export InDesign pages as animated gif

[Patricia Childers]

Can I export pages in an InDesign doc as an animated gif.

I would like the gif to automatically progress from beginning to end of the book.

Almost like an auto progression in a slide show.

Thanks

[Peter Kahrel]

Nope. InDesign exports only the formats that you see in its export window. No (animated) GIF there, just PNG and JPG.

P.

[damianb_]

I believe the person asked a simple question, as Indesign has an animation function, and the 'go to' for many people would be a gif.

[Derek Cross]

You would probably better using Photoshop to produce an animated GIF.

If you want animations in an InDesign document you can use the InDesign Publish Online feature.

[Derek Cross]

There is a way using the InDesign plug-in, in5 (at extra cost):

https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/in5-animated-gif-maker/dldadkjlkldanpbaicclkikgkgpgpflj

[Laubender · Accepted solution]

Hi Patricia,

don't know how many pages you want to process.

You could export the whole book to PDF files. One PDF file per page.

Then you work on with PhotoShop.

There is a script that comes with PhotoShop that can load a folder of images or PDFs to layers. Each image to its own layer.

From that you can create key frames with PhotoShop's timeline feature and export the result to animated GIF. For every key frame you do, a different layer ( a different rendered PDF page ) is visible in the stack of layers. Do that with the Alt key by clicking the Eye icon in PhotoShop's Layer panel. You can define the duration of every key frame in the timeline. You even could do tweens between single selected frames to do smooth blending.

Perhaps all the tasks in PhotoShop can be automated with a PhotoShop action. You could ask this in the PhotoShop forum:

https://community.adobe.com/t5/photoshop/bd-p/photoshop?page=1&sort=latest_replies&filter=all

Regards,
Uwe Laubender

( ACP )

[Patricia Childers]

Thanks, Uwe, I had tried uploading pdf pages to photoshop layers but ran into a problem with white backgrounds turning black in the final gif. After reading your message I tried it again after adding white to the background of all master pages in InDesign. This time it worked! Thank you, Patricia

[Eric Dumas]

 unless I am missing something in the original question, I would export to pdf, play that full screen while using ScreenToGif free tool to record as a animated gif the flicking of the book.

[kalieb20845839]

Just tried the ScreenToGif FREE app ... so easy and simple! Thanks for the lead. It is kind of crazy that InDesign doesn't include a way to export animations. This was such a huge time (and $$) saver.

[Jennifer26484992q0n9]

Well, you have to remember that Indesign started as a layout tool, not a multimedia tool. It does cross over very well with both illustrator and photoshop, and even most of the other adobe programs all shake hands in one way or another. Let Indesign do what it was meant to do!

[Creative Overlord]

That's all fine but the fact is, there is no easy way to create gifs and indesign remains the fastest layout program. The industry is moving on, Adobe has been a milestone of it and needs to keep up to remain so.

[PA-Sami]

While yes it started as a layout tool that doesn't mean it shouldn't have animation, if we thought that way photoshop wouldn't have basic animation in it and illustrator wouldn't include any 3D.

Indesign is the natural place that this sort of animation belongs. Here's why

1. Animation already exists in there
2.  Social media is being created within indesign due to... 
3.  It has mail merge and easy to update links to both local storage and cc library.
4. There is a HUGE proven market for it (hello canva)

I feel like Adobe totally missed the boat on this one and lost millions of dollars by doing so, but I feel they could absolutely recoup those by catching back up with the current market needs. I tried using Adobe Express but It literally just grabs the cc file and places it down, if you update the cc file it doesn't update in express. So basically you're uploading creating a new file each time so there's no time efficiencies that you get through mail merge and links. By the time I do this I may as well use canva which has way more options and functionality. I would rather keep it on my computer locally and be able to create multiple pieces quickly and efficiently something which none of the other adobe software can do.

[Justin Putney]

This option exports InDesign pages as animated GIFs:

https://ajarproductions.com/blog/2019/10/11/how-to-create-an-animated-gif-with-indesign-in5/

(Disclosure: I'm the creator of this product)

[Silke R23099732yjr3]

Quite expesive, sadly 😞

[m quiggl47890392]

There is another Adobe program for that, too...Creative Cloud Express. formerly Adobe Spark. Create in that software. It is not included in the CC bundle, however.

I believe we are being stretched too thin...

[brook22231196w6h1]

the entire adobe creative cloud suite is $600/yr and ya'll want $240/yr for the most basic export function that InDesign should already provide in order to make their product usable for this one...small...project. 

[Derek Cross]

The Photography Plan includes Photoshop, Lightroom and cloud storage for around $10 a month.

[Justin Putney]

A quick update on the in5 GIF Maker extension. We've just released version 3, which will let you turn InDesign animation into an MP4 video, which would allow you to create a finely-tuned animated GIF in Photoshop. We'll be uploading videos to our YouTube channel soon.

[Creative Overlord]

It's really awesome that you guys are picking up where Adobe has dropped the ball, I wish you all the best and will be checking that out on YouTube.  Unfortunately the price of IN5 is way too high for me personally, in Aus it's the same price as all the programs in the entire Adobe suite, monthly. 

[PA-Sami]

Hey Justin, this is great. I've been following in5 for a while but hesitant to push the button as transparent gifs aren't posible. Any chance of this being included in the near future? 

[Justin Putney]

Yes, great question! By adding this video option, you'll be able to take a specific color and make it transparent in Photoshop when you finalize your GIF there. I'll create a video to show how to do this. 🙂

[Kevin2560403583lr]

Such a bummer that InDesign does not allow you to export as a GIF. This would be an easy export function for InDesign to include. The In5 add-on is great but way too pricey. 

[Derek Cross]

Why not use Photoshop to create an animated GIF?

[Creative Overlord]

I'd say that's what most of us do, it's just bizarre they have an animation pane in indesign now but no ability to export the animation as anything other than epub or pdf, both useless for web. Extra steps in photoshop are tedious and it would be such an easy inclusion. 

[PA-Sami]

well photoshop doesn't have the same mail merge preview / file relinking /layout features that indesign has. I honestly think it's more useful than adobe thinks. This is the whole reason I have a Canva subscription that I would happily remove as I hate uploading images that I could just relink to on my computer and save a significant amount of time.