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Savings GIFs?


Noz03

Well-Known Member
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13
I am trying to create a frame animation GIF in photoshop CC out of some photos I took but for some reason my file sizes are huge, much larger than GIFs by other people. What am I doing wrong?

For example this GIF is larger than mine and has almost 3 times more frames, yet the file size is smaller! I double checked all the settings I used to "save for web" and they are the same. So why is mine so much larger?

Here is my GIF:
669x669-1.gif
 

Noz03

Well-Known Member
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13

The problem is these are all about making GIFs from video, I am using photos. Still... I tried using the "FileOptimizer" that the first link recommended on my GIF but the file size didn't change at all :(

I am guessing that the reason other peoples GIFs are smaller is because they use video to record them, but I don't see why I shouldn't still be able to compress the frames down to the same size some way or another?
 
Last edited:

MrToM

Guru
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3,321
The thing is GIF's are a fickle file format.

People don't realise, or understand, that an animated GIF is usually created using ONE FULL background layer and then every other layer is just the DIFFERENCE.

The rest of the layer is transparent.

When the GIF is saved the 'frames' are created as FULL frames....no transparency, but this is done with considerable compression...down to 256 colours as opposed to 16.7 million.

When people open a GIF file they see all the layers as FULL but this is NOT how the GIF was created....its a 'flattened' version of the layers used.

In your case I simply kept layer 1 visible for EACH frame and then masked out everything that didn't change in all the other layers.

This means when the GIF is saved its much smaller as it is not saving repeated information.


The first image I uploaded used a simple rectangular mask, starting just left of the woman and the bottom of the train window down to bottom right.

Kiss_MT_01.jpg


The second one I used the Lasso tool and made a tighter mask around the movement....taking care to keep the shadow on the wall.

Kiss_MT_02.jpg

You can have a marquee visible and go through each frame making sure the movement in each frame is still encompassed by the marquee...if not adjust so it is.


When you have the mask you can just duplicate it to each layer...

Kiss_MT_03.jpg

The above shows frame #2, frame #3 would have Layer 1 AND layer 3 visible....and so on and so forth...etc, etc, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. :thumbsup:

EDIT.
Also make sure that at some point you set ALL the frames to dispose Automatically. Any other method will still keep a high file size.

Regards.
MrToM.
 
Last edited:

Noz03

Well-Known Member
Messages
57
Likes
13
The thing is GIF's are a fickle file format.

People don't realise, or understand, that an animated GIF is usually created using ONE FULL background layer and then every other layer is just the DIFFERENCE.

The rest of the layer is transparent.

When the GIF is saved the 'frames' are created as FULL frames....no transparency, but this is done with considerable compression...down to 256 colours as opposed to 16.7 million.

When people open a GIF file they see all the layers as FULL but this is NOT how the GIF was created....its a 'flattened' version of the layers used.

In your case I simply kept layer 1 visible for EACH frame and then masked out everything that didn't change in all the other layers.

This means when the GIF is saved its much smaller as it is not saving repeated information.


The first image I uploaded used a simple rectangular mask, starting just left of the woman and the bottom of the train window down to bottom right.

View attachment 72190


The second one I used the Lasso tool and made a tighter mask around the movement....taking care to keep the shadow on the wall.

View attachment 72191

You can have a marquee visible and go through each frame making sure the movement in each frame is still encompassed by the marquee...if not adjust so it is.


When you have the mask you can just duplicate it to each layer...

View attachment 72192

The above shows frame #2, frame #3 would have Layer 1 AND layer 3 visible....and so on and so forth...etc, etc, yada, yada, yada, blah, blah, blah. :thumbsup:

Regards.
MrToM.


Ahhhh of course!! Now it all makes sense. Thanks so much :)
 

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