If pictures are worth a thousand words, then an animated GIF image might be worth a million. That could explain why these images are so popular now, with millions upon millions of websites, blogs and social media sites using every type of GIF image you can think of.
But, What are GIFs Used For?
The GIF image was created by software writer Steve Wilhite on June 15, 1987, who worked at an early internet provider called CompuServe. He created them to make displaying images on the early internet as easy as possible.
Essentially, GIFs —short for Graphics Interchange Format—are files that contain a graphic representation of several bits of information.
GIFs are not the same as the JPEG formats you tend to see on image files. Although GIFs preserve the quality of the file when you send it through the internet —unlike JPEG—they can’t store a lot of colors, only about 256, so they’re not ideal for photos.
However, they are perfect for creating animations, precisely because they can store several images in one file and transfer them without losing quality (which is why they are called “lossless compression”).
A GIF loops infinitely, which gives off the impression that the file has not finished playing out, so you pay more attention to it. This makes them ideal for ads on websites, for icons and other moving images.
Plus, the average length of a GIF is between 10 to 15 seconds max, making them feel like short videos.
Why and When did GIFs become so popular?
Before animated GIF images were born, the only other way to see animation or movement on the internet was through videos. The problem was that videos took too long to upload because of their size during the early years of the internet when downloading speeds were extremely slow. With GIFs, simple animations and moments were able to gain traction online. After online speeds later improved, videos stopped the growth of GIFs for a while.
GIFs saw a resurgence with the recent rise of social media and memes, which are popular images that are used to make fun of a lot of current topics online.
Many users took parts from videos of people doing crazy, embarrassing or unusual things, and turned them into 10 to 15 seconds clips. Before long, funny, crazy or wild animated GIF images were all over the internet. Since they took such little space, it made sharing, storing or saving them a cinch. In fact, the ability of a GIF image to be shared so quickly has helped to turn people into internet sensations.
Another reason why animated GIF images have become so popular is that they are now very easy to make. Before, people had to use sophisticated software or use Photoshop to create and edit them. Currently, several websites let you create an animated GIF image quickly and efficiently, either from a sequence of photos or by converting videos into GIFs.
Aside from using GIFs as a medium for fun every day online, they’re now being used as well for special events and even advertising. You can hire a professional photography agency that can create GIFs for your company’s branding and publicity, such as banners and leaderboards. A transparent product 360-rotation demo can also be an extremely useful animation. It helps illustrate the product design and generate interest.
The GIF has become popular with brands marketing on social media, news media, and the mobile web. A looping GIF correctly embedded into an article and published in just the right places can deliver your message powerfully.
Recent Comments