GIFs have taken the digital world by storm, becoming a popular way to communicate emotions and entertain online audiences. With Canva, creating eye-catching and engaging GIFs has never been easier. In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn how to make GIFs in Canva in a heartbeat.
But first, let’s take a moment to understand what a GIF is.
What is a GIF?
GIF, which stands for Graphics Interchange Format, is a type of digital image format that displays a series of images or frames in a loop, creating the illusion of motion. GIFs are often used on social media, websites, and in messaging apps due to their small file size and compatibility with various platforms. They are perfect for adding a touch of animation, humor, or visual interest to your online communications.
How to Create GIFs in Canva: Step-By-Step Guide
Step 1. Set up your Canva account
If you don’t have a Canva account yet, sign up for a free Canva account. If you already have an account, log in to get started.
Step 2. Choose a template or create a new design
Search for “GIF” in Canva’s search bar to find pre-made templates, or click “Create a design” and choose a custom size for your GIF.
Step 3. Select a key design element
Choose the main focus of your design, such as an image or text. You can use Canva’s extensive image library or upload your own images from your computer or social media accounts.
Step 4. Customize your design
Add text, graphics, and other elements to your design. Play with fonts, colors, and positioning to create a unique and engaging GIF.
Step 5. Choose the number of slides
The number of slides you use will affect the complexity of your GIF. Start with a few slides and add more as needed. Remember, more slides mean more animation or movement to manage.
In order to add slides, you need to pull the arrow (in the bottom where it says “Page 1 of 1”) up. See the screenshot above.
Step 6. Animate your GIF
Add animation or movement to your design by selecting elements and clicking the “Animate” option. You can also manually move text or objects across each slide for a more customized animation. The brand-new “Create an animation” function in Canva now makes creating cool GIFs on Canva easier than ever before.
Step 7. Choose the duration of your slides
Whenever you animate something in your design, a symbol of a clock will appear next to the “Animate” button on each of the slides you have. When it comes to creating GIFs, selecting the duration is crucial: if your slides are too long, the GIF will look more like a slow slideshow than a (typically fast-paced) GIF. The shortest duration of a slide is 0.1 seconds. Typically, the duration of each slide would be somewhere between 0.1 and 2 seconds and the overall duration of the GIF should typically be no longer than 6 seconds. Most platforms for GIFs (such as GIPHY) have an upper limit of 15 seconds for uploads.
Step 8. Preview your GIF
Before downloading, preview your GIF by clicking the play button next to the download button. Make any necessary adjustments to your design.
Step 9. Download and share your GIF
Once you’re satisfied with your GIF, click the download button and select the GIF format. Share your creation with friends, family, colleagues, or on social media.
Other Ways to Create GIFs in Canva
Make a GIF From a Video
If you want to create a GIF using a video, upload the video to Canva and edit it by trimming it down to the desired length. Add text, animations, or other effects, and download your video GIF.
Create a GIF on Your Mobile Device
You can also create GIFs using the Canva mobile app. Download the app, upload your video (or create one using slides), edit it, and download your GIF directly to your phone.
Make a GIF with a Transparent Background
To create a GIF with a transparent background, use Canva’s Background Remover tool. Upload an image, apply the effect, and position the image in your design. Customize and download your transparent GIF.
FAQ Section
No, you can create GIFs using a free Canva account. However, some advanced features, like access to premium images, elements, and animations, may require a Canva Pro subscription.
Yes, you can upload your own images from your computer or social media accounts and use them in your GIF designs.
To change the speed of your GIF, adjust the duration of each slide in your design. Longer durations result in slower animations, while shorter durations make the animation faster.
The maximum file size for a GIF created in Canva is 8MB. This should be sufficient for most applications, but if you need a smaller file size, consider reducing the number of slides, the dimensions of the GIF, or the quality of the images used.
Yes, you can create GIFs using the Canva mobile app, which is available for both iOS and Android devices. The process is similar to creating GIFs on the desktop version of Canva.
GIFs created in Canva will loop automatically. There’s no need to set a loop option, as the GIF will play continuously by default.
GIFs do not support audio by nature. If you want to include audio, you will need to create a video file instead. Canva does offer video editing features that allow you to add audio to video files.
