Video to GIF: settings and best results

What does Video to GIF do?

Video to GIF turns videos into animated GIFs, on your own computer. Use it for a looping product shot, a quick how-to for a help page or newsletter, or a short moment to share in a chat.

Each video becomes one GIF. By default Hangar uses the first 5 seconds of each video, 480 pixels wide, so the GIFs stay small enough to share. The GIF Studio lets you pick the exact moment for each video and see the real GIF before you run.

02Step 2: Choose the length and size

The panel is called Convert settings. These settings apply to every video.

• Default clip length: First… uses the first few seconds of each video, 5 seconds to start with. Type another number in the box, or choose Full clip to use whole videos.
• File size: Balanced, marked Recommended, suits most clips. Quality gives the smoothest color and a larger file. Small uses fewer colors, so smooth areas such as skies may show bands.
• Export width: 240px, 360px, 480px, 640px or Original. The height follows, and a video narrower than your choice keeps its own width.
• Frame rate: from 5 to 30 frames per second, 12 to start with. Lower numbers make smaller files with choppier motion.
• Loop: Forever, Once or 3×.

When your choices are likely to make a heavy GIF, such as a full clip, 640px or more than 15 frames per second, the panel shows a reminder that length, size and frame rate matter most. The line above the button sums up your settings, for example 480px · 12 fps · Balanced · loops · first 5s.

1234567

1. 1Default clip length
2. 2File size
3. 3Export width
4. 4Frame rate
5. 5Loop
6. 6Adjust
7. 7Run convert

03Step 3: Pick the moment in the GIF Studio

Click Adjust on a video in the queue. The GIF Studio opens on that video.

• Drag the two handles on the strip under the video to choose the part to keep, or type the times in the In and Out boxes, in seconds. Duration shows how long the GIF will be.
• On the right, change File size, Export width, Frame rate or Loop for this video only.
• Click Preview selected GIF to see the real GIF, made by Hangar from your selection. Previews are at most 360 pixels wide, so they load quickly; the line under the preview shows the width you will export. After a change, the preview says it is out of date: click Refresh GIF preview, or Back to trimming to adjust the handles again.

Click Done to keep your changes. The video then shows a ★ on Adjust. Pressing Esc or clicking × closes the GIF Studio without saving.

12345

1. 1Rendered GIF preview
2. 2Trim range
3. 3Duration
4. 4File size
5. 5Refresh GIF preview

04Step 4: Run, then check the result

Check where the files will go: Default output folder saves them in your workspace’s output folder, in a to_gif folder with a subfolder for today’s date, such as 10-15. Click Change to pick another folder for this run. Then click Run convert.

Each video shows Done when its GIF is ready. Click View to check a result, and Open folder to go to the GIFs. Each one has the name of its video, ending in .gif. See See and compare your results and Where your files are saved.

1234

1. 1Done
2. 2View
3. 3Saved to
4. 4Open folder

Every setting, and when to change it

The panel sets the defaults for every video. The GIF Studio has the same settings except Default clip length, plus the trim handles for one video.

Default clip length

How much of each video becomes the GIF, unless you pick a moment in the GIF Studio.

• RangeFull clip, or the first 0.5 to 3600 seconds
• DefaultFirst 5 seconds

In and Out

In the GIF Studio only. The start and end of this video’s GIF.

• RangeAny part of the video, in steps of 0.1 second
• DefaultThe default clip length

File size

How colors are packed. Quality is smoothest and largest; Small is smallest and may show bands.

• RangeQuality, Balanced, Small
• DefaultBalanced

Export width

The width of the GIF. The height follows, and small videos are never enlarged.

• Range240px, 360px, 480px, 640px, Original
• Default480px

Frame rate

Pictures per second. Lower is smaller and choppier.

• Range5 to 30 fps
• Default12 fps

Loop

Forever repeats without end. Once plays the GIF one time. 3× repeats it a few times, then stops.

• RangeForever, Once, 3×
• DefaultForever

How do I make a good GIF?

• Keep it short. 2 to 6 seconds is plenty for a loop. Length has the biggest effect on file size.
• For email and chat, use 360px or 480px and 10 to 12 fps. For a page where motion matters, try 15 fps.
• Pick a moment that loops well. In the GIF Studio, choose a start and end where the picture looks alike, so the jump back to the start is hard to see.
• Choose Quality for smooth color, such as skin tones, skies or soft light, if the file can be a bit larger.
• Preview before you run. The GIF Studio preview is the real GIF, so what you see is what you get, only smaller.

Why does a GIF disappoint?

• The file is huge. Shorten the clip, lower Export width and Frame rate, then try Small. A GIF is often several times larger than the video it came from.
• The GIF only shows the start of my video. Default clip length is set to the first 5 seconds. Choose Full clip, or pick the moment in the GIF Studio.
• Colors look blotchy or banded. GIFs can only hold a limited set of colors. Choose Quality.
• Motion looks jerky. Raise Frame rate to 15 or more, and keep the clip short to balance the size.
• The GIF is smaller than the width I chose. Hangar never enlarges a video, so a narrow video keeps its own width.
• My GIF Studio changes are gone. They are only kept when you click Done. Esc and × close without saving.

For other errors, see A file failed: what to check.

Limits

• Frame rate from 5 to 30 fps; widths 240, 360, 480 and 640 pixels, or the video’s own width.
• Loop offers Forever, Once and 3×. No other count.
• GIFs have no sound.
• One GIF per video, from one continuous part of it.
• Settings made in the GIF Studio are not kept after you close Hangar.
• Everything runs on your computer. Nothing is uploaded.