GIF file format
Graphics Interchange Format
GIF is a 1987 format limited to 256 colours per frame with on/off transparency. It's still everywhere thanks to simple animation support, but it's inefficient for photos.
| Property | GIF |
|---|---|
| File extensions | .gif |
| MIME type | image/gif |
| Introduced | 1987 by CompuServe |
| Compression | Lossless (LZW), 256-colour palette |
| Transparency | 1-bit (on/off) |
| Animation | Yes |
| Colour depth | 8-bit palette (256 colours) |
| Support | Universal |
| Best for | Simple animations, small flat graphics |
What is a GIF file?
GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was introduced by CompuServe in 1987, with the GIF89a revision in 1989 adding transparency and animation timing. Each frame uses a palette of at most 256 colours, compressed losslessly with LZW. The LZW patent that once made GIF controversial expired worldwide by 2004.
Despite its age, GIF remains the most universally supported animation format — in browsers, email clients, chat apps and social platforms.
Strengths and weaknesses of GIF
GIF works everywhere and handles simple animations and flat-colour graphics well. Its limits are severe, though: 256 colours per frame makes photos grainy or banded, and transparency is all-or-nothing, so soft edges look jagged on coloured backgrounds. Animated GIFs are also very large compared with video or animated WebP — Google measured lossy animated WebP files 64% smaller than the equivalent GIFs.
When should you use GIF?
Use GIF for short, simple animations where maximum compatibility matters, or for legacy systems that require it. For still images, PNG is better in every way; for animations on the web, WebP or MP4 are far smaller.