Using the animation Timeline in Paint by Zaweba

Animation in an image editor starts with a simple idea: show a picture, change something, show it again. Paint by Zaweba builds on that with View > Timeline, which has two ways of working. A frame timeline records frames with layer visibility, opacity, position and Layer Art, plus delays, loops, tweening and playback. A video timeline treats layers as clips with in and out points, fades, cross-fades and keyframes.

The frame timeline

Each frame remembers the state of the layers: which are visible, how opaque they are, where they sit and what live Layer Art effects they have. To make a frame, set the layers how you want, add a frame, change something and add another. Playback steps through them.

Delays set how long each frame shows. A loop setting decides whether it plays forever, once or a set number of times. Tween fills the gap between two frames with in-between frames, so a logo sliding in or a fade from one image to the next can be made from just the start and the end.

This style suits banners, simple logo animations, stickers, reaction GIFs and slideshow-style loops. Because it is built from layers you already understand, it is the gentlest introduction to animation.

The video timeline

The video timeline thinks in time rather than frames. Each layer becomes a clip with an in point and an out point, so it appears and disappears at chosen moments. Fades and cross-fades blend clips in and out, and keyframes animate properties over time.

This is the better choice for anything longer or more fluid: a short promo with text that arrives and leaves, a title sequence, an animated product shot, or a social video built from stills and graphics. If you think in seconds rather than frames, start here.

Choosing an output format

Export Animation writes animated GIF, animated WebP, a PNG sequence, and WebM or MP4 when the suite's FFmpeg is installed. GIF plays almost everywhere but has limited colour; Paint by Zaweba's own GIF writer has palette and dithering options to keep it clean and small. WebP has better colour and smaller files where it is supported. PNG sequences hand each frame to another program. MP4 is the safe choice for social video; WebM suits the web.

Tips for smooth results

Plan the length. Short loops of a few seconds suit GIF and WebP; anything longer is usually better as MP4.

Use tweening rather than hand-making in-between frames. It is quicker and gives even motion.

Keep text on its own layers so it can move and fade independently, and so a typo can be fixed without rebuilding frames.

Check file size before sharing. A large animated GIF can be bigger than a short video of the same thing. If it is too heavy, cut frames, reduce the size or switch format.

The hub of animation

The Timeline is the hub of animation in Paint by Zaweba. Animated GIF, WebP and APNG files open straight into it as frames. Frame-by-frame animation and onion skins are there for hand-drawn work. Keyframes, curves and motion presets add polish. Filter animations generate frames automatically. All of it lives in the same editor as your painting and retouching tools, offline and free.