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To export an animated GIF from After Effects, Adobe’s documented workflow is to render the composition as a QuickTime movie, open that movie in Photoshop, and export it as a GIF. If Adobe Media Encoder is installed and offers Animated GIF for your composition, you can also encode the GIF there.
Adobe’s documented After Effects to Photoshop workflow
- Render a QuickTime movie from After Effects. Select the composition and render or export it as a QuickTime movie. Adobe’s After Effects help describes this as the first step in creating an animated GIF: Basics of rendering and exporting in After Effects.
- Import the movie into Photoshop. Open the rendered QuickTime movie in Photoshop so its frames are available in a document.
- Save the document as a GIF. In Photoshop, choose File > Save As, select GIF as the format, and use the available save options. Photoshop supports saving a document containing one or more frames as an animated GIF: Save images in Photoshop.
- Check the exported file. Open the GIF in a browser or another viewer and confirm that it animates and that its dimensions and appearance suit its intended use.
Use Adobe Media Encoder as an alternative
Adobe Media Encoder lists Animated GIF as a supported export format and is used with After Effects. Send the composition to Media Encoder, choose Animated GIF as the format if it appears in your installed version, review the export settings, and encode. Adobe’s format reference lists Animated GIF as supporting Match Source: Supported file formats for export.
The exact availability and settings interface can vary by installed applications and version; Adobe’s documentation does not guarantee that every setup exposes the same path or controls. See Adobe’s Export Settings reference for the settings dialog and its parameters.
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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsWhich export route should you choose?
- Choose Photoshop to follow Adobe’s explicitly documented After Effects GIF workflow or to use Photoshop’s GIF save options.
- Choose Media Encoder if it is installed and offers Animated GIF for the queued composition.
Adobe documents both routes but does not establish that either produces universally better quality. Choose based on which workflow is available and the control you need, then check that the finished GIF meets the destination’s requirements.
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Settings that affect the result
Media Encoder’s export settings include parameters such as frame rate and resolution, and Animated GIF supports Match Source in Adobe’s format reference. Set these with the destination in mind: a website, presentation, or messaging service may have its own dimensions or file-size limits. Adobe’s cited documentation does not prescribe one ideal frame rate, resolution, color count, or file size for every GIF, so inspect the encoded result rather than assuming a universal preset will fit.
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