Author: Offdrive

If you’re a dedicated fan of a beloved music artist, TV show, or movie, animated GIFs are one of the ways to display that love online. And no, it is not pronounced as “jif”.

Whether you are showing off your GIF-making skills on Tumblr or texting them to your friends, knowing how to create animated GIFs is a valuable skill that is easy to learn.

How do you create an interesting animated GIF that will grab people’s attention and want to share it all over the internet? If you want to know how to make animated GIFs, keep on reading.

What is a GIF?

GIF stands for “Graphics Interchange Format”. It is a compressed file type that can support 8 bits per pixel. or even have as many as 256 colors in a 24-bit RBG range. Originally, GIFs were enacted as standards for decoding and encoding binary codes.

Nowadays, when they are used online, they are used as interactive methods to convey an emotion that most people will relate to. When you want to use an animated version of an image that would typically be still without embedding a video, you should go for a GIF instead of a JPG.

How to Animate GIFs

One of the great things about GIFs is that they are lossless. Technically, this means that when you duplicate an original image, the quality of the image is not lost. This works well when you are making a GIF to an animated GIF.

While a GIF can also be a still image, why not take full advantage of the GIF’s full potential by animating it? These are some of the ways that a GIF file can be created.

Create with Photoshop

Photoshop is not just for editing photos; it also works well for creating a GIF. Here is how to create animated GIFs with Photoshop.

1. Number your files and place them into a stack by going to  File -> Stack -> Load Files
2. Alternatively for video, use File -> Import -> Video Frames to Layers where you can choose which portion of the video to use
3. Set up dimensions, resolution, and color mode
4. Make a timeline
5. Change “Create Video Timeline” to “Create Frame Animation”
6. Click on it and select Make Frames from Layers
7. Press the play button and make the duration Forever (left of the play button)
8. Export and designate as Save for Web (Legacy)
9. Make the preset GIF 128 Dithered
10. Change the colors setting to 256
11. Save and upload! 

If you do not have Photoshop, other programs you can use to make animated GIFs include GIMP and Microsoft GIF Animator.

Create with GIPHY

If you are unfamiliar with it, GIPHY is known as one of the biggest databases for GIFs on the Internet. But what you might not know is that they also have a free GIF-making tool on their website. This is how you use it.

1. Input a video file, individual photos, a series of photos, or a video URL from YouTube or Vimeo
2. Go to the editing page that comes up after you upload your files
3. Trim your video to about two to six seconds (Note: make sure the file size is small enough to load quickly on any social media and blogging platforms you export the GIF to)
4. Add any caption, stickers, or drawings that you think will enhance the GIF
5. Upload it
6. Add tags so anyone can find it

The great thing about creating a GIF this way is that it is simple to navigate and create one from a variety of sources. If you are looking for a free way to make a simple GIF, this is a great way to do it.

Make GIFs From Other Files

What if you can’t afford Adobe Photoshop or other software that allows you to build files? Believe it or not, you can make GIFS by converting other files into GIF files. Some of the file types you can convert to GIF format include:

• ICO to GIF
• JPG to GIF
• PNG to GIF
• PSD to GIF
• SVG to GIF

Depending on the purpose of the previous file types you are using, converting your existing files into a GIF can be easy as pie. Try converting one of the file types above and use it for your intended purpose.

What Else to Do with GIFs?

GIFs are used in everyday life, such as online, at school, and or for work purposes. 

Because GIFs support 8 bits per pixel, they can be great for creating logos and banner images. This makes them useful files for marketing purposes on a blog or website. If you use pronounced linework and color in any drawn images, the GIF is also a great use for this.

Keep in mind that one thing you will have to look out for is images with fewer colors will work much better with GIFs than photos that have a lot of colors. They should be designated for smaller, lower-resolution images since the file sizes can become very large.

Learn How to Make Animated GIFs

GIFs are widely seen all over the internet whether you realize it or not. When you know how to make animated GIFs, you open yourself up to a new world of technological possibilities. Whether you make it yourself, use an online maker, or convert them from another file type, make the animated GIF work for you and your needs.

No matter if you need to convert spreadsheets, Word documents, or presentation slides, our online conversion tool can help you get your file to the right format you need. Try converting a JPG to GIF on our site today.

A debate that’s been around for about as long as Mac and Windows have themselves — which is the best presentation software, Keynote or Powerpoint?

Where Microsoft Powerpoint used to be the undisputed champion, Apple Keynote has come on leaps and bounds to contend with the reigning champ. We’re doing a deep dive into the similarities and differences of Keynote vs PowerPoint to help you figure out which presentation program you should use. 

Keynote Vs Powerpoint Similarities

Both presentation programs are by far the most popular options for their respective platforms. Though by no means the only presentation apps available.

They both offer slide-based presentations where users can add text, graphics, multimedia, and more to each slide. You can use existing templates as well as transitions on both to create professional-looking and engaging presentations for your audience. 

However, the unique features for editing within both apps vary quite a bit.

Keynote Vs Powerpoint Differences

After being around for so long, each app has developed its own approach to features. In some instances, this gives one of the apps a distinct advantage over the other.

Shapes

You can add shapes to presentations in Powerpoint. While most business professionals won’t be doing this all too often, it’s a great tool for teachers. 

In Powerpoint, head to insert, then ‘shapes’ and pick the shape you need. Your mouse will then change into a precision pointer and you can draw your shape wherever you’d like.

In Keynote, you’ll click on the shape you want and it will automatically appear in your slide. You can resize it after it has appeared. 

You can even merge shapes in both apps. However, Keynote does not give you a preview of your merged shape whereas Powerpoint does. Powerpoint also has more shapes available.

Slide Master Edits

One of Powerpoint’s best features is the slide master. Editing this lets you make global changes to your presentation slides. So, for example, if you wanted a universal layout change last minute, it’s easy to do. 

You can also use it to insert the same placeholder image, text, or media across all slides, which is very useful for branding your presentation. 

Keynote is more limited in this aspect. You can make edits to the slide master, but there are fewer options for universal changes like in Powerpoint. 

Slide Transitions and Animations

You can add a dramatic flair to your presentation by using slide transitions or animations in either program.

Keynote has the edge over Powerpoint when it comes to the number of animations and transitions available. It also has the edge in terms of aesthetics. This should come as no surprise considering it’s created by Apple, who are famed for their design capabilities. 

Export and Save Options

Keynote save and export options are limited. By this we mean, you can only save it to one format which is the default .keynote file type. You can however open PPT files using Keynote.

Powerpoint gives you a lot more options for both saving and exporting your presentation. The default file type is the .PPTX format. You can export to PDF, XPS, and video, as well as publish to Microsoft Stream. 

Frustratingly, you can’t import Keynote file types to Powerpoint. It’s not reflective of Microsoft. Apple is well-known for creating a lock-in in regard to its products.

Fortunately, it’s a bit of a moot point because you can use our software to convert KEY to PPT.

Who Should Use Powerpoint?

As you can see from the above differences, the two offer a few unique advantages. But if your mind still isn’t made up on which to use, we’ve got a few more pointers to help you.

Powerpoint has been around for so long that it’s synonymous with presentations. This means many PCs already come with it pre-installed.

Powerpoint licenses can be expensive, particularly for business use. A personal license for the Microsoft 365 suite is $69.99 annually. This fee also includes licenses for other Office programs like Word, Excel, Outlook, and more.

Our familiarity with Microsoft products is another reason to stick with Powerpoint. Most of us grew up using Microsoft Office products. As such, we’re all familiar with the layout, regardless of how they’ve changed over the years.

If you’re using Powerpoint as part of a wider team then it’s best to stick to the same app. Collaboration can be made difficult when there are compatibility issues. This advice would equally apply if all your team was using Keynote, then Keynote would be preferential in this instance. 

Who Should Use Keynote?

The above isn’t to say you should always use Powerpoint. There’s plenty of instances where Keynote is the better platform option. Like if you’re an Apple user in general.

We mentioned the lock-in above already, but it has its positives. Apple’s obsession with having their own software on all their devices means their software works beautifully together. So if you’re on iPhone, Mac, and iPad and entrenched in the Apple ecosystem, stay there.

Keynote is available across all their devices. Better yet, it’s free. So you can switch seamlessly between the device that suits you depending on where you are.

You might think it being free comes at a cost, like fewer capabilities, but for the vast majority of users, Keynote has all the features you’d need. The app is updated often and you’ll never pay for the new features, unlike with Powerpoint. 

If you’re new to Apple products, the new programs can be a little daunting at first. But Apple prides themselves on how user-friendly their applications are. Keynote is no exception to this rule and you’ll pick it up in no time. 

You’ll be rewarded with better-looking themes, transitions, and animations. Even the default options on Keynote don’t look like a standard PowerPoint presentation. So if you’re looking to easily up your presentation aesthetic, Keynote can help. 

No Clear Winner

As you can probably tell, there’s no clear winner when it comes to the Keynote vs Powerpoint debate. Much of it will come down to what device you’re using and your personal preferences. Both are great programs that can be used to create memorable presentations.

Remember, if you need help with converting file types between Apple and Microsoft products, we can help with almost any kind of file conversion. See our full free services on our site. 

So you’re working on an audio project and want the best audio file format. Sounds easy, right? Why not just use whatever everyone else is using these days?

Well, the problem is that people use quite a variety of things. There’s no single “best” file format for audio, and that’s because each project has different needs and priorities. Once you get a handle on what decisions you’ll need to make, though, you’ll be well on your way to becoming an audio file expert.

Keep reading to find out how.

Quality Isn’t Everything

When people are looking for the best music file format, they might think what they’re asking for is high quality. But this isn’t always the best choice. Some high-quality formats also take up more storage space, meaning they could be impractical if you’re planning on gathering a large amount of audio for a project.

Another thing to consider is compatibility. If you’re sharing audio on the web, you’ll need to make sure your file format is compatible with the web platform you’re using. And if you’re distributing audio to a wide variety of people (for example, selling music), you will want to make sure a good range of media players support your file type.

Lossless vs. Lossy

When you’re comparing file types, you might see the words “lossless” and “lossy”—but what do these mean? Well, the answer has to do with compression and quality.

A Visual Analogy

Lossless and lossy are also words we can use to describe image files. For example, has someone ever asked you to send an image in the form of a PNG rather than a JPG? One of the reasons they might ask for this is because PNG files are lossless, while JPG files are lossy.

This means that when you save a JPG file, the image becomes compressed, losing a small amount of data in order to save space. The first time you save the image, this might not be noticeable at all. But if you continue to edit and save a JPG, the loss in quality will definitely show up.

PNGs are different. They don’t lose quality when you save the file, so you don’t have to worry about how many changes you make to it.

Lossless vs. Lossy in Music File Formats

If you already know the difference between lossless and lossy for image files, it won’t take long to understand what we mean by lossless and lossy audio file formats.

Like a JPG, a lossy audio file will degrade in quality every time you save it. This will save you space on your computer and won’t make much of an audible difference if you’re only planning on saving one version of it. But if you’re sending an audio file something back and forth with someone, you will want to go with a lossless format.

Like a PNG, a lossless audio file will not lose data to compression. So you can feel free to edit it as many times as you want without a decrease in quality.

The Best Audio File Format for Editing

When you’re trying to decide between different types of audio files, you’ll need to assess your current needs. Are you working on a collaborative project—like, say, a podcast or audio advertisement?

If you plan to edit a file with others, you will want to go for a lossless file format. Examples of these include FLAC (Free Lossless Audio Codec), Windows Media Lossless, and Apple Lossless. This way, you can send versions of your audio to others and keep working on the same file without compressing it.

This is good practice even if you aren’t expecting heavy edits. For example, you might just be sending someone a file to upload to a website.

The person you’re sending your file to might need to trim it or make a small change before uploading, meaning a lossless format would be better. Then, if that person needs to convert the file into a lossy format for web compatibility purposes, they can do so on their own after they have a final version.

The Power of MP3

When it comes down to it, the most common type of audio file you’ll see floating around is the MP3 file. When you save a song on your phone, it’ll likely be in the form of an MP3.

MP3 is a lossy file format, meaning it might not give you the best possible audio quality. But because it’s the most common audio format, it’s extremely likely that you can play it from the device you’re using with no problem. It won’t be hard to find an audio player that’s compatible with MP3.

MP3 vs. WAV

If you’re using software to record and edit audio, you might have the option to save it either as an MP3 or a WAV file. While MP3 has its benefits, it’s not always the best option here.

WAV files are lossless. So if you’re going to keep editing and working on your file, it will likely be best to save it as a WAV until you’re done.

One major downside to WAV files, though, is that they take up more space on your computer. This might not be a big deal for just one file, but if you’re recording tons of audio (like, say, a series of interviews for a behavioral experiment), this adds up. Once you’re done editing your file, you might want to save the final version as an MP3 to save storage space.

Choose Wisely!

The interesting thing about choosing the best audio file format for your project is that the right answer might be a combination of formats. For example, you might need to preserve quality during the editing process but then prioritize compactness in the end. Whatever your needs are, there’s a file format (or a few) out there for you.

You can even check out one of our handy conversion guides here. Happy file-making!

There are almost 260 million Microsoft Office 365 users. Word is a component of Microsoft Office 365 as well as several other licensing options. That’s a huge number of MS Word users who might benefit from an understanding of the benefits of PDF.

Converting Word documents to PDF is a great tool for users who want to preserve format and more. Read on to learn more about the important benefits of converting Word to PDF.

What Is Word to PDF Conversion?

A document created in Microsoft Word can be converted into a “portable document format” or PDF. Microsoft Word has an option to save a document in the PDF format by selecting the “Save” option from the “File” menu and selecting the PDF file format.

You can read PDF files using Adobe Acrobat Reader but that’s not the only way to open a PDF file. Many applications have the capability to open PDF documents. Also, web browsers have PDF handling capability.

You can’t edit a PDF document. You can print it and share it with other people. These features make it a powerful tool for Microsoft Word and other word processing users.

Preserving Format

When you convert an MS Word document to PDF and distribute it to other people, the document is preserved. Unlike when distributing an MS Word document, it cannot be edited by those people who receive the PDF version of the document.

One major problem with documents in MS Word format is that how they look is dependent on the receiving computer users’ software. If the document user has a different word processing application, a different version of MS Word, or doesn’t have the same fonts installed, the document can look very different.

An MS Word doc to PDF converted document will retain the format that it was created in. All users of that document will see exactly the same document no matter what hardware or software they are using.

Paperless Advantage

Storing documents as hardcopy or paper is now regarded as both a waste of resources and space. Printing itself is expensive and environmentally damaging. This makes the paperless office and document storage in digital formats desirable.

The problem is, what format should you store your paperless archive in? The problem is that you may have multiple formats making retrieval and viewing problematic. The answer to your paperless storage challenges is to choose one format for everything you need to preserve and that is PDF.

Version-Free

One of the challenges of sharing documents with MS Word is that MS Word’s versions change. This can cause compatibility problems. Older versions of MS Word and old documents can mean that compatibility issues arise.

PDFs are version-free. All PDFs can be opened by any PDF reader irrespective of age or origin. That’s a high level of independence for versions that is comforting to know.

Long Life

Hardware and software changes are a challenge. New versions and technologies seem to be happening with such frequency that keeping up is difficult. That’s fine if you are excited by new features and capability but a worry if you are interested in the lifespan of your documents.

PDFs have been with us for many years and certainly look like they will be for many years to come. They have been adopted as an almost universal standard by so many users that a long lifespan is certain.

There are so many legacy documents stored and continuously shared in PDF format that it’s very unlikely that a new format will take its place any time soon. Meanwhile, that commitment to PDF is increasing every day with more and more users creating more and more PDF documents.

Operating System Compatibility

You may not be able to determine what operating system the receivers of your document will be using. Fortunately, PDFs work perfectly well on PCs and Macs.

PDFs are also viewable on mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. Whether your users use iOS or Android operating systems on those mobile devices, the PDF documents are viewable.

Security

Security is an ever-present concern for computer users. Confidential information, personal details, and even banking and financial details are at risk of theft, loss, or corruption. It’s important to preserve the security of data.

Fortunately, PDFs can be password protected.

Small Is Beautiful

Storage capacity is a limited resource. Whether your file storage is on your own hard disks or you are using cloud-based storage, file storage costs money. That means the size of the files you store matters.

Large file formats are more expensive to store than smaller file formats. PDF files are typically more compressed than many other file formats. Better to store your documents as PDF files than MS Word files if file storage capacity and cost of storage are a factor.

Simple to Use

Word processing applications have some very impressive features. When you open an MS Word document in the application, you are presented with a dizzying array of menus and icons. The options are so many and complex that only a trained user can happily work with the document.

A PDF viewer can be very simple. Reading the document is simple. Even some of the useful functionality such as annotation is very user-friendly. Intuitive icons make it accessible to most users.

Good With Non-Text Components

Do your documents contain any non-text elements? Images, graphs, and other non-text elements are very reliably preserved by PDF formatted documents. This can’t always be said of other formats.

If you embed hyperlinks in your documents, how they operate is important to you. A hyperlink in a PDF document will reliably open in the user’s web browser when clicked on.

MS Word to PDF Conversion

The case for MS Word to PDF conversion is a strong one. It’s a robust answer to the file storage and sharing challenges. That’s why it’s been so popular and will continue to be so.

Check out more useful articles about PDFs here.