H O W T O E D I T G I F S

to start, open up your gif in photoshop.

then go to select > select all layers to make a group of all the layers that make up the gif. this isn't entirely necessary, but it helps to consolidate and simplify the document a lot.

now, add in any psd colorings, doodles/brushes, text etc.

and now comes the "fun" (it's actually a total pain lmao) part!

go to window > timeline and this should appear:

(note: if your timeline looks different than the one pictured above, then try clicking the icon in the bottom left of the timeline window. it should switch it to the view above.)

if it's not already set to 0 sec. change the delay between each frame to no delay, as shown above. this will give the gif a more natural, smooth animation.

now, making sure that the delay time is 0 seconds, click on the new frame button. it's the icon besides the trash can along the bottom row of icons and looks like a piece of paper or a post-it or something.

now, in the layers panel, change layer 2 inside the gif group so that it is visible (by clicking on the eye icon to the left of it).

essentially, each layer in your group is a single frame in the gif. each frame in the timeline at the bottom should be different, each one containing a single stage of the gif.

now continue adding new frames, making the next layer visible upon the addition of each new frame. for example, in frame 3, layer 3 and all layers beneath it should be visible (have the eye icon to the left of them). and in frame 4, layer 4 and all layers beneath it should be visible.

at the end of this (long and annoying af) process, your timeline and layers should look something like this:

be sure to change the number of times that the gif loops from once to forever so that it keeps replaying and replaying.

you can click the play button in the timeline panel to view your gif from start to finish, if you'd like to preview it!

and now it's time to save your gif! go to file > save for web (legacy) and change the settings so they are like the ones shown below:

it's important to note that wattpad only allows you to upload gifs that are 3MB or less in file size.

and here is the final product!

and for inspiration, here are some other gifs that i've made!