GIF Export

3 min read

Export your animations as GIF files for universal compatibility.

When to Use GIF

GIFs are ideal when:

  • Posting to Twitter/X (auto-plays in feed)
  • Sharing on Discord or Slack
  • Embedding in emails
  • Platforms that don’t support video

Exporting as GIF

  1. Click Export in the header
  2. Select GIF
  3. Configure settings:
    • Duration — 3s, 5s, 10s, or 15s
    • Quality — Low, Medium, or High
  4. Click Export
  5. Wait for processing
  6. File downloads automatically

Settings

Duration

Duration Frames (at 15fps) Notes
3 seconds ~45 frames Quick, small file
5 seconds ~75 frames Standard
10 seconds ~150 frames Larger file
15 seconds ~225 frames Large file

Quality

Quality Colors File Size Best For
Low 64 Smallest Simple graphics
Medium 128 Balanced Most uses
High 256 Largest Detailed graphics

Platform Guidelines

Twitter/X

  • Auto-plays in feed
  • Max 15MB file size
  • Keep under 5 seconds for best results
  • Size: 1200×675 (recommended)

Discord

  • Auto-plays in chat
  • Max 8MB for non-Nitro users
  • Use Medium quality to stay under limit

Slack

  • Plays inline
  • No strict size limit
  • Medium quality recommended

Limitations

GIFs have some inherent limitations:

GIF Limitations:

  • Maximum 256 colors per frame
  • No partial transparency (pixels are fully transparent or not)
  • Larger file sizes than MP4 for same content
  • Some color banding may occur

What Gets Exported

✅ Fully Supported:

  • All animation types
  • Keyframe animations
  • Effects (sparkle, blast)
  • Background generators

⚠️ May Look Different:

  • Gradients (may show banding)
  • Semi-transparent elements

Reducing File Size

If your GIF is too large:

  1. Shorten duration — 3 seconds instead of 5
  2. Lower quality — Medium or Low
  3. Simplify design — Fewer colors, simpler animations
  4. Reduce canvas size — Smaller dimensions

Struggling with GIF quality vs. file size? Browser-based GIF encoding has trade-offs. Vote for the Cloud Export API feature to help us prioritize server-side export with optimized compression and better quality.

Tips

GIF Tips:

  • Use solid colors rather than gradients
  • Keep animations simple for smaller files
  • Test on target platform before sharing
  • Consider MP4 for complex animations