Gifs export slow no matter the frame rate

[offtotheraces]

Hi,

I have Photoshop CS5 Extended, running on Mac OS X Snow Leopard. I use photoshop to make gifs, either from video frames > layers or from importing screenshots into a stack. When I make the gifs, I set the frame delay in the animation panel to whatever I want - mostly 0.04, 0.06 and 0.1 and when I play it, it works exactly how I want it to, running at the speed set.

But when I go to Save for Web and Devices, the preview of the gif is slow and doesn't play at the same rate as what I set. No matter what I do to the frame rate - set it to no delay, convert it to a timeline gif, the gif doesn't run faster in the Save for Web window. When I upload it to a website, again the gif plays at the same slow rate shown in the Save for Web window.

This problem doesn't happen when I import a video to layers and set it to skip every two frames (or more). But even if I make a gif with very few frames (either from importing from a video with no skipping or from importing screenshots), it still runs very slow.

Other friends who make gifs via the same method as I do don't encounter this problem. I even opened a .psd from a friend of a gif with a frame rate of 0.06 and when I went to Save for Web, it still played very slow but for my friend, they managed to export the gif and have it play at the intended speed in their photoshop (also CS5).

So how can I make the change the setting for the frame rate in Save for Web and Devices because I assume it must be an issue within that panel?

Thanks so much.

[Corrado Speroni]

The correct delay value depends on the original framerate of the video sequence. For example, if the original video framerate is 25 fps, each frame has a delay of 1/25=0.04 sec.

So 0.04 is the correct setting for the delay in the Photoshop timeline, and the final gif will look exactly as the original video sequence. For a 30fps video, the correct value is 1/30=0.0333.. so 0.03.

With a value too low, 0.01 or 0, the value is ignored and the final gif will use the standard framerate of 10-12 fps.

[eviltypo]

I just want to say this problem has plagued me for a very long time and now, thanks to your response, I finally know what to do. So thanks for that! Hope it helps some others too.

[Higgor31512166g8pr]

Brother you simply save my life with this answer. Very thanks!

[Kovo0112]

I had the same problem so I was experimenting with importing/exporting videos. So I find out that the delay of the frames needs to be same to run the gif smooth and fast

[VanceMellen]

I've been using After Effects to export a video at the size/frame rate CLOSE to what I would animate. For example, I like to export my video at 10 frames per second. I then import the video (converting it into frames in the TIMELINE of PS) as noted above and often only bring in EVERY other frame too upon importing into PS.

I use EXPORT FOR WEB and tweak those settings quite a lot (using the preview button too). Have to keep these GIFs VERY small for TUMBLR, Twitter, Google+ so the viewer will get in and out quickly. They will be choppy, BUT the will get shared. I try to keep my files under 500 kb. I also find that PS does NOT allow control of the frames (i.e. .02/frame or delay for 4 seconds, etc. ) = just doesn't work/carry over when loaded onto a website. Runs too fast for me often. See my samples here: Mellenhead Productions, Affordable Animations and Digital Videos

Oh, yes... and one other thing: I have learned to better control playback by making sure that when I export the final .GIF out of PS that I turn on EXPORT IMAGES +HTML. Somehow this embeds the .HTML and allows me to better control the frame rate of my playback, even allowing a long pause of ONE FRAME (i.e. 5 seconds long). Much more power on how fast/slow my .GIF is playing back.

[JDBEC · Accepted solution]

Gifs on Photoshop are better quality and way less heavier than those made on After Effect.

In case people still wonder why their gif is still slow while using photoshop :

First you are doing it wrong : you are not setting the framerate but you are setting the delay time for each frame.

You can stil get the result you want but its way more complicated.

The method since Photoshop cc2015 (at least)

When you click on Window > Timeline you are working with the "Frame Animation"

Once you are done with the animation of your gif you must convert it to "Video Timeline" (click on the lower left corner tab, in your Frame Animation window, just next to the loop setting (once, 3 times, forever).

Then click on the tab to the right corner of the timeline : the timeline setting. Click next on "Set Timeline Frame Rate..."

Lower the framerate to get your animation faster, and higher is you want is faster.

Hope it will help.

[Hristov]

JDBEC BIG thank you. Would hug you if you were here !

[elgydium]

JDBEC Bruh you killed it with this answer!

Finally could figure out what was going on.

Adobe needs to sort it out!

[girg29669778wue6]

what on earth are you referring to? I don't see that option here

[quiclee1]

Hi,

I downloaded one twitter gif and tried to play on photoshop but its not working.

[jaloha22]

Dear lord, this thread was painful to read. Thank you pedants of the world.

PS-- I found the solution based comments helpful about .03 etc. I also found that if you are on a mac (no matter if it is a beefy juiced up on RAM and specs galore) the gif won't preview in Finder the same as if you open in your browser. It will look slow in the Finder and normal in the browser from my experience for whatever that is worth. 

[darksidegirl]

This doesn't work. Setting the fps in the timeline doesn't change the speed, it just adds or skips frames inbetween but plays at the same speed, smoother or less smooth. When you export it, it looks more stuttering or smoother but looks the same.

[trainofthought]

This exact same thing happened to me. Changing frame rate removes frames for me which is insane. Did you ever find a solution?