Making GIFs using Photoshop
Step 1: Save the video you want to make GIFs from to your computer
Step 2: Open Photoshop and click the arrows in the top right corner to select the option ‘Movement’.
Step 3, open the file: Click on File > Import > Video Frames in Layers. You’ll get a pop-up window to search through your folders and select your desired video. When you’ve got the video selected you’ll get a window kinda like this:
Step 4: You’ll be presented with two options: 1) Import the video from start to finish. Only useful if you have a short video bc Photoshop can’t import more than 500 frames. 2) aka the option you’re most likely going to use all of the time. This lets you import a selected part of the video. To Import a certain part of the video, click this option, then fast forward the video to the part you want to gif and hold Shift while you move the little arrows on the bar to the point you want your selection to end.
Above you see what a selected part looks like: the selection is darker than the background, the arrows mark the end of the selection.
Once you click OK Photoshop will convert the frames of the video into layers (right side in the picture above) but also frames (bottom in the picture above). Should you not have your layers visible, go to Window > Layers.
Step 5: Let’s start looking at the timeline bc this is what we’re working with now:
(Should your timeline look different than in the picture, click the symbol circled in red). The timeline presents your frames in chronological order. When importing frames into Photoshop, chances are you get a few more extra frames than needed bc you selected a bigger part than you want to gif. But that can be fixed. In the example above you can see that from frame 21 onwards the content of the frames changes significly. I only want to gif frames 1-20. Depending on which frames you want to gif, simply select all the escess frames and click the trash bin icon at the bottom.
You’re now left with only the frames you want to gif.
Step 6: the symbol in the top right corner of the timeline (marked here in red). Click on that, then Reduce Frames to Layers. This should create extra Layers all labelled Frame + number (see below).
Delete all Layers that aren’t called ‘Frame’, leaving you with exactly as many layers as frames. Your GIF is as good as finished now.
Step 7: By clicking the arrow at the bottom of the timeline you can watch your GIF move. Right now, each frame is displayed for 0,04 seconds. By clicking the small arrow next to the time, you can change the display-time, making your gif move faster or slower. I usually go with 0,06 seconds per frame, but go with whatever you think looks the smoothest.
Step 8: Before saving, you better change the size of your GIF bc otherwise it will be super huge. By clicking on Image > Image Size you can resize your GIF.
My file was previously 1280 x 720 pixels, but I’m gonna resize to what you see above. Make sure to have the option selected that keeps your proportions the same (when this is selected there will be a lock next to the size of your file), otherwise your GIF will be horribly morphed.
Step 9, saving your GIF: With GIFs, you can’t just click ‘save’ unfortunately. Go to File > Save for Web > Place Embedded (newer Photoshop versions) or File > Save for Web and Devices (older Photoshop versions).
You will get this lovely window:
If you see this for the first time it’s gonna look confusing af but dont worry, if only you’ll need the things I’ve marked here: 1: Colours and Dither: Lowering both options will make your GIF smaller size wise (aka less KB or MB), but it will also have less quality. A GIFs size depends on how many layers there are, how often the colours change and how many effects you put on it. I recommend that if possible, always go with the highest option for both colours and dither. 2: Let’s you resize your GIF in case you haven’t done that yet or in case you need to resize it bc takes up to much space.
Once you’re satisfied with how many KB or MB your GIF has, click Save. Tumblr let’s you post GIFs with up to 3 MB, so unless your GIF is above 3 MB there’s no need to downsize colour or dither. Put your GIF in the folder you want it to have, name it and boom you’re done!
If there are any question, feel free to ask :)
