What Is a GIF? Meaning, How It Works and What It's Used For
A GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) is an image file format that can hold a single still picture or a short, silent animation that loops. CompuServe released it in 1987 to send compressed images over slow modem connections. Each GIF uses a palette of up to 256 colors and lossless LZW compression, which is why GIFs became the default format for reaction clips, memes and simple web animations.
This guide explains what the GIF acronym stands for, how an animated GIF works inside the file, what GIFs are used for today, where the format falls short, and which modern formats replace it.
What does GIF stand for?
GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format, a bitmap image format created by Steve Wilhite and his team at the online service CompuServe. The first version, GIF87a, was released on June 15, 1987. A second version, GIF89a, followed in July 1989 and added the features that define the format today: animation timing, transparency and application extensions. The file extension is .gif and the MIME type is image/gif.
The word "interchange" explains the original goal. CompuServe wanted one image format that every computer on its network could display, whatever the hardware, while keeping files small enough for dial-up speeds.
The name is also famous for the pronunciation debate. Wilhite said it is pronounced "jif" with a soft G when he accepted a lifetime achievement award at the 2013 Webby Awards, while many people still say it with a hard G, as in "gift". Both are widely used. In 2012, the Oxford American Dictionaries named "GIF" its word of the year. Wilhite died in March 2022 at age 74.
How does an animated GIF work?
An animated GIF works like a flip book: the file stores a sequence of still images, called frames, and the viewer displays them one after another. The GIF89a specification lets each frame carry a Graphic Control Extension with a delay time measured in hundredths of a second, so the creator decides how long every frame stays on screen.
Looping is not part of the original specification. Netscape Navigator 2.0 introduced it in 1995 through an application extension block named NETSCAPE2.0, which sets a repeat count or tells the viewer to loop forever. Most browsers support this block today, which is why most GIFs you see repeat endlessly.
Three technical traits shape how GIFs look:
- 256-color palette: each pixel is an 8-bit index into a color table of at most 256 colors, so photos and gradients show banding or dithering.
- Lossless LZW compression: no detail is thrown away after the colors are reduced, but complex motion produces large files.
- One-color transparency: a single palette entry can be marked fully transparent; there is no partial transparency, which causes jagged edges on curved shapes.
GIFs also have no audio track. A GIF is always silent, which is a key difference from a video clip.
What is a GIF used for?
GIFs are used mainly to express reactions, emotions and jokes in chats and on social media, because a short looping clip says more than a static emoji. Messaging apps and keyboards include built-in GIF search, often backed by GIF libraries such as GIPHY.
Common uses include:
- Reactions and memes: iconic movie, TV or music video moments reused as replies in chats, comments and posts.
- Tutorials and software demos: a few seconds of screen recording that shows a click path without needing a video player.
- Product and marketing visuals: animated banners, logos and email graphics, since many email clients show GIFs but block embedded video.
- Simple web graphics: loading spinners, icons and small logos with few colors.
A well-known example is Michael Jackson eating popcorn in the music video for Thriller. People post it when they are watching an online argument unfold.
If you want to make or share your own, see how to create custom GIFs on an iPhone and the two ways to send GIFs from the iPhone keyboard and Messages.
GIF vs JPG, PNG and video: what is the difference?
A GIF differs from JPG and PNG mainly through animation support and its 256-color limit, and from video through file size and the missing sound. The table compares the formats you will meet most often.
| Format | Animation | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| GIF | Yes, silent loop | Short reactions, simple graphics with few colors |
| JPG | No | Photos, with lossy compression |
| PNG | No (APNG variant animates) | Screenshots, logos, full alpha transparency |
| WebP / AVIF | Yes | Smaller still and animated images on the web |
| MP4 / WebM video | Yes, with sound optional | Longer or detailed motion |
In search, GIFs are images, not videos. To find one on Google, use the Images tab rather than the Videos tab.
On Windows, any browser opens a .gif file and plays the animation. Some photo apps show only the first frame, so drag the file into a browser tab if a GIF looks frozen. If a WebP file will not open in an older tool, you can save WebP images as JPG or PNG in Firefox.
Why many "GIFs" today are actually videos
Many animations labeled GIF on modern platforms are short MP4 or WebM videos that behave like GIFs: they autoplay, loop and stay muted. Platforms convert them because video codecs compress motion far better. Imgur, for example, began converting uploaded GIFs to H.264 video in 2014.
The savings are large. In Google's web.dev guide on replacing GIFs with video, a 3.7 MB animated GIF shrinks to 551 KB as MP4 and 341 KB as WebM. Mozilla's image format guide on MDN likewise recommends considering WebP, AVIF or APNG for animation sequences, because they support more colors and real alpha transparency.
So the GIF is no longer the most efficient format, but it remains the most compatible: every browser, email client and messaging app understands a .gif file. That universal support, more than the technology, is why the format is still everywhere almost 40 years after its release.
Animated images can be distracting on some sites. If that bothers you, learn how to block animated images in Google Chrome.
FAQ
Is GIF free to use?
Yes. The LZW compression used in GIF was covered by a Unisys patent that caused licensing disputes in the 1990s, but the patents expired in the United States in 2003 and in the remaining countries in 2004.
Do GIFs have sound?
No. The GIF format has no audio track. Clips that loop with sound on social platforms are videos, not GIF files.
Why do GIFs look grainy?
Each GIF frame can use at most 256 colors, so photos and gradients are reduced to a small palette and dithered, which produces visible grain and banding.
Why was PNG created?
PNG was developed in 1995 as a patent-free replacement for GIF after the LZW licensing controversy. It supports millions of colors and full transparency but not animation in its standard form.
Related: How to send GIFs on iPhone, How to block animated images in Chrome, Caesium image compressor review
i use Gimp for creating moving gifs for personal “pleasure”, of very hot, women.. :))
Incorrect: “GIF is short for Graphics Interchange Format, and the simplest description is: GIFs are animated images.”
Better: “GIFs can also be used for static images, which often have a smaller file size than other image formats.”
Sort of the other way around: “In its simplest form, a GIF (pronounced “gif” or “jiff”) is just an image file. Like the JPEG or PNG file formats, the GIF format can be used to make still images. But the GIF format has a special feature—it can also be used to create animated images.”
So a GIF file is an image file; to make a GIF animated takes another step.
Is Wednesday before Tuesday?
Here’s a link to play around:
https://ezgif.com/apng-maker
Onur, there is a misleading statement regarding file size made by the article: “[…] GIFs can also be used for static images, which often have a smaller file size than other image formats such as JPG or PNG. …”
Presumably you’ve never created a website nor converted a GIF file to PNG-8 file. Otherwise without a doubt you would realise your statement is misleading. PNG 8-bit is nearly always smaller than GIF.
PNG has better compression than GIF, typically 5% to 25% (but often 40% or 50% better on tiny images).
Furthermore, GIF should be avoided in nearly all “real world” web design situations. About the only valid reason to use GIF, is when you need its basic “animation” capability. GIF intrinsically supports animated images (GIF89a). For example, the featured GIF image above captioned: “MJ eating popcorn”. :-/
PS: Martin, I believe I tried to submit this post earlier (I think it was awaiting moderation as ID: [#comment-4562919]). Did it somehow get mistakenly get censored… or lost in transit?
Everything I wrote is honest and basically objective. My paragraph two means; do fact checking by actually converting several non-animated GIF files into PNG-8 first. Then compare the file size changes – PNG-8 output is typically smaller – that’s not a personal dig.
Given that the article is supposed to be a tutorial, it would have helped if the facts about GIF file size and usage were originally presented more accurately. See: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GIF#PNG
@The Dark Lady,
> “About the only valid reason to use GIF, is when you need its basic “animation” capability. GIF intrinsically supports animated images (GIF89a).”
PNG also supports animation : Quoting [https://ezgif.com/apng-maker],
“Animated PNG files work similarly to animated GIFs but can contain more colors, partial (alpha) transparency, and other features for much greater image quality.”
Personally I use APNG extensively in Firefox’s userChrome to animate toolbar buttons given a condition, i.e. rather than lowering opacity. Far better than animated GIFs.
I was already aware Tom, of APNG. Thanks for your comments about how you personally use it with regards to browser. :-)
My “#comment-4562919” must have just been delayed, due me being “untrustworthy”. ;-)
Let’s have another example of a PNG file size compared to a GIF file size. Today, I took a random screenshot (640 × 360 pixels) of a black-and-white music video “Heart is a Drum” at duration 1:56. Saved it as GIF, and then converted the GIF file to PNG-8.
Test Results:
GIF image file size: ~ [172,817 bytes] https://i.imgur.com/OG8mEmV.gif
PNG image file size: ~ [100,088 bytes] https://i.imgur.com/si3XxIw.png
No image editing was involved; the PNG-8 image, which you can see, is significantly lighter (around 42% smaller). It’s totally non-scientific, more just for fun… as there are plenty of PNG image test sites, anyway, etc.
@The Dark Lady, you seem quite well informed about image formats, which is why I was surprised by your comment stating that “the only valid reason to use GIF, is when you need its basic “animation” capability.”
About comments being delayed here, they always are when they include a link : better to include it within brackets.
Your comment above, #4562919, free of links, was nevertheless delayed? Odd. Maybe had you not included an email though I’m not sure this has anything to do with delayed comments.
So : PNG rather than GIF, animated included. Any valid scenario where GIF would be preferable?
Image for image, one of a spinning globe, animated PNG, 150 images of 4ms, 1,38 MB,
[https://img.justpaste.me/image/6826]
What I appreciate with above mentioned [https://ezgif.com/apng-maker] is that you may not only build but disassemble as well animated images. Not the only site of course but works nicely.
Have a nice (and animated!) week-end :=)
Tom, you are correct. I have good understanding of HTML structure, semantic code, web accessibility, and honest craftsmanship.
A valid scenario to use GIF would be a website – upload rules – where you aren’t allowed to upload *.png files (unsupported format types). I think that’s rarer nowadays and mainstream browser support is fairly good. I was more meaning; legacy, that’s about the only thing “animated GIF” has still got going for it – not that it’s preferable. :-)
I’m now going onto a random tangent: I will, analyse people’s comments, which I may or may not agree with, so I will be addressing someone’s argument or position. Therefore, you never see me making any “personal attacks” against people posting in the gHacks comments section.
If the word “Brave” of “Firefox” or another (insert Browser vendor name of choice) appears in an article. There are some individuals’ comments that come across like they are suffering from a ‘personality disorder’. Personal attacks galore aimed at the individual’s specific username… instead for focusing on the subject at hand. It’s like light the (blue) touch paper for them. :-/
If I had been using my actual name I’d have been more technical with my wording regarding the author’s lack of knowledge regarding images. Hopefully, they will have learnt something about GIF versus PNG file size and won’t make the same silly misleading statement again.
The source of the “Heart Is a Drum” video I was using for the screenshot:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6Zp84XH6Eo🎶I would have preferred that, the author was more forthright, and explained they weren’t familiar with image formats. They could have said something on the lines: They personally love using GIF for posting memes, but there are other image formats that can perform animation or serve different purposes, etc.
Correct, that post was delayed, and I didn’t see it until the midmorning of the next day. I’ve seen that happen with several of my morning or afternoon posts (UTC 0 time zone). 12-hours or more in a queue even though this site was busy and other people’s posts were appearing that were posting (at a similar time) or much later on.
Therefore, it will have been in some: Moderation queue. I don’t provide email addresses. I guess the delay is due to my name being “untrustworthy”. I seriously doubt there is any is any justifiable reason to completely censor any of my plain speaking posts. At worst, I’m giving some constructive criticism in straight talking manner, which might be misunderstood.
Martin, this blog software is truly overzealous; it’s completely swallowed several of the words I wrote (post: #comment-4563208). Just because I used a Left-Pointing Angle Bracket (〈) it erroneously ate two sentences. I can guess why, but really it shouldn’t have needed to do that. It stupidly did that, all because I used a single (〈) character. It wasn’t a script. :-/
Let’s conduct a test: https://www.example.com/
If the above test line turns into an live or plain text: “Example” hyperlink” maybe gets “eaten” or perhaps even mangled then I will know something else. Place your bets.
Short-term memory: malfunction. For post [#comment-4563241] I meant write; Less-Than Sign “<” (U+003C), which usually gets referred to as a left “angle bracket” for syntax purposes.
——
Obviously I also used
U+003Cin my original [#comment-4563213] post, and it got eaten by the software.That “crazy wizard thing” test I conjured (see above) worked and clearly outputted:
https://www.example.com/as plain text as I expected. :-)@The Dark Lady, in my view your comment having been delayed is of course not related to your comment’s content as readable above (#4562919) neither to your pseudonym. I’ve known Ghacks for over a decade and never noticed a “Moderation queue’, anyway never, in my case, when,
1- Name and email are provided
2- Links are written between brackets.
Here my comments appear immediately as well in the site’s ‘Comments RSS feeds’ [https://www.ghacks.net/comments/feed/]. The only explanation I conceive regarding your comment’s display delay is the absence of an email, though I have no certitude… or a simple site temporary issue.
About the way you understand dialogues, I totally agree, as well as most of us here (“regulars” anyway) if I refer to the wide majority of comments : the place is neither a devil’s haven nor a purist’s heaven, just a normal civilized area.
“I will, analyse people’s comments, which I may or may not agree with, so I will be addressing someone’s argument or position. Therefore, you never see me making any “personal attacks” against people posting in the gHacks comments section.”
Once in a while a friction or two, sometimes a true clash, but it doesn’t last. C’est la vie :=)
Hope to read you soon.
@The Dark Lady, I forgot to mention that user provided emails are not verified here, so what would be the pertinence? Given user email addresses are of course never displayed, providing one and always the same together with a same pseudonym become together some sort of credentials :=) But that’s my very one interpretation. Many visitors (or mysterious “regulars”) provide no Name nor perhaps an Email (“Anonymous” is their published name) : I have no idea if their comments are delayed. I do recall having once tested a VPN Firefox extension and commented here an article on that basis, with a new pseudonym and a different and fake Email, a polite comment and no url without brackets … and my comment had been delayed. I just don’t know what is exactly taken into consideration before a comment gets published.
To link that SpinningGlobe APNG with my use of userChrome.css, i.e. my Firefox Homepage :
[https://img.justpaste.me/image/6828] (though the globe won’t spin on a plain PNG screenshot, of course).
I just love ’em animated images :=) (70 autumns soon and still marveled, lol!).
So GIF has another meaning then Great Internet Fun, than Get It First, than Girl Intimate Friend?
Full list at [https://www.abbreviations.com/GIF]
You learn every day (MAXI LOL). What an instructive article.
Onur, you have a misleading statement regarding file size made by the article: “[…] GIFs can also be used for static images, which often have a smaller file size than other image formats such as JPG or PNG. …”
Presumably you’ve never created a website nor converted a single GIF file to PNG-8 file. Otherwise without a doubt you would realise your statement is misleading. PNG-8 is nearly always smaller than GIF.
PNG has better compression than GIF, typically 5% to 25% (but often 40% or 50% better on tiny images).
Furthermore, GIF should be avoided in nearly all “real world” and web design situations. About the only valid reason to use GIF, is when you need its basic “animation” capability, as it intrinsically supports animated images (GIF89a). For example, the featured GIF image above captioned: “MJ eating popcorn”. :-/
Whoa, what is this, early 2000s?
No, I take that back, I’m pretty sure people knew about GIFs back then as well.
lmao
but.. brings nostalgy. In the past, I had an big archive of gifs, that I took from forums.
This is hilarious. Do you really think people do not know what GIF is?