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Export PDF to GIF With or Without Photoshop

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Written By
Nick Rogers
Published On
April 12th, 2024
Reading Time
6 Minutes Reading

Does your PDF file contain many still images that you want to convert into animation? If yes, keep following 4n6’s informative blog. Here we will guide you on the best ways to export PDF to GIF. You’ll learn how to use Photoshop and other specialized tools to convert PDF to animated GIF while maintaining quality. So, without any ado, let’s get started.

PDF is a document file format that may contain a large data set including text, images, charts, and links in a fixed layout. Due to the preservation of layout and cross-platform support, PDF files are also used to archive images as they are intended to maintain their quality.

GIF on the other hand is an image file format used for short animations. It is made up of a series of multiple frames that are repeated continuously to create movement. GIFs are a better way to draw the user’s attention to your information in a creative way.

Why Convert PDF to Animated GIF?

  • Extract Animation: If your PDF files contain animation elements, converting them to GIF allows you to preserve those animations efficiently and also allows you to use them separately on your website.
  • Share on Social Sites: GIFs are widely used on social media sites to convey emotions and reactions. Converting a section in a PDF to a GIF allows you to share selected content from the larger document file.
  • Reduce File Size: GIF basically has a smaller file size compared to other image and PDF formats which may contain a lot or graphics and images. So exporting a PDF to GIF animation file allows you to reduce the file size and make it easier to share via email or messaging app.
  • Presentation: A presentation that does not contain loop images may be incomplete and may not capture users’ attention properly. You can convert any important images from PDF to GIF and use them in your PPT files to accurately display and present your product.

These are some of the main reasons why you need to convert PDF to GIF animation. Now, let’s move on with the content and find the best ways to convert PDF documents to animated GIFs.

How to Export PDF to GIF?

You can convert PDF file to GIF in the following two ways:

  • With Adobe Photoshop
  • With a specialized tool

Using Photoshop, you need to follow a long process and need to put in a lot of time and effort. On the other hand, specialized software is completely automated and requires little intervention on your part.

We’ve detailed both methods in detail below. You can review them and decide which one is right for you.

Method 1) Convert PDF Content to GIF with Photoshop

  • First, launch Adobe Photoshop on your Windows or Mac.
  • Click File and then select Open to select PDF files.
  • Once you view PDF in Photoshop, you’ll need to select the content to convert into GIF.
  • Next, click File, go to Export and Save for Web.
  • In Save for Web options, select the GIF file format.
  • Specify the file name and location to save the output files, and finally click the Save

This is how to convert PDF to animated GIF in Photoshop. This method is somewhat prone to some downsides which we suggest you review below:

Limitation of the Manual Way

  • You should have at least basic knowledge of Photoshop.
  • Using this method, you can only convert one file at a time, which takes a long time.
  • You need to adjust the color mode and looping options yourself.
  • You also need to get a paid version of Photoshop to export PDF to GIF.

If you have large files that you want to convert all at once without using the Adobe application, consider the following method.

Method 2) An Expert Way to Convert PDF to GIF

4n6 Document Converter is the simplest and safest way to export your PDF to GIF animation files. Unlike Photoshop, it is a fully automated application and does not need to manually adjust multiple settings. This tool is also very time efficient and allows converting multiple PDF files into animated GIFs in a single process.
download-now

You can download and use this tool for free from the link above. You can also find and learn about all the working steps of this tool from below.

Detailed Guide to Convert Bulk PDF Files to GIF Animation

  • Start the PDF Converter for GIF and click the Open tab >> Document Files >> PDF.
    click open and select pdf
  • Browse PDF file/folders, select and import them into the application.
    import pdf files
  • Next, click the Export tab and then choose GIF from the drop-down menu.
    select gif saving option
  • Browse the location for your resulting files and then click the Save button to start the conversion.
    convert pdf to animated gif

That’s it! The tool clearly proves to be simple and effective compared to Photoshop when it comes to exporting PDF file content to GIF. It also has some very effective benefits that you can learn before finally deciding which exact method to use.

Read Key Benefits of the Specialized Software 

  • This software is completely standalone and does not require you to use Photoshop or Adobe Acrobat.
  • It is fully automatic and can automatically adjust settings and color modes when converting PDF content to GIF file.
  • It is a time-efficient tool and allows you to export PDF to GIF in bulk while maintaining quality.
  • This software is compatible with Windows and can convert PDF to animated GIF on Windows 11, 10 and below.
  • It allows you to save the resulting GIFs to your internal storage as well as your external hard drive.

In Conclusion

In the above text we discussed the two best ways to export PDF to GIF. We’ve explained how to use Adobe Photoshop and its specialized workaround to convert PDF to animated GIF. While Adobe lets you go through many of the technical steps and adjust some settings yourself, the tool is automated and works without much time and effort. You can discover all the working steps of both the above mentioned methods and decide to use the method which you find suitable for you.