How to make a GIF in Photoshop

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GIFs are a great way to bring a series of images or illustrations to life.



The Graphics Interchange Format, known as GIF, was developed before the age of the Internet to display simple images and animations on a computer. Like many technologies the internet gets its hands on, it has since been commandeered for reaction memes and cat videos. Creating your own GIF is as easy as knowing what media you want to use for it. In this guide, you'll learn how to turn your still images into an animated GIF using Photoshop.


When to use Photoshop to create a GIF

Many software programs can create GIFs. So when should you use Photoshop?

Photoshop is primarily used for working with image files, but its ability to output to various file types makes it great for applications such as GIF creation. GIF files can also be created from images in video editing workspaces such as Premier Pro, but these applications are better suited to working with media in a video format. With Photoshop's built-in animation and GIF creation tools, you can quickly bring a series of images or illustrations to life without the need for video editing software.

Create your GIF from still images

  1. Create a new project in Photoshop with the size and resolution that matches your images. For this step, I use the iPhone preset that best suits my phone camera.
  2. Be sure to choose Transparent for her Background content via the drop-down menu. This is to ensure that there are no spaces if your images are different sizes.
    A screenshot of the Project menu in Photoshop with resolution options highlighted.

    A screenshot of the Project menu in Photoshop with the Transparent Background option highlighted.

  3. Import your media as individual layers by going to File > Scripts > Load Files into Stack. Select the images you want and click OK.
    • If your Photoshop freezes, no panic! Just take a moment to finish importing your files. ​​​​​​
  4. Once your photos have finished importing, you should now see that each image has been loaded into its own layer. We will now load these into a timeline and play them in a loop. Open the timeline window by navigating to Window > Timeline. Click on “Create video timeline” button in the newly opened panel.

  1. A timeline with your imported photos has been created. Click and drag Click the ends of layers in the timeline to adjust their duration.
    • At the top of the timeline you can see that the measurement is in frames, along with the notation for whole seconds. Use this option to estimate how long you want each frame of your GIF to be. I made my frames all the same length, with each frame lasting one second.
      A screenshot showing the media-filled timeline window in Photoshop.

      A screenshot showing the Timeline window in Photoshop filled with media that has had its duration adjusted.

  2. Once you've adjusted the duration of each frame, you can preview your GIF by clicking Play Button. If you are happy with your creation, go ahead File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy).
    • We don't use it “Export as” In this case, this would remove the animation and leave a still image.
      A screenshot highlighting the play button in Photoshop's timeline panel.

      A screenshot highlighting where the Save for Web option is in Photoshop.

  3. In the Save for Web window, make sure this is the case GIF is selected in the file format drop-down menu. At the bottom left of the preview window you will see that the length and estimated file size are displayed.
    A screenshot of the Save for Web menu in Photoshop, highlighting the format menu where GIF was selected.

    A screenshot of the Save for Web window in Photoshop with file information highlighted.

  4. GIFs can be bulky files. If the estimated file size is too large for your use case, Photoshop has presets that can help reduce this. You can find them at Presets fall down. Once everything is set up the way you want, click Save and save the file to the desired location.
    A screenshot of the Save for Web window in Photoshop with the Presets drop-down highlighted.

    A screenshot of the Save window in Windows Explorer with the Save button highlighted.


Well done, you've created a GIF file using Photoshop!

Your GIF is now ready to upload and share wherever you want. Don't be afraid to play around with the presets and export them completely to see how they look, as sharing larger files can be difficult for some applications. This process has remained relatively unchanged for many years. One way to unlock even more possibilities with your GIF projects might be to combine it with Adobe's Generative Fill and apply it to each of the layers individually. The possibilities are endless.



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