How to Edit a GIF on All Platforms.
Let’s face it, GIFs are easy to capture but difficult to edit. I could recommend using paid software such as After Effects or Photoshop, but this is not an option for everyone. Therefore, I will share with you a simple, lightweight and effective software with which you can edit without losing your mind.
Read: Best GIF keyboard apps for Android
How to Edit a GIF File – Browser
EZGIF is an online editor that allows you to edit GIFs without using any separate software. Thus, you will get rid of the hassle of installing software on your computer.
Of the several options I’ve tried, EZGIF is the best for two reasons. The first is simple user interface and the second is many options for the game. It has all the basic toolbox to do just about anything you can think of. When you open a web page, it provides options such as Video to GIF, Resize, Optimizer, and GIF Creator, but you can also select options in the toolbar . Let’s say you want to resize, you can immediately select it from the toolbar.
Gif Maker combines multiple images and gives you a GIF instantly. You can set “Frame Rate” and “Speed”. In addition to this, you can also add Crossfade and customize the transition style. You can also easily make a GIF from a video (max 100MB) and use Resize and Crop to adjust accordingly.
The Optimization Tool allows you to compress GIFs in several ways. Decreasing the color reduces the number of colors in each frame, reducing the file size. Deleting frames allows you to delete duplicate frames, and also allows you to delete every second, third, or fourth frame.
Effects have a variety of options, from which you can select a preset, sepia, monochrome . You can blur or sharpen , change saturation, brightness and hue . There is a border option that allows you to change the border to solid, rounded, etc.
There are many other features as well, such as add text, split frames and overlay , but so far I have hardly used them.
The only caveat with EZGIF is that the file size increases when exporting, which can be a problem for some users.
How to edit a GIF file – Windows
I started with Instagiffer, but it didn’t suit me. While it was simple, it wasn’t responsive enough. There were many functions, but they are poorly described. So I didn’t find it user friendly. I found another app that took my worries away.
Log into ScreenToGif. I could really talk about the varied capabilities of this software, but maybe another time. In terms of editing, this is the undisputed champion.
You have undo / redo functionality. I’m just kidding. First of all, you can drag and drop the GIF right into the window and it will open the GIF in frames, making it very handy for changing even the smallest details. It has common features such as delete a frame or multiple frames together.
Remove Duplicates / Reduce Frames – It examines each frame in terms of pixels and removes a frame if it is 90% the same as its nearest neighbor.
Delete all previous / next. This might be important for someone, but it comes in handy if you don’t want to manually select frames to delete. You can select a frame and choose any of them, which will delete all frames before / after the selected frame.
Reverse / YOYO – Reverse makes the animation move from the last frame to the first frame, while YOYO makes it move forward and then backward.
It is also possible to adjust the delay. Over-ride, Increase, Decrease or Scale can change the playback time of a frame before moving to the next. The minimum value that can be assigned is 10 milliseconds, and the maximum is 25,500 milliseconds. You also get sophisticated formatting options that let you add text, borders, and even a bar to indicate the position of the GIF.
Some users may have problems with processing and exporting due to the slow speed.
How to Edit a GIF File – Android
Android has a variety of options to choose from, but not all of them do the job. I found one that was functional but simple.
GIF Shop is a multifunctional application with a powerful editor. It has all the features we discussed above, that is, you can adjust the speed, trim the clip, preview and delete frames . There is also an Adjust option that lets you change the brightness, contrast, saturation, and other similar properties of a clip.
There are pre-cropped frames, or you can crop them as you like , in addition to that, you can also flip them vertically or horizontally . The reverse function does the same job as moving forward. If you need more options, you can add stickers and specify their expiration date . There’s also a memes feature that lets you add text at the top and bottom to give it that classic meme look.
Cons: In some windows, ads pop up at the bottom. You need to upgrade to the premium version to remove ads and enable the cancellation / refund feature.
How to Edit a GIF File – iOS
Of all the options I’ve experimented with, GIF Maker stood out. There is nothing more and nothing less. This is exactly what you expect. You can simply open the GIF and crop it by dragging the red bars.
There is also a playback speed monitor that can be adjusted. You can also add text just in case, there is also emoji support. Cropping and direction are also common across all the applications we’ve discussed. A unique feature of this app is the ability to add music. You can simply select any track from your phone and add it here.
Cons: you need to upgrade to PRO to disable ads.
Download GIF Maker here.
How to Edit a GIF File – Mac
GIF Brewery 3 already has a large user base and is known for its fast GIF editing. The user interface is simple, with all the main controls at the bottom. It allows you to crop and resize GIFs. You can also set the frame rate and manually adjust the delay.
To improve the experience, you can apply color correction and effects such as Transmission and Noir . It’s also impressive in that it allows for multiple headings and supports overlays . In the upper left corner, you have the option to select the canvas height and width in addition to the color palette for the background selection. You can also select loop type in the case of long GIFs to normal, reverse or palindrome . Overall, this is a great app for editing your favorite GIFs.
A closing word
Well, these are some of the simplest yet highly effective GIF editing programs I’ve shared with you. I know there are alternatives to them, but I feel that these applications are suitable for doing the trick without any show-off. Do you have any better alternatives that you would like me to check out? Leave a comment below.
Read: Best Gif Maker Apps for Android