How to Export Website Gifs in Photoshop

One of the standard file formats for web graphics is a GIF file. This file type works well with images that have colors that are separated without many blends, line work, and images with text. Adobe Photoshop offers several settings for optimizing your exported GIF files to maintain the best image integrity while conserving file size.

Instructions

1. Prepare your image in Photoshop at the correct dimensions for your web page. If you choose colors for your artwork from one of Photoshop's web safe color palettes, you will be one step closer to maximum optimization. Your file can contain as many layers as you need.

2. Click File > Save for Web from the main Photoshop menu. When the dialog box appears, you can begin setting your preferences for the exported file. You should see your image within the main window and preview any changes made by your preference settings. Choose GIF from the file type menu or one of the GIF preset options from the "Preset" dropdown menu to begin optimizing.

3. Experiment with GIF settings to achieve the smallest file size while maintaining the best image quality. You can reduce the number of colors in your exported file by choosing from the "Colors" dropdown box. You may also experiment with the "Web Snap" sliding scale to reduce your file size. This feature converts your image to only web safe colors. Click the "Transparency" box if you would like your image to have a transparent background, and set the dither settings for the optimum transition to the background. Be sure to click the "Interlaced" box. This will allow your image to be downloaded in several passes by the user's browser. That way, the user isn't faced with a blank image for an extended download time.

4. Click the "Image Size" tab in the bottom input area to change your image dimensions if necessary. Then, adjust the quality settings to accommodate your new size and click "Apply". This feature is particularly helpful if your website needs a larger version as well as a thumbnail image.

5. Click the "Save" button at the top right of the dialog box when you are satisfied with your image. Give your optimized GIF file a name, and it is ready to be inserted into your web page.