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[ash48]

Ok you gif making people. I have a gif animator that I can finally use (yay!) and I made this as an experiment (isn't he cute?!). The question is, what's an ideal size (mb wise) for a gif? This is 5.7mb. It took a while to load so I wondered if that was normal for a gif. And does it take ages for it to animate the first time when you first view it? For me it's slow and then once it's animated it once it runs smoothly.

I will keep playing but I rather like the idea of gif making. :))

Comments

[kj-svala.livejournal.com]

Hi *waves* welcome to the wonderful (and addictive) world of animations ;D

what program are you using for the animations? *is nosy*

The file size is okay, at least it is for me. My animations tend to be huge in file size also. This is okay for display at livejournal, as long as it`s uploaded to another file storage, like photobucket. I think how long it takes for the animation to load depends on the internet connection. Mine is okay *ish*, and I always only post as many animations as I can load and watch myself at one time.
It happens sometimes that the animation takes a few seconds longer to load for the first time, just like you mentioned. No idea why this is, but I think it`s because of the internet connection (being bussy)

The bigger the size of the animation (width and height), the bigger the file size. You can reduce the file size by only using every 2-3 frame for the animation. By doing so the animation will still run smoothly, but the file size goes down.
The coloring you apply to the animation also adds to the file size

You could reduce the size of the animation itself. I prefer to use 450x253 for my big animations.

By doing so, using every other frame, reducing the ani size to 450 (or 500) aso, I got animations from 2-4 mb.

Recently I`ve made a 500x550 graphic that includes a 500x281 animation, the size for the finished graphic is 2.7 mb.

BTW, Photobucket is soon going to make a change, then you`ll need to keep your animations under 5 mb.
I`ve tried uploading a bigger than 5 mb animation, it doesn`t upload
(and this sucks, because I didn`t ask for the change, no one wants it, but they are going to do it anyway *argh*)

uhm, yeah, these are a few of my (probably useless, and random) thoughts about animations.
I`m sorry because of the novel lenght comment

[ash48.livejournal.com]

This is great info. Thanks! That all actually makes sense to me. I'll have a play with sizes and I like like idea of only using every 2-3 frame.

And I am not looking forward to the photobucket change at all!! I liked the way it was. I will really miss a lot of their features. I didn't know about their 5mb limit.

Um...what about Tumblr- do you know?

Thanks so much for your great advice.
xxx

[kj-svala.livejournal.com]

The tumblr limit for gifs is 1 mb, and that`s, not much.
That`s one of the resons why I, so far, didn´t post this many gifs to my tumblr. I still need to figure out a decent setting for my gifs so I can upload without them looking all crazy and weird.

It would be much easier for me to get tumblr sized gifs done if I`d be using Photoshop. But, I`m not, so I have to try find a different way.

I really don´t like most of the changes to photobucket. I`m wondering about what is going to happen to all the files that are over the new file limit. Because so far I could upload gifs up to 10 mb. And I have a LOT of gifs over 5 mb.

[ash48.livejournal.com]

Wow - only 1mb. But theres so many gifs on Tumblr. I'd be curious how they all manage to make them under 1mb. I'd be pretty sure they not all be made thru photoshop. Hmmmm...

Oh and the gif animator I now have is simply called GIF Animator. Very simple, but doesn't allow you to actually colour it or anything. It simply animates the stills. I am hoping to do any colouring etc in my vid program and then export stills.