIF as well. Merely doing that volition depend on what format your video is in.

How to turn an MP4 into a GIF

Converting an MP4 into a GIF requires the app Permute, which you read well-nigh in the last section. Only, to save you from figuring out where to outset in the instructions above, y'all can only follow these steps once y'all have your MP4 ready:

  1. Open Permute on your Mac.
  2. In the bill of fare bar, select File > Open.
  3. Find your video file and click 'Open.'
  4. Prepare the drop-down card to 'GIF Animation.'
  5. Then, click the 'play push in the video's container.

How to Catechumen a MOV to GIF

You tin can also use some other incredibly easy-to-utilise app chosen Gifox to plough your MOV files into GIFs. In one case you have it downloaded and installed on your Mac, this is all y'all need to do:

  1. Open Gifox.
  2. In your menu bar, click on the Gifox icon.
  3. Click the pinnacle of the window where it tells you to add a video from your Mac.
  4. Find and select the video yous'd like to use for your GIF.

Seriously, that's it! And Firefox can actually practise a lot more than than merely convert videos. One of the other great features is that you tin can utilise it to capture screen recordings every bit GIFs also. Y'all're definitely going to want to play with all of Gifox's features after y'all finish converting your MOV.

How to go on your image library clean

When y'all starting time making your own GIFs, you're going to finish up with a lot of similar files. And that's specially true if you're creating them from scratch. Once you accept the GIF made, do y'all really need to keep all of those individual frames?

Manually going through your image library and removing the duplicate and similar-looking pictures could take you a couple of hours. Instead, you could use a duplicate finder app like Gemini 2. It scans either your entire domicile folder, or y'all can select a specific folder looking for duplicates to help yous quickly get rid of them. And the all-time function is you tin can attempt it for free.

In one case you have it downloaded, here's all you have to do to clean up your image library:

  1. Open Gemini 2.
  2. Click + and either click Pictures folder or Choose Custom Folder.
  3. And so, click Browse for duplicates.

When the scan is finished, you tin can delete all of your duplicates just past clicking the Smart Cleanup button. Gemini 2's algorithm will select the best version of your file and get rid of the rest, and then you don't accept to think anymore near information technology.

But, if you lot would similar to determine for yourself, you can click Review Results. Information technology will allow you preview all of the files it found, and then you can select the versions you want to move to the trash.

How to play a GIF on Mac

As you read before, one of the benefits of GIFs is how universal they are. They don't demand any special plug-ins or video players to piece of work. So, you might exist wondering why when you endeavor to open a GIF on your Mac, the Preview app just displays all of the frames instead of playing it. Well, the uncomplicated respond is Preview doesn't support videos. But, fortunately, you tin even so play GIFs using 1 of your browsers. Here'south how you do that:

  1. Observe the GIF y'all want to play in Finder.
  2. Correct-click or hold down control on your keyboard and click on the GIF.
  3. Select Open With > Safari.

Annotation:

You can replace Safari with Chrome or Firefox if you prefer.

A new window or tab should open up, and the GIF should start playing in the middle of information technology.

Non just do GIFs add more than fun and levity to your text conversations. Simply, they're besides a bang-up way to share animation or motion when video files just aren't possible. Thanks to how lightweight and universal GIFs are, you tin use them on websites, and so you don't have to depend on special plug-ins or worry about video codecs. Every browser, messaging app, even Apple Mail knows how to play a GIF. So, whether y'all just want to add some simple move or you want to share the perfect reaction, just put – GIFs are the all-time. And now y'all know making them can be but as fun every bit sharing them.