How to make a GIF in Photoshop

Load your images into Photoshop

Collect a group of images that have a connection you can convert into a flow that you can animate. In File > Scripts > Load Files Into Stack, you can open a range of images simultaneously so that you don’t have to drag them into your document one by one.

Then select the Browse option and find each file you want to place in the document. Press OK, and Photoshop will create a layer for every image you want to include.

Open the Timeline Window

Before you can animate your GIF, you’re going to have to create Keyframes. Open the Timeline window. Navigate to Window > Timeline and get started. Via Timeline Frames (keyframes), you can apply frame-by-frame edits to our images and create animated effects through layers.

The Timeline window lets you adjust layers, move elements, apply filters, rotate text, and set the length of time for which frames will appear. Once you’ve chosen the Timeline option, the animation window will show at the bottom of your screen.

Create Frame Animation

Click on the button, Create Frame Animation, in the Timeline. This will change the Timeline mode to a style for working frame-by-frame. You can apply your animation edits in these frames. You’ll have to make sure each frame has its own layer so that you can edit a frame without affecting any of the others.

To split your images into layers, choose Select > All Layers and then locate the Timeline menu icon at the top right of the window. Then choose Create New Layer For Each New Frame.

Make frames from layers

Making Frames From Layers will turn each of your layers into a frame in your Timeline.
This means that you’ll be able to edit elements in each frame in your Timeline separately without interfering with any of the others. The more complex you want to make your animations, the more frames you’ll need to be able to set up good transitions between the different frames.

Set durations of your frames

The next step is to decide how long each of your frames will play for. If you don’t, your animation might work. First, choose the frame you want to edit. Click the arrow and select the time you want the frame to run from the dropdown menu that appears. The default for each frame duration is 0 seconds. You can change it to, say, 0.2 or 0.5 seconds to start with and change it to a different time later.

Looping options

If you want your image to repeat more than once, you’ll have to set up looping options. Below the Timeline, select the Once option, which will open a dropdown menu. You’ll be able to choose from preset options or set up your own. Choose whatever suits you. The most common choice is Forever since most animated GIFs are designed to play repeatedly as long as they stay open.

Preview and export

To make sure your GIF looks and plays the way you want it to, you can preview it by simply pressing the Play button on the Timeline.

If you’re happy, you can save your GIF in Photoshop. You can’t use the usual Save command. You’ll have to go to File > Export > Save for Web (Legacy) instead. Name your file and save it as a Photoshop (PSD). You might want to edit it later. You can now export your GIF to whoever you like and await the reaction.