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amapowers
Participant
February 12, 2017
Answered

Embedding GIFs

  • February 12, 2017
  • 1 reply
  • 3525 views

I'm new to ID and am wondering how to embed a GIF in an ID interactive PDF document - so that the GIF plays automatically when viewing the PDF... Can anyone help me with this?

Thank you!

This topic has been closed for replies.
Correct answer Willi Adelberger

It is not possible to play GIFs in a PDF. I would recommend not to use GIF at all in InDesign, it makes no sense. Even interactive PDF is not the best idea to make.

1 reply

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity ExpertCorrect answer
Community Expert
February 12, 2017

It is not possible to play GIFs in a PDF. I would recommend not to use GIF at all in InDesign, it makes no sense. Even interactive PDF is not the best idea to make.

H
hynzla
Participant
December 20, 2017

Mind elaborating on why using GIF in InDesign makes no sense and why interactive PDFs are not good ideas? Thank you

Willi Adelberger
Community Expert
Willi AdelbergerCommunity Expert
Community Expert
October 14, 2018

Sorry, to play movies in a PDF you have to have Flash. Flash is not supported on iOS and other mobile devices.

PDF is NOT supposed to be used with movies or Flash content.

When it comes to InDesign: GIF supports maximum 256 Colors. It does not support real transparency, only pure transparency or full opacity. That is why GIFs look terrible in InDesign.

PNG would be a better choice, but not the best as PNG is only rasterised and does only support alpha transparency (better than GIF) but not the different modes as they are supported in PDFs or AI files.

Both, GIF and PNG, lack of full support of color management. GIF not even a little bit. So my Advice: DON’T USE GIF IN INDESIGN.

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