How to make a GIF from a video on Windows

Turning a clip into a GIF takes three steps in Video by Zaweba. Put the video on the timeline, cut it down to the moment you want, then open the export window (Ctrl+E) and choose animated GIF. The app writes a GIF 640 pixels wide at 15 frames a second, a size that suits chat apps, forums and documentation, and it does all of this offline on your own PC.

A GIF is a very old format and it has quirks. It has no sound, it is limited to a small palette of colours, and its files grow quickly with length and size. That is why the export is set to a modest width and frame rate, and why the real skill is in choosing a short, clear moment.

What makes a good GIF

Short beats long. A reaction, a single movement, a step in a tutorial or a product turning once on a table all make good GIFs. Something lasting more than a few seconds is usually better as a short MP4, which is far smaller for the same length.

Simple pictures work best. Because a GIF has few colours, flat graphics, screen recordings and well-lit shots look cleaner than dim, grainy footage with lots of subtle gradients.

From clip to GIF

Import the video and drop it on the timeline. Play through and find the moment you want, then split either side of it with S and delete what you don't need. Shift+Delete ripple deletes, closing the gap as it goes.

If the clip is wider than you want, crop or scale it in the Inspector. Position, scale and crop all live there, and you can drag the picture on the preview to frame it. A tighter crop puts more of the GIF's limited pixels on the thing that matters.

Add a title if it helps. A short caption across the bottom can explain a GIF that will be seen without sound. Add one with T and keep the text big, since the export is only 640 pixels wide.

Set the range. Each timeline keeps its own export range, so make sure only the section you want goes out.

Press Ctrl+E, choose animated GIF and export. The file lands in the folder you pick, ready to share.

Getting a smaller, cleaner file

Trim hard. Every extra second adds to the file, so start the GIF just before the action and end it just after.

Think about looping. GIFs usually play round and round, so a clip that ends where it began loops smoothly. A short reverse can help here: the Clip menu can play a clip backwards, and placing a reversed copy after the original gives a clip that ends where it started.

Speed it up where the action drags. Speed and duration (Ctrl+R) shortens a slow moment without cutting it, which keeps the GIF short.

Brighten dim footage first. A quick colour correction in the Inspector, lifting exposure and shadows a little, gives the GIF's palette an easier job and avoids muddy, blocky results.

When a GIF is the wrong choice

If the video needs sound, a GIF won't carry it. If it is longer than a few seconds, or sharp detail matters, an MP4 is far better. The same export window offers MP4 with presets for 1080p, 4K, vertical 9:16 and square 1:1, and WebM is there for web pages that can play video. Many sites that say they accept GIFs actually convert them to video anyway.

For screen recordings, check the text is readable at 640 pixels. If it isn't, zoom into the important part of the screen with scale and position before exporting.

Video by Zaweba is free software that works offline with no account, so making a quick GIF does not mean uploading your video to an online converter.