GIF is one of the most popular ways for people to express their feelings. You can find tons of GIFs on the Web. Of course, you can also make a GIF by yourself (To make a GIF, try MiniTool MovieMaker developed by MiniTool). This post teaches you how to edit a GIF and provides you with the top 8 GIF editors.
GIF, formally known as Graphics Interchange Format, is a bitmap image format. But you can’t directly edit GIFs like images on your computer or phone. To edit GIFs, you need to use GIF editor software. This post shows you how to edit a GIF on a computer/phone/online and offers you the top 8 GIF editors.
Part 1: How to Edit a GIF
Part one tells you how to edit a GIF on a computer, a phone, or online.
How to Edit a GIF on a Computer
Here are two GIF editors that help you to edit a GIF on a computer. Let’s see how they work.
MiniTool MovieMaker
Minitool MovieMaker is a free and clean GIF editing software and GIF maker. You can use it to beautify GIFs such as adding text or elements to GIFs, adding effects and transitions, trimming or splitting GIFs, or changing GIF resolution, frame rate, and so on. Besides, MiniTool MovieMaker allows you to convert video to GIF and vice versa.
With MiniTool MovieMaker, you can convert between various formats such as GIF, MP4, AVI, MOV, WMV, MKV, MP3, etc.
Now, below are the detailed steps on how to edit a GIF by using MiniTool MovieMaker.
Step 1. Download and install MiniTool MovieMaker.
MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Step 2. Launch the software and close the promotion window to enter its main interface.
Step 3. Click on Import Media Files or hit More (hamburger icon in the upper right) > File > Import Media> Import From PC to add the target files to the Media Library.
Step 4. Drag and drop the GIF files to the timeline.
1. Remove some frames from the GIF
Step 5. Move the playhead to where you want to split and click on the scissors icon to split the GIF.
Step 6. Choose the clip you want to remove on the timeline, right-click on it, then hit Delete to remove it. Or tap on the trash icon on the timeline toolbar to delete the unwanted part.
2. Add text to GIF
Step 7. Switch to the Text tab.
Step 8. Hover your mouse on captions to preview them and select your favorite caption from this list.
Step 9. Drag and drop the desired caption to where you’d like to place the text on the timeline and enter the text. You can change the font, color, size, and type. Or move the text on the GIF to the right place.
Step 10. If you want to adjust the duration of the text, you can move one side to the left or the right.
Step 11. Click on Export to go on. The MP4 format is checked by default, so you need to choose the GIF format from the list. You can also tap on Settings to change video quality, resolution, encoder, bitrate, or frame rate. Then hit Export to export the edited GIF without a watermark.
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Photoshop
If you’ve installed Photoshop on your computer, you may wonder if you can edit a GIF in Photoshop. Yes, you can. Let’s take a look at how to edit a GIF with the professional image editor – Photoshop.
Step 1. Launch Photoshop on the computer and import a GIF file.
Step 2. The timeline window shows at the bottom of the screen. Here you can set the GIF on a loop. To loop a GIF, click on this icon to set the GIF to a loop if you want.
Step 3. Also, you can tap the text icon in the left toolbar to add text to the GIF.
Step 4. Once you’re done, click on File and select the option Save for Web (legacy) from the list by hitting the Export button.
If the GIF file size is too large, you want to reduce its file size. Read this post to learn how to resize GIF: Top 5 Best GIF Resizers (Desktop & Online).
How to Edit a GIF on a Phone
After knowing how to edit a GIF on a computer, this section tells you how to use a GIF editor app on your phone. With it, you can edit GIFs anytime and anywhere.
Here recommend the most popular GIF editor app – GIF Maker & GIF Editor. It’s a free GIF application. It lets you make and edit GIFs with no watermark. Also, it supports converting video clips to GIFs.
Step 1. Download and install GIF Maker & GIF Editor.
Step 2. Open the app on your phone and get the main interface.
Step 3. Click on Edit GIF and choose the GIF you want to edit.
Step 4. After that, you can save it on your phone.
How to Edit a GIF Online
Want to edit a GIF without any software? This part offers you the most powerful and popular online GIF editor – Ezgif.com and a detailed guide on how to use this tool.
Step 1. Open your browser and go to EZgif.com.
Step 2. Then you’ll see various GIF editing tools in the toolbar. Just choose the one you like, take the Effects tool for example.
Step 3. Move your mouse to Effects.
Step 4. Tap Choose File to add the GIF and hit Upload! Button in the pop-up list.
Step 5. Change the color, transformation, frame, and so on, or you can add a filter or text to the GIF.
Step 6. Click SAVE in the upper right corner. Then tap on it to download the GIF.
Part 2: Top 8 GIF Editors
Part 2 introduces the top 8 GIF editors and presents their main features of them. You can choose one of them to edit your GIF files.
#1. MiniTool MovieMaker
MiniTool MovieMaker is not only a video editor, but a GIF editor software. It has a simple and clean interface that lets you edit your video or GIF effortlessly. Additionally, it offers a variety of audio, transitions, effects, filters, and emotions. You can add interesting text and vivid animation. Apart from that, it allows you to make a cool video in seconds with its various types of movie templates.
Main Features
- It’s free with no watermarks, no bundles, and no ads.
- It supports GIF, MKV, MP4, WMV, AVI, MOV, MP3 formats, etc.
- It enables you to edit GIFs, convert MP4 to GIF, and vice versa.
- It offers stunning transitions, effects, captions, titles, etc.
- You can create a video easily with the cool movie templates it provides.
- It’s a video trimmer and splitter.
- It can work on Windows 7/Windows 8/Windows 10/ Windows 11.
#2. EZgif.com
EZgif.com is an online GIF editor that offers a set of tools to edit GIFs. With it, you can make, crop, optimize, resize, split, reverse, rotate, and apply filters to GIFs. More than that, video clips can be converted to GIFs.
Main Features
- It’s a free online GIF editor.
- It allows converting video to GIF.
- It lets you resize, optimize, split, and write text over GIF.
- It can be used to save GIFs from twitter.
#3. Lunapic
Lunapic is an online image editor that comes with tons of features. More importantly, you can use this tool to edit GIF animation.
Main Features
- It can change the speed of GIFs.
- You can view full-sized frames and remove unnecessary frames.
- It lets you set the frame delay and contact sheet of frames.
- Optimize GIFs.
#4. Image Online. co
Image Online. Co is a free web application that contains no hidden payments. This tool is easy to use and you can edit GIFs online without losing quality.
Main Features
- It has an easy-to-use interface.
- It supports converting GIF to JPG and PNG.
- It allows extracting images from GIFs and joining GIFs.
- You can rotate and flip GIFs as you like.
- It offers additional features like image filters, image manipulation tools, and image conversion tools.
- No sign-up required.
#5. Gifntext.com
This online GIF editor allows you to add moving text over a GIF and offers some basic GIF editing tools. Besides, if you don’t know how to edit a GIF with Gifntext.com, you can browse the tutorials they provided.
Main Features
- You can paste the GIF URL and edit it online.
- It enables you to add moving text to a GIF and add moving images over a GIF.
- It allows you to add captions and subtitles to a GIF.
- It provides other editing features like customizing text color and outline.
- You can animate the text and add the image on GIFs.
- It’s free to use.
#6. GIFMaker
GIFMaker is a GIF editor app that you can create GIF from your video clip. You can also directly post your GIF on Facebook, Twitter, Imgur, Gipphy, Instagram, etc.
Main Features
- You can cut or crop videos before making GIFs.
- It provides over 200 pictures and 100 stickers to help you create GIFs.
- It can add a label with text style and color to GIF.
- You can share your GIF with everyone.
- You can browse funny GIFs on this app.
#7. GIF Maker & GIF Editor
GIF Maker & GIF Editor supports 22 languages. By using this free GIF editor app, you can edit GIFs, images, videos, and screen records without watermarks.
Main Feature
- GIF Maker & GIF Editor can combine multiple images into one GIF.
- GIF Maker & GIF Editor can help record video and convert it to GIF.
- GIF Maker & GIF Editor allows making GIFs with backgrounds and modifying GIFs like resize, change speed, etc.
- GIF Maker & GIF Editor lets you compress GIFs and share them on social media.
#8. GIF Maker – Video to GIF
The application is completely free. With the help of this tool, you can quickly create animated GIF files.
Main Features
- It supports converting video to GIFs and images to GIFs.
- It’s also a meme-maker tool.
- You can add or remove frames from GIFs.
GIF Maker – Video to GIF provides all the features needed to edit GIFs, such as crop, flip, reverse, etc.
Conclusion
To sum up, this post gives you a detailed guide on how to edit a GIF and the top 8 GIF editors. If you like this post, don’t forget to share it with others.
How to Edit A GIF FAQ
2. Import the GIF and add it to the timeline.
3. You can rotate and split it as you like. After that, click the Export to open the export window.
4. Tap on Export to export the edited GIF.
2. Import the GIF and edit it.
3. Once you’re done, save the GIF you just edited on your phone.
2. Import the video. Then drag and drop it onto the timeline.
3. Click Export and choose the GIF format in the Format box.
4. Hit the Export button to convert the video to GIF.