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3d & animation

After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif

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Learn the keys to turn our animations into gifs step by step with Moncho Massé

Moncho Massé (@moncho_masse), Illustrator and freelance animator teaches you how to turn your animation into a gif so you can share it with everyone through social networks. Thanks to this tutorial you will be able to show everyone your work through Instagram, Facebook and Twitter.

As it is not possible to export directly to gif in After Effects, Moncho Massé offers us the easiest way to do it: export first from After Effects in QuickTime format and then pass it to Photoshop to export it to gif format.

Here are the steps to follow in this video:

1. Size and duration of the future gif

Ideally, it should last between 4 and 5 seconds and be in 1080x1080, i.e. square format, which is the one used in social networks due to its versatility.

By domestika in After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 02.11.2023 at 16:12
" href="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fill,dpr_auto,f_auto,q_auto/v1698937920/content-items/014/506/806/qw-original.jpg?1698937920">After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 3

2. Maintain the colors in After Effects

So that the colors that we are seeing in our After Effects animation are maintained we must leave activated in Project Settings this working space: sRGB IEC61966-2.1. This way we will avoid to the maximum that there are variations in our color palette.

By domestika in After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 02.11.2023 at 16:12
" href="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fill,dpr_auto,f_auto,q_auto/v1698937920/content-items/014/506/808/wq-original.jpg?1698937920">After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 5

3. Export in QuickTime and save

Next in the Composition tab we will make a Render Queue keeping the default settings. Also choose the address of the folder where we want to save it.

By domestika in After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 02.11.2023 at 16:12
" href="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fill,dpr_auto,f_auto,q_auto/v1698937920/content-items/014/506/810/ew-original.jpg?1698937920">After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 7

4. Open Photoshop and save for web

Once Photoshop is open, drag the composition that we had previously exported in After Effects and export it for web and check "infinite" in Repeat Options to get the loop effect so characteristic of gifs.

By domestika in After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 02.11.2023 at 16:12
" href="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fill,dpr_auto,f_auto,q_auto/v1698937920/content-items/014/506/812/we-original.jpg?1698937920">After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 9

5. Export and check

Once selected this last step we save it where we want and we make a check to see if the gif has been exported well.

By domestika in After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 02.11.2023 at 16:12
" href="https://cdn.domestika.org/c_fill,dpr_auto,f_auto,q_auto/v1698937920/content-items/014/506/814/er-original.jpg?1698937920">After Effects Tutorial: how to export to gif 11

If you liked this tutorial by Moncho Massé, we recommend you his course "Animation and character design in After Effects" where you will learn how to create infinite stories, from short animations in gif format, that you can share in your social networks.

You may be interested in:

- Introduction to motion design and animation curves in After Effects, a course by Holke 79.
- Animated collage with Adobe After Effects, a course by Joseba
- Vector animation frame by frame style with After Effects, a course by Pablo Cuello
- Introduction to After Effects, by Carlos "Zenzuke" Albarrán

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