How to Make a GIF from Photos or Images

Published October 11, 2026

Free tool: GIF Maker→

A GIF made from still images can show a product from every angle, a before-and-after, a step-by-step process or a quick slideshow of a trip. It plays automatically and loops, and it works almost everywhere, from chat apps to documentation. This guide explains the settings that matter and how to make one with the free GIF Maker.

Good uses for a photo GIF

• Before and after, such as a room makeover or a photo edit.
• Product views, showing an item from several sides.
• How-to steps that loop on a help page.
• A mini slideshow of an event or a trip.
• Simple animations drawn frame by frame.

The settings that matter

• Time per frame: how long each image stays on screen. About 0.5 seconds works for slideshows and before-and-afters; 50 to 100 milliseconds makes smooth motion from many similar frames.
• Looping: most GIFs loop forever; turn it off if the GIF should stop on the last frame.
• Size: the width in pixels. Smaller GIFs load faster; 480 to 640 pixels suits most uses.
• Colors per frame: GIFs can use at most 256 colors per frame. Fewer colors make smaller files but can look blotchy on photos.
• Dithering: mixes dots of nearby colors to smooth out gradients such as skies, at the cost of a slightly grainy look and a bigger file.

How to make a GIF with Graph Maker

1. Open the GIF Maker and drop in your images, up to 150 frames, or click to choose them.
2. Put the frames in order with the move buttons; the GIF plays them in the order shown, and you can remove any frame you don't want.
3. Set the time per frame, from 20 milliseconds to 3 seconds, and choose whether to loop forever.
4. Choose the size: the shape (the same as the first image, square, 4:3, 16:9 or 9:16) and the width (240 to 800 pixels).
5. Decide what happens to images that don't match the shape: Fit with border, with a border color you choose, or Crop to fill.
6. Set the quality: the number of colors per frame (from 256 for the best quality down to 32 for the smallest file) and whether to smooth gradients with dithering.
7. Watch the preview, then create and download your GIF.

The GIF is built in your browser, so your images aren't uploaded.

Tips for small, smooth GIFs

• Use images of the same size and shape so nothing jumps between frames.
• Keep it short. Every frame adds to the file size; 10 to 30 frames is plenty for most slideshows.
• Lower the width before lowering the colors; shrinking the size usually saves more with less visible loss.
• Turn on dithering for photos with smooth skies or skin tones, and off for flat graphics and screenshots.
• Making a GIF from a video instead? Use the Video to GIF Converter.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a GIF from pictures?

Add the pictures to the GIF Maker, put them in order, choose how long each one shows, the size and the quality, then create and download the GIF.

How long should each frame of a GIF be?

For a slideshow, about half a second to a second per image. For animation made of many similar frames, 50 to 100 milliseconds gives smooth motion.

Why does my GIF look grainy or blotchy?

GIFs are limited to 256 colors per frame, so photos with smooth gradients get approximated. Use the full 256 colors and turn on dithering for smoother results, or use a short video instead of a GIF for photo-quality motion.