What Does GIF Stand For and What Makes Them So Popular?

GIFs — the tiny lopping animations that make you laugh, cry, and eyes roll in a flicker of seconds. Whether it’s a dramatic falling of a person off the stairs or dialogue from vintage films, these graphics make a smooth way into the conversation. 

But, do you wonder, what does gif mean in a text message, how it got the cool, funky name, and the story behind it? 

Get ready as we take you to the world of GIFs and unravel the facts and charm of it. Keep on reading! 

Quick Answer: GIF is an acronym for Graphic Interchange Format. It is a file format that supports animated and static images showing quick motion footage.

What Do You Mean By GIF?

via GIPHY

GIFs are a type of image format widely used by people on the internet. Unlike JPEG and PNG, these are animated graphics with motion, all compressed in a single file. These are generally short and keep on looping without any sound. The first-ever GIF was made by Steve Wilhite and his team in 1987 at Compuserve, which soon gained traction and became a revolutionary medium of interaction among the netizens. 

Even today, it wows people and bridges the gap between static images and longer videos like Instagram Reels. 

What Does Gif Stand For?

The acronym “GIF” represents Graphics Interchange Format. It was specifically created to facilitate the efficient sharing of color images and brief animations between computer systems. The format’s ease of use, along with its capacity to manage small, low-resolution animations, resulted in immediate popularity. 

As the internet developed, the inventive uses of GIFs also advanced, transforming them into a digital narrative medium that transcends language and cultural barriers.

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How Do You Pronounce: GIF or Jif?

There is so much confusion while pronouncing the term GIF. Mostly, people say it in two ways: 

• The Hard G Club: In this, the people pronounce GIF as “ghif” with a hard pronunciation of g. It’s like how we speak graphics. 
• The Soft G Club: People argue that the term is pronounced as “jif”. It’s how we say j in a word. Even the creator, Steve Wilhite supports this club and says it’s the right one. 

This pronunciation debate is never-ending, as people prefer to pronounce how they feel comfortable. 

What Makes GIFs So Popular?

More than 1.7 billion people share GIFs each day to make their conversation interesting. Here are a few factors that make GIFs popular among people: 

• Expressiveness: GIFs communicate feelings and reactions much more vividly than written words or still images.

• Conciseness: Their brief nature makes them perfect for grabbing attention in rapid digital exchanges.

• Global Attraction: Featuring topics such as memes, film snippets, and adorable pets there’s a GIF to suit every taste.

• User-Friendly: Social media sites and messaging applications feature GIF search capabilities, allowing easy access with just a click.

These are some great reasons why gifs are so popular among all the people who like to buzz on the internet. 

How to Find and Use GIFs?

You can find hundreds of websites online to download and save creative graphics. Moreover, many platforms have built-in GIF galleries, like WhatsApp. You can also find them in the comment section of social media apps like Instagram. 

How to search for them? – Type in the words/expressions in the GIFs search bar and choose the one you like. If you search for the word: happy, you’ll see lots of options. 

Platforms like GIPHY and Imgflip are the most popular ones with a great library and features. Here, you can even create your own GIF to add a personal touch of communication. Doesn’t it sound interesting? 

How to Create Your Own GIF?

Finding GIFs online is great, but what’s more fun? Creating your own. If you do not know if it’s even possible, then read the steps written below:

• First, find the image or video and download it on your device.
• Now, access online images to GIF converter (for the photos) or upload the video on GIF-making websites like Canva and GIPHY. 
• Start editing and then download the file on your device. 

That’s it, once it’s downloaded, you can send it on WhatsApp and other social platforms. 

Some Fun Facts About GIFs

If you have fallen into the rabbit hole of GIFs and started enjoying using them, there’s no going back. And to spark your curiosity, here are some fun facts to know: 

• The First-ever GIF: The first GIF showcased a pixelated picture of an airplane. It was a complete contrast to the sleek animations of today.

• GIF of the Year: The animation sites such as Giphy publish rankings of the top GIFs every year, highlighting the eclectic craze of internet culture.

• A Cultural Symbol: GIFs hold such significance that the term was named as Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year in 2012.

These are some fun facts about this coolest form of animated graphic. 

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Final Words 

Whether you pronounce ghif or jif, the graphic interchange format has influenced your way of texting. In this digital culture, gifs are preferred to spice up the conversation and add humor, emotion, and storytelling. The next time you use it, it will definitely strike you as being connected to a decade-long tradition of internet communication. 

We hope you like reading this blog and learn something new. Share the info with your friends and family to make them aware too. 

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Frequently Asked Questions 

 

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