A GIF Is Just an Animated Image
In its simplest form, a GIF (pronounced "gif" or "jiff") is just an image file.
Like the JPEG or PNG file formats, the GIF format can be used to make still images.
But the GIF format has a special feature---it can also be used to create animated images like the one below.
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How do I copy a GIF?
Copy the Link:
Image hosting websites like GIPHY Imgur and Gifycat have tools for copying GIFs to your clipboard.
Just find a GIF that you want and press the "copy link" button.
Then, paste the link where you want to use your GIF.
On most sites, the GIF will work automatically. ,
How do I search for GIFs?
As of right now, here's the best way to search for and use GIFs:
GIF Search Functions:Most social media websites are built with a GIF search bar.
Twitter and Facebook Messenger come to find.
These search bars work directly with sites like GIPHY or Imgur, and they make GIFs as easy to use as emojis. ,
How do you use gifs?
Using GIFs is a bit like using emojis.
You pick the GIF that's appropriate for the situation, and you send it.
You don't have to download anything---most social media platforms team up with image hosting sites to make GIFs as easy as possible.
In fact, the keyboard on your phone probably has a GIF function built right in.
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How to Make Your Own GIF
No matter how you create a GIF, you're going to have to start with a video (unless you're building a GIF from scratch---don't worry about that).
You could use a video that's saved to your phone or a video that you found on YouTube; it doesn't really matter.
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How to Use GIFs
Using GIFs is a bit like using emojis.
You pick the GIF that's appropriate for the situation, and you send it.
You don't have to download anything---most social media platforms team up with image hosting sites to make GIFs as easy as possible.
In fact, the keyboard on your phone probably has a GIF function built right in.
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What is Gfycat & Imgur gifv?
In an attempt to improve the GIF format, websites like Gfycat and Imgur rely on an HTML5 video element extension called GIFV.
This basically means that GIFs made through (or uploaded to) Gfycat or Imgur aren't actual GIFs, they're MP4 or WebM videos.
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Why Are GIFs Gaining Popularity?
GIFs are gaining popularity because, like memes, they're useful for communicating jokes, emotions, and ideas.
Plus, sites like GIPHY and Gyfcat make it super easy to share and create GIFs.
These services are integrated into apps like Twitter, and Facebook Messenger, and your phone's keyboard, so they're just as easy to use as emojis or "stickers."
Metadata format used in some types of image files
The Information Interchange Model (IIM) is a file structure and set of metadata attributes that can be applied to text, images and other media types.
It was developed in the early 1990s by the International Press Telecommunications Council (IPTC) to expedite the international exchange of news among newspapers and news agencies.
