File format · Indexed image

.GIF — GIF

Palette-based format famous for simple animations; unsuitable for photographs.

.gif
File extension
Indexed image
Type
8-bit palette (256 colours)
Bit depth
1987
Introduced
R/W
ExifTool support (R/W/C)

What is a .gif file?#

Palette-based format famous for simple animations; unsuitable for photographs.

Advantages#

  • Animation everywhere

Drawbacks#

  • 256 colours

How to open and convert it#

Open: any modern image viewer or editor. Convert: Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo, ImageMagick (magick input.gif output.jpg) or online converters.

Read metadata: exiftool file.gif — see the EXIF tag reference.

Best for: Simple animations.

Other formats#

.avi.avif.bpg.btf.cos.dcp.dv.dvb.dvr-ms.eip.exif.exv.fits.flif.flv.fpf.fpx.glv.hdr.insp.insv.iso.jxl.kvar

Frequently asked questions#

What opens .gif files?

Open: any modern image viewer or editor. Convert: Photoshop, GIMP, Affinity Photo, ImageMagick (magick input.gif output.jpg) or online converters.

Is .gif a RAW file?

No — it is a indexed image format.

Last updated October 03, 2026 · How we calculate · Sources