How to Make & Export Creative GIF Animations in After Effects

Tutorial Assets

For this tutorial on how to make a GIF and how to export a GIF from After Effects, you’ll need the following resources to follow along and complete this project to create your own gif exactly. We’ll be learning how to export this After Effects video as a GIF, however, feel free to use your own resources if you have a suitable video to use. 

• Running cute mouse with backpack

1. Introduction

Before we dive into the exciting world of animation, let’s take a moment to understand what a GIF is and why it has become such a popular form of digital content.

What is a GIF?

GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format, a bitmap image format that was developed by CompuServe in 1987.

Unlike standard image formats like JPEG or PNG, GIFs have the unique ability to support animation. This means a GIF can display a series of images or frames in a sequence, creating the illusion of movement. GIFs are also known for their ability to use a limited color palette of up to 256 colors, which helps keep their file sizes relatively small and easy to share.

Why Are GIFs So Popular?

GIFs have exploded in popularity over the past few years, and for good reason. Here are a few key reasons why GIFs are a favourite medium for digital communication:

1. Engagement: GIFs are eye-catching and can quickly grab attention. Their movement and often humorous or emotional content make them highly engaging.
2. Versatility: Whether it’s a short animation, a looping scene, or a reaction clip, GIFs can convey a wide range of emotions and messages in a compact format.
3. Ease of Sharing: GIFs are lightweight and can be easily shared across social media platforms, messaging apps, and websites without taking up much bandwidth.
4. Creative Expression: For creators, GIFs offer a fun and accessible way to experiment with animation and visual storytelling without the complexity of longer video formats.

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to make a GIF and how to export a GIF from After Effects, to create your own stunning GIFs using stock video footage. Whether you’re looking to make a fun social media post, add some flair to your website, or simply explore your creativity, this guide will provide you with the tools and knowledge to get started.

2. Getting Started With After Effects

Step 1

Open up Adobe After Effects and then let’s get started by creating a new composition. Click on the New Composition button in the project panel or go to Composition > New Composition. 

Step 2

Now let’s adjust the settings for our GIF project:

• Name: Give your composition a name, like “My First GIF”.
• Resolution: Set the width to 500 pixels and height to 500 pixels (a good size for GIFs).
• Frame Rate: 24 frames per second (fps) is a great starting point.
• Duration: Set it to 5 seconds. You can always change this later.

Click on the OK button and your new composition appears in the Timeline and Composition Panels.

3. Choosing and Importing Video Footage

Step 1

Now we get to the fun part – importing your video! For this guide we’ll be using some stock video from Envato Elements, as it offers a vast library of high-quality footage perfect for your GIF animations. In the rest of this tutorial we’ll be learning how to export this After Effects video as a GIF, however feel free to use your own and follow along if you already have something in mind. 

Go to File > Import > File and navigate to  the location where you downloaded your video. Select it and click on the Open button.

Step 2

Once the footage has been imported, you should be able to see your video file in the Project Panel. To add it to your composition, drag your video file from the Project Panel to the Timeline Panel.

Step 3

If your video is larger than the composition, open up the Transform options and adjust the Position and Scale until it fits the composition.

4. How to Export a GIF From After Effects

Step 1

Now it’s time to render your composition. Go to Composition > Add to Adobe Media Encoder Queue.

Step 2

This will launch Adobe Media Encoder and will drop your composition into the queue. Adobe Media Encoder makes exporting GIFs simple and efficient. In Adobe Media Encoder, select your composition in the queue and then click on the Format dropdown menu and choose Animated GIF.

Step 3

You can also click on the Preset dropdown menu for some extra options for the export settings. Choose Animated GIF with Transparency if your GIF has a transparent background.

Step 4

Click on the Blue Text to go into the Export Settings.

Step 5

Here we can click on the name if you would like to call the animated GIF something else. You can also change the location of where you would like to save your animated GIF.

Step 6

Here you can also change some other settings such as the dimensions and frame rate if you would like to change the original settings from After Effects or optimize it further.

Step 7

Once your settings are adjusted, click the green play button in Adobe Media Encoder to start the export. Wait for the export to finish. Your GIF will be saved to the location you specified.

In the next section we’ll go over some tips on how to create a better export for your GIF. 

5. How to Optimize File Size Without Losing Quality

Optimizing the file size of your GIFs without sacrificing quality is crucial for a variety of reasons. Large files can be cumbersome to upload, share, and view, often leading to slower load times and a less enjoyable experience for your audience. Smaller, well-optimized GIFs, on the other hand, ensure quick loading and smooth playback, which is particularly important for social media and web use. Let’s take a look at some ways we can achieve this balance:

Step 1. Reduce Resolution:

• Lowering the resolution of your GIF can significantly decrease its file size. For instance, if you initially set your composition to 500×500 pixels, try reducing it to 400×400 pixels. This small change can make a big difference in file size without a noticeable drop in quality.
• You can adjust the resolution in the Composition Settings before exporting, or during the export process in Adobe Media Encoder. Make sure to un-check the match source box, which will allow you to change the resolution.

Step 2. Lower Frame Rate:

• The frame rate of your GIF determines how many frames are displayed per second. A high frame rate, like 24 frames per second (fps), produces smooth animations but results in larger file sizes. Reducing the frame rate to something like 12.5 fps can help lower the file size while maintaining acceptable smoothness for most animations.
• Be sure to preview your animation after lowering the frame rate to ensure it still looks fluid and meets your expectations. Remember to un-check the match source box, which will allow you to change the frame rate value via a drop down menu.

Step 3. Reducing the Length of the Video

• One of the most effective ways to optimize your GIFs and reduce their file size is by shortening the length of the video. GIFs are meant to be quick, engaging, and easy to share. Longer GIFs can become cumbersome due to larger file sizes, which can slow down loading times and make sharing more difficult. By reducing the length of your video, you not only create a more concise and impactful animation but also significantly decrease the file size, making your GIF more efficient and viewer-friendly.
• In the Export Settings panel you can trim the length of the video by using the ’source range’ section, usually located towards the bottom left of the window.
• Use the In and Out points to set the start and end times for your video. You can drag the markers on the timeline to select the desired segment of your video.

6. How to Use Efficient Compression Settings

Using efficient compression settings is vital to maintaining a balance between quality and file size, which ensures that your GIFs look great without being overly large. Compression reduces the amount of data in your file, making it quicker to upload and easier for viewers to access and share. This is especially important for social media and websites, where speed and performance are key. Here’s how you can achieve efficient compression:

Optimize with Third-Party Tools:

• After exporting your GIF from Adobe Media Encoder, consider using additional optimization tools such as EZGIF or GIPHY’s GIF maker. These tools offer advanced settings for fine-tuning your GIF.
• They can further reduce the file size without a noticeable loss in quality by adjusting parameters like color depth and frame rate, or by removing redundant frames.

8. Conclusion

Congratulations! You’ve successfully navigated through the process of how to make a GIF and how to export a GIF from After Effects, using stock video footage from Envato Elements. With these tips, you’re well-equipped to export high-quality, efficient GIFs.

Keep experimenting with different settings and techniques to find what works best for your projects. Happy animating!