The recommended file size for GIF video animations on various website platforms vary. As a video editor, its good to know how to compress GIF videos or animations.

Video: 3 Ways To Compress GIF Videos or Animations

In some websites, any GIF video file size will play, while in others, GIF’ whose file size is more than 5 Mbs will not play.

If the final file size of the animated GIF you have produced is larger than what the site recommends; how will you compress it without losing the video details? In this blogpost, I will share with you 3 ways of compressing GIF videos.

Reduce Video Pixels

This is the first option you have to consider. What’s your video editing dimensions?

For instance, if you want HD video and your editing dimensions are 1920×1080, you may have to consider reducing the dimensions to that of a smaller version of HD. In this case, the size will be 1280×720. This will dramatically reduce the final GIF video size by Half.
If you are using Camtasia studio, go to project settings and select 720p HD. Most sites recommend a GIF video of 1200 Pixels. So this means you will reduce the dimensions from 1280×720 to 1200×676 pixels.

Reducing the Video editing dimensions on Camtasia
Reducing the Video editing dimensions on Camtasia

Reduce Rendering Frame Rate

Popular rendering frame rate for GIF videos is 15 Frames per second. The highest frame rate recommended is 30 Frames per second and minimum is 1 Frame per second. The higher the frame rate, the higher the size, the lower the frame rate the lower the file size.

In the past, I have found out that 5 frames per second is very effective in dramatically reducing the video file size without the final GIF file lagging when you play.

To do this; in your rendering settings menu, click on the frame rate drop down menu and select 5.

GIF Video Animation Rendering Frame Rate
GIF Video Animation Rendering Frame Rate on Camtasia studio

Using Free GIF Compressors Available Online

There are many GIF compressors available online today. If you have tried the options above and your GIF video size is still larger than the recommended size, you may have to consider this 3rd option of using a GIF compressor. I have tried and used a free GIF video compressor found here. The results was very good. I was able to reduce my GIF video size by 68% without losing the image quality.

Bonus Options

If all the above options of compressing your GIF video file fails, you may want to consider reducing your GIF Video duration. If your GIF Video is say 60 seconds, you can try reducing it by 5 seconds and see the difference.

Add clip speed to the GIF video
Add clip speed to the GIF video

Another way of doing this is to speed up the video on the timeline. This will help reduce the file size by a slightly small percentage.

Conclusion

Learning how to compress GIF video files directly from your video editing suite is the best way I recommend. I know there are many other ways that one can do this.

Do you know of any other way of compressing GIF videos that I have missed to mention here on this blogpost? Please share and let me know in the comments section below and you will another freelancer out there wanting to compress GIF’s.

Until next time, bye bye and take care.

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