Slack GIF Creator
A toolkit providing utilities and knowledge for creating animated GIFs optimized for Slack.
Slack Requirements
Dimensions:
- Emoji GIFs: 128x128 (recommended)
- Message GIFs: 480x480
Parameters:
- FPS: 10-30 (lower is smaller file size)
- Colors: 48-128 (fewer = smaller file size)
- Duration: Keep under 3 seconds for emoji GIFs
Core Workflow
from PIL import Image, ImageDraw
# 1. Create frames
frames = []
for i in range(12):
frame = Image.new('RGB', (128, 128), (240, 248, 255))
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(frame)
# Draw your animation using PIL primitives
frames.append(frame)
# 2. Save as GIF
frames[0].save(
'output.gif',
save_all=True,
append_images=frames[1:],
duration=100, # ms per frame
loop=0
)Drawing Graphics
Drawing from Scratch
When drawing graphics from scratch, use PIL ImageDraw primitives:
from PIL import ImageDraw
draw = ImageDraw.Draw(frame)
# Circles/ovals
draw.ellipse([x1, y1, x2, y2], fill=(r, g, b), outline=(r, g, b), width=3)
# Stars, triangles, any polygon
points = [(x1, y1), (x2, y2), (x3, y3)]
draw.polygon(points, fill=(r, g, b), outline=(r, g, b), width=3)
# Lines
draw.line([(x1, y1), (x2, y2)], fill=(r, g, b), width=5)
# Rectangles
draw.rectangle([x1, y1, x2, y2], fill=(r, g, b), outline=(r, g, b), width=3)Animation Concepts
Shake/Vibrate
Offset object position with oscillation using math.sin() or math.cos() with frame index.
Pulse/Heartbeat
Scale object size rhythmically using math.sin(t * frequency * 2 * math.pi) for smooth pulse.
Bounce
Object falls and bounces - use easing functions for landing.
Spin/Rotate
Rotate object around center: image.rotate(angle, resample=Image.BICUBIC)
Fade In/Out
Create RGBA image, adjust alpha channel, or use Image.blend(image1, image2, alpha).
Slide
Move object from off-screen to position with easing.
Zoom
Scale and position for zoom effect - zoom in: scale from 0.1 to 2.0, crop center.
Explode/Particle Burst
Create particles radiating outward with random angles and velocities.
Optimization Strategies
- Fewer frames - Lower FPS (10 instead of 20) or shorter duration
- Fewer colors - Use 48 colors instead of 128
- Smaller dimensions - 128x128 instead of 480x480
- Remove duplicates - Skip identical frames
Dependencies
pip install pillow imageio numpy