The order of the levers
- Scale first — pixel count is the biggest byte driver
- Colors second — flat art survives 64 colors; gradients need 128+
- Frame skip last — it changes motion feel, so spend it carefully
Settings by content type
- Flat-color graphics / logos: 100% scale · 128 colors · no skip
- Screenshots & UI recordings: 75% · 64 colors · skip 2
- Camera / photographic: 50% · 32 colors · skip 2 (or convert to video)
- Text-heavy tutorials: 90% · 128 colors · no skip (text needs pixels)
Verifying the result
Watch the preview loop twice — once for artifacts (banding, dither noise), once for motion (judder from skipped frames). The tool shows old vs new size; a 60–80% cut is typical and usually invisible.
What compression cannot fix
A GIF that is long, full-HD and photographic will never compress well — ten seconds of camera footage at 1080p is inherently video. Cut the clip, reduce the resolution at the source, or switch format.
Frequently Asked Questions
How much smaller can a GIF get?
Typically 60–90% for screen recordings and camera clips; flat graphics with animation already sized sensibly may only drop 30–50%.
Is compressing a GIF reversible?
No — dropped colors and pixels are gone. Keep the original file; the tools never modify your source.
Why did colors band after compression?
Too few colors for a gradient-heavy image. Re-run at 128 or 256 colors; dithering is disabled by default to keep files small.