Image format
What is a .gif file?
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is an image format from 1987, known today for short looping animations. Each frame can use at most 256 colors, which keeps the format simple but makes photos look rough.
It works everywhere, including places that don’t play video. The price is size: an animation as GIF is usually much heavier than the same clip as MP4 or WebP.
fileclay opens and writes GIF
GIF vs WebP vs MP4
| GIF | WebP | MP4 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Colors | 256 per frame | Millions | Millions |
| Transparency | On or off | Yes | No |
| Audio | No | No | Yes |
| File size | Large | Small | Smallest |
| Plays in | Everything | All modern browsers | Everything, as video |
| Best for | Short loops, reactions | Animations on the web | Anything longer |
When to use GIF
Good for
- Short loops in chats and emails
- Simple animated graphics with few colors
- Places that accept images but not video
Not a good fit
- Photos: 256 colors aren’t enough
- Clips of more than a few seconds
- Anything with sound
How to open .gif files
| Platform | App | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Photos | Built in |
| macOS | Preview, Quick Look | Built in |
| iPhone, iPad | Photos, Files | Built in |
| Android | Google Photos | Built in |
| Browsers | Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Edge | Plays the animation |
| Editors | Photoshop, GIMP | Edits each frame as a layer |
Convert GIF files
From GIF
All 23 output formats: .png, .jpg, .webp, .bmp, .tif, .tiff, .tga, .jp2, .j2k, .j2c, .ico, .ppm, .pgm, .pbm, .pam, .qoi, .pcx, .exr, .sgi, .xbm, .jpeg, .pdf, .pptx
Conversions run in your browser. Files aren’t uploaded.
How to identify a .gif file
GIF files start with the text “GIF8”, followed by “7a” or “9a” for the version.
It’s read here, in your browser. Only the first bytes.
Your file
What comes after
Questions about GIF
Is GIF a video?
No. It’s a sequence of images in one file, with no audio and no video compression.
Why are GIFs so large?
Each frame is compressed as an image, without the prediction between frames that video codecs use.
How do you pronounce GIF?
Both “gif” and “jif” are common. Its creator, Steve Wilhite, said “jif”.
Does GIF support transparency?
Yes, but a pixel is either fully transparent or fully opaque, so soft edges look jagged.
Is it better to convert a GIF to MP4?
For the web, usually yes: the file shrinks a lot. The MP4 loses the transparency, if there was any.