ScreenToGif – Best GIF Editor for Windows
As a writer, I often have to create andedit GIFsfor my tutorial articles. And ScreenToGif is my goto Windows app. It not only lets you record the content of your screen and save it in the GIF format, but you can also edit any existing GIF image – frame by frame, just like you do with Photoshop. Although, the app is easy-to-use, there are plenty of features which can become a bit daunting for the first time user. Fret not, here is a step-by-step guide on how to use Screen to Gif effectively. Let’s being.
To get started download theScreenToGiffrom this official website.
When you open the app for the first time, you’re greeted with four simple options;Recorder, Webcam, Board, and Editor. Let’s check them out one by one.
1. Recorder
As soon as you open it you get an option torecord. On clicking, you get a dialogue box with setting at the bottom right corner. What makes this unique is the ability to manually punch in the resolution of the window you’ve to capture. Alternatively, you can simply drag the window diagonally, as you do with anyscreen recording applications.
Often while recording we tend to capture the mouse when we hover over the stop or record controls but here you can simply press F7 to start the recording and F8 to stop it. You can also ascertain the number of frames it’ll capture ranging from 1 to 60. There is also a click and drag option which automatically snaps to the size of the window.
2. Webcam Recorder
Frankly, I don’t use Webcam anymore, I use Skype on my phone and most of my video calls are also made using the smartphone. I’m not sure when I’ll use the screen recorder but having that option in hand sure is a plus. Can you think of a use for this function? Do let me know in the comments section!
There are so many add-ons to the software, which I find very useful, one of them isBoard. Imagine you want to quickly write an idea or simply draw and capture. Board not only lets you do that but it also gives you the option to select from a color palette, adjust the height and width of the stoke and also use it as a highlighter.
Often, what happens is, when we capture, the subtle mistakes are also recorded, but in this case, we can restrict it to keystrokes. So it won’t record unless it detects a keystroke. It also has the same resolution adjustment as recorder and you’re able to further process it in the editor.
We talked about GIF editing in our previousarticleand alternatives on different platforms. This is a different feature altogether. It basically is a light version ofPaint. You can edit your GIF recording and use options from the toolbar.
Often while uploading GIFs, we tend to ignore the resolution resulting in huge file sizes and unproportionate frame. WithResizeyou can easily change the size of the image by selecting custom height and width ( Yes, you can keep the aspect ratio).
So even if you recorded in a different aspect ratio, you don’t have to worry. Although you can’t resize a single frame, this function is really helpful for me personally.
There isCrop and Rotate functionas well that lets you crop a certain part of the frame, again when you do it, it’ll reflect on all frames. You also have the option toFlipthe frames andRotate them vertically and horizontally.
I’ve used thecaptionfunction for long GIFs. It’s a very basic tools and lets you add a caption toindividual frames,unlike other features that apply to all.
You can customize the font, add style, select the size and change the outline for the text. Other text options include afree-floatingtext which can be dragged and placed anywhere in the frame.
Title Toolis another enhancement function which is unique to Screen to Gif. You can add a Title Frame with all the text configuration plus you can change the background color to make it distinct.
There is a possibility to add more than one title frame but when I used and played the entire timeline, it could only play one title frame and froze the others.
I often addbordersto my screenshots on Photoshop or within WordPress, but Screen to Gif not only lets me add border but also decide every border thickness individually.
There I an option to expand the GIF with the use of borders (applied to all frames) and also applying them individually in I set a positive number.
TheObfuscateitem also lets me natively blur a certain section of the frame I don’t want to show. All you have to do is select a Pixel size and apply. I haven’t used it already but I’m sure I will. you may also add awatermarkand upload custom images.
Let’s say you’re making an explanatory video and you want to show the keys you use during the recording.Keystrokelets you do exactly that. It adds a highlighted text at the bottom of the screen displaying all keys that you pressed. You can also Draw on the frame and add shapes and further change the style and color.
This is basically a roundup of all the major features that I think are worth mentioning. You can drag and drop images, videos, and projects to open and edit. You can also add transitions between the frames easily. It’s free of cost and you candownloada portable version that you can use anywhere.
Closing Words
There are options for a GIF recorder likeScreencastifywhich is fairly easy to use but it lets you export only five GIFs in the free version. ScreenToGIF, on the other hand, lets you do that any number of times in an easy way. It also has a very well developed editor which is lacking in Screencastify.
I can’t seem to use anything else to record my screen or make a GIF other than ScreenToGif. If a piece of software lets me function and execute things without any hassle, I don’t see the point of shifting until something completely distinct comes out which trumps all the features. In that case, I’ll be the first to accept and share it with you. Until then, tryScreen to GIFand comment if you like it!
Vaibhav is a broadcast journalist with a keen interest in tech. He doesn’t believe in fanboying a specific product. He writes about things he believes are actually helpful in some way to the user.
