What's GIF: Explanation and how to use it

You might have seen "moving images" on the internet that is definitely not a photo but also doesn't look like a video. Well, they are called GIFs, but still, what is GIF? Today, we will briefly explain and show a couple of ways to use it on the internet.

GIFs are everywhere in today's internet culture, used for everything from expressing emotions to sharing memes. You might see many different GIFs on social media, with some of them getting the "legendary" badge used by millions of others.

What's GIF? In this article, we'll explore the history, technology, and uses of this popular animated image format.

What's GIF: Explanation

GIF is short for Graphics Interchange Format, and the simplest description is: GIFs are animated images. It is a file format for animated images that consist of a sequence of still images that are played back in fast succession. This creates the illusion of motion and can be used to create short animations or repetitive loops.

GIFs can also be used for static images, which often have a smaller file size than other image formats such as JPG or PNG. This makes them ideal for use on websites and social media where fast load times are important.

As mentioned in the beginning, they certainly don't look like photos as there is apparent motion in the frame, but they are different from videos. They don't have sound and mostly lack a fluent image. You could place GIFs somewhere in the middle of photos and videos. If you want to find a specific GIF on Google, you must look under the "Images" category and not "Videos."

How do they work?

Now that we have answered your "What's GIF?" question, it is time to move on and explain how they work. GIFs consist of a series of still images, called frames, played in rapid succession to create the illusion of motion. Each frame is stored as a separate image file in GIF, along with timing information that determines how long it should be displayed.

The animation loop is created by playing the frames one after the other, then returning to the beginning and starting over again. This creates a repeating animation that can continue indefinitely. GIFs use a lossless compression algorithm, which means that the image quality is preserved even when the file size is reduced. This also makes GIF files larger than regular photos in most cases.

What is GIF usually used for?

GIFs are used for different purposes, from expressing emotions to making fun of something on the internet. On social media, people use iconic movie scenes or funny images to communicate with each other. On the other hand, GIFs can also be used for educational or business purposes, like displaying graphics and logos.

What is an example of a GIF?

GIFs are used widely, especially on social media platforms and communication tools, and some of them are "legendary" and are known by almost all users. Even if you are not very active on social media, there is a strong possibility that you had seen Michael Jackson's GIF from the 1982 video for Thriller. MJ eating popcorn is often used when there is a heated debate.