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.
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.
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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There is so much confusion while pronouncing the term GIF. Mostly, people say it in two ways:
This pronunciation debate is never-ending, as people prefer to pronounce how they feel comfortable.
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:
These are some great reasons why gifs are so popular among all the people who like to buzz on the internet.
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?
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:
That’s it, once it’s downloaded, you can send it on WhatsApp and other social platforms.
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:
These are some fun facts about this coolest form of animated graphic.
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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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Ans: GIF stands for Graphic Interchange Format and is a medium of communication in this internet world.
Ans: GIPHY is the biggest platform where you can find tons of different GIFs.
Ans: CompuServe launched the first-ever GIF on 15 June 1987.
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