Animated GIFs are digital images that appear to move or change. They use the GIF file format and have multiple frames displayed in order to create movement. They are often used for banner ads and can be created using various programs. The compression algorithm used for GIF images was patented but has since expired. Alternatives to GIF include PNG and JPG, but they do not support animation.
An animated GIF is a popular type of digital image. As the name suggests, animated GIFs are images in the GIF file format that appear to move or change. Animated GIFs are often used for banner ads, in lieu of much larger full motion video files, and as interesting accents to home pages.
Animated GIFs use the Graphics Interchange Format (GIF). Due to the standards of this format, an animated GIF must use an 8-bit palette. This palette size allows you to have only 256 colors available for your image, but it also means that most GIF images take up much less memory than images in other formats.
An animated GIF works the same way as traditional cartoon animation. The image file actually has multiple images stored within it, called frames. The frames are displayed in order and can give the impression of movement in the same way as in a cartoon. An animated GIF can look like anything from a cartoon character to a spinning banner ad, depending on how fast the frames are displayed. Most web browsers even display animated GIFs as repeating images, so the animation should never be seen to stop.
Animated GIFs can be created using several programs. GIF Animator by Ulead® System is an older program, but it is one of the most popular and also considered one of the easiest to use. Photoshop® Elements (PE) can be used to create an animated GIF and has the advantage that PE levels can be set to act like GIF frames. In truth, almost any program capable of creating a GIF can also create an animated GIF, but how animation can be controlled varies from program to program.
The compression algorithm used for GIF images was patented in the mid-1980s. The patent was owned by Unisys Corporation in 1986. Eventually they started charging various types of licensing fees for its use. In 2003, the main US patent expired. Patents in most other countries followed in 2004. The basic compression algorithm can now be used without having to pay royalties for this reason.
There are various alternatives to the GIF image format. Interlacing can be used in the Portable Network Graphics (PNG) format to create basic animation, although the derived Multiple-image Network Graphics (MNG) format must be used for true animation. The Joint Photographic Experts Group format (JPEG or JPG) is also commonly used for images, but does not support animation.
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