World's Easiest GIF Tutorial

Want to learn how to use GIFs in your site?

The History of GIFs

GIF (Graphics Interchange Format) was introduced by CompuServe in 1987. Originally, it was developed as a bitmap image format for use on the internet, but it gained widespread popularity due to its support for animations. GIFs quickly became a staple of early internet culture, often used for simple animations, banners, and more.

Despite the emergence of newer formats, GIFs remain popular today for their ease of use and wide support across various platforms.

Why Use GIFs?

GIFs are popular for several reasons:

• They are lightweight and easy to share.
• They support simple animations, making them suitable for expressing emotions, reactions, or conveying information in a visually engaging way.
• They are supported by most web browsers and social media platforms.
• They add an element of fun and creativity to online communication.

Using GIFs in Your Code

There are various ways to use GIFs in your HTML code:

1. Embedding directly with the <img> tag:

<img src="path/to/your/gif.gif" alt="Your GIF">

2. Using CSS background:

background-image: url('path/to/your/gif.gif');

3. Using JavaScript:

document.getElementById('yourElement').style.backgroundImage = "url('path/to/your/gif.gif')";

Examples of GIF Usage

Here are some common examples of GIF usage:

• Animated memes and reactions in social media posts.
• Visual feedback for form submissions or loading indicators on websites.
• Animated illustrations to enhance storytelling or tutorials.
• Email newsletters to add visual interest.

Cool GIF of a monkey I found

• I saved "monkey.gif" into my images folder within my root folder.
• I'll recall my monkey using "img src="img/monkeyBoss.gif"

If it worked for you:

venmo: @nedajchoi

paypal: thefakejadenchoi@gmail.com