Question: What is an Animated GIF?
We see animated GIFs all the time (no, really, even with Flash and PNGs, we do). But what are they, exactly?
Answer: GIF stands for Graphics Interchange Format. The file format was originally created by Compuserve. GIFs were an easy way to present image data for slower connections (such as dial-up) because they limited file size via compression and fixed color palettes. Animated GIFs, though, store information for multiple images and present them in sequence to create the (sometimes jerky, grainy) illusion of animation.
