GIF Me How Now!?

Blogging is fun and a lot more when you add images, double that when the images are GIF! I recently published a post on my blog using about 10 gif images, my lovely blogger friends loved the post more because of the humorous images I chose to enhance my story. Such is the power of Gif images! Many asked me how I created the post with the GIF and I promised them I would publish a post explaining how!

So to start off, let me explain “What is a GIF?” A Gif is described as a lossless format for image files that supports both animated and static images. It is a bitmap image format that was introduced by CompuServe in 1987 and has since come into widespread usage on the World Wide Web due to its wide support and portability. (Description blatantly stolen from Wikipedia – aahh, what would I do without you, Wiki!?!)

It so happened that I was, as usual, on my WP Reader, and my fellow blogger Sharon published a post on how she made her very first GIF. She was kind enough to mention the website that she used to make the GIF. I thanked her for sharing the web details because I always wanted to create my own GIFs.

Of course, as expected I procrastinate and procrastinate on the task until procrastination gets enough of me and kicks me out! That hurt, really, I mean come on procrastination and I are supposed to be best buddies!! Well, in order to teach procrastination a lesson I head over to the said webpage and researched all possible ways of creating GIFs. After so much research it is only fair that I share it with you lovely people. This is especially for Anand, Meg Sorick and Shine who were very keen to learn the technique.

1. Pictures to GIF

As the name suggests, it is all about making a GIF from several pictures. When you head over to the site MakeAGif.com, click on the option “Pictures to GIF” on the Top Bar. You will reach a page as seen below:

Click on the “Add Pictures” button. Choose all the pictures you wish to include in the GIF. The order can be configured in the next step.

Once you configure the order you want it in (drag and drop), Click on the “Continue” button.

Customize your GIF by selecting the animation speed, resizing your images to your liking. Then choose a category for your GIF (Funny, Weird, Cartoon, etc from the dropdown). Add details to your GIF and tag it if you want visibility. Select the rating and if it is a Public or Private one. (Note: For personal pictures, always select private)

Finally click on the “Create A GIF” button.

And Voila your GIF is ready. Here’s a sample I created!

Share your GIF to Facebook! You can also Save/Download the GIF to your own hard drive to add text or any other enhancements you would like!

2. Video to GIF

For Videos to Gif, follow the same procedure as above, instead of clicking on Pictures to GIF, choose Videos to GIF.

Click on the “Load Video” button. Choose Video you wish to upload in the GIF.

Once your video uploads you will be asked to choose the “Start Time” for your GIF from your video, if there is a specific sequence you want featured, enter the time that feature starts. Then choose the GIF Interval you want to play it for from the dropdown menu.

Enter the GIF title, and information, tag it if you want visibility. Choose your rating and finally select your visibility Public or Private!

Click on the “Create GIF” button.

And Voila your Video GIF is ready.

Share your GIF to Facebook! You can also Save/Download the GIF to your own hard drive to add text or any other enhancements you would like!

Here’s the one of my little boy dancing his heart out! 😀 (This is a mixed up one, so excuse the background noise!)

3. YouTube to GIF

Yup, you read that right! You can make a GIF out of your favorite YouTube video too. And the process is pretty simple.

Again, follow the same procedure as above, instead of clicking on Pictures to GIF, choose YouTube to GIF.

Enter the URL (link) of the YouTube video you want to use. Click on “Load Video” button.

Once your video uploads you will be asked to choose the “Start Time” for your GIF from your video, if there is a specific sequence you want featured, enter the time that feature starts. Then choose the GIF Interval you want to play it for from the dropdown menu.

Enter the GIF title, and information, tag it if you want visibility. Choose your rating and finally select your visibility Public or Private!

Click on the “Create GIF” button.

And Voila your YouTube GIF is ready.

Share your GIF to Facebook! You can also Save/Download the GIF to your own hard drive to add text or any other enhancements you would like!

Here’s the sample one I created! Enjoy!

4. My Best Friend Google!

Last but definitely not the least, if you are a big time procrastinator like me and find yourself looking for GIFs at the last moment, then simply head over to Google.com and type in “Funny GIFs”

Google will display millions of perfectly done GIFs for you to choose from. Just make sure you don’t use the ones with copyrights! 😉

You can also head over to websites like Giphy.com and Tumblr to choose GIFs that are already available!

I hope you enjoyed the little class from Mind and Life Matters!

Until next time…Ciao!

[And With this post, I completed the Day 8 Task of Writing 101: Expand on a Comment. which I had missed!]