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Why Won’t Photoshop Export My GIF?

Last updated on March 19, 2023 @ 10:47 am

Have you ever tried to export a GIF in Photoshop, only to be frustrated by an error message? There are a few reasons why this might happen, and thankfully, there are also a few solutions. Here’s a look at why Photoshop might not be exporting your GIF, and what you can do about it.

One common reason for this error is that the file you’re trying to export is too large. When exporting a GIF, Photoshop imposes a file size limit of 2MB. If your file is larger than this, you’ll need to reduce its size before you can export it.

To check the file size of your image, go to File > Image Size. If the File Size field shows a number larger than 2MB, you’ll need to resize your image.

To do this, go to Image > Image Size and enter new dimensions for your image. Be sure to uncheck the Resample Image checkbox so that you don’t lose any quality.

Another common reason for this error is that the image you’re trying to export contains too many colors. When exporting a GIF, Photoshop imposes a color limit of 256 colors. If your image has more than 256 colors, you’ll need to reduce the number of colors before you can export it.

To check the number of colors in your image, go to Edit > Convert to Profile. In the resulting dialog box, check the Destination Space field. If it shows anything other than RGB or Indexed Color, your image has more than 256 colors and needs to be reduced.

To reduce the number of colors in an image:

  1. Go to Image > Mode > Indexed Color.

  2. In the resulting dialog box, choose Local (Adaptive) from the Palette drop-down menu.

  3. (Optional) To further reduce the number of colors in your image, enter a lower value in the Colors field. The maximum number of colors you can have in an indexed color image is 256.

If you’re still having trouble exporting your GIF after following these steps, try saving it as a PNG instead.

PNG files don’t have the same file size or color limitations as GIFs, so they’re often a better choice for web graphics. There are a few reasons why Photoshop might not export your GIF, but fortunately, there are also some easy solutions. By reducing the file size and/or the number of colors in your image, you should be able to export your GIF without any trouble.

Why Won’t Photoshop Export My GIF?

There are a few reasons why Photoshop might not export your GIF, but fortunately, there are also some easy solutions.

PRO TIP: If you are having trouble exporting your GIF from Photoshop, there are a few things you can check. First, make sure that the file format is set to GIF. Next, check the size of the file and make sure it is less than 2 MB. Finally, check the number of colors in the image and make sure it is less than 256.
Madison Geldart

Madison Geldart

Cloud infrastructure engineer and tech mess solver.