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2024-05-15

Animated Slack Emojis: How to Create GIF Reactions That Stand Out

Static emojis are great, but animated GIFs take your Slack reactions to the next level. They catch attention, convey complex emotions, and add personality to your workplace communication. Here's a quick guide to creating and using animated Slack emojis.

Why Use Animated Emojis?

  • Express more complex emotions than static images allow
  • Catch attention in busy channels
  • Make your reactions unique and memorable
  • Show off your creativity to teammates

Size and Format Requirements

For the best results with animated Slack emojis:

  • File size limit: Under 128KB (Slack's limit)
  • Dimensions: Square format (128x128 pixels recommended)
  • Format: GIF
  • Frame rate: 10-15 FPS works well for most animations
  • Length: 1-3 seconds (shorter is better for file size)

3 Ways to Create Animated Slack Emojis

1. Convert Existing GIFs

The easiest approach is to convert existing GIFs:

  1. Find a GIF you like on sites like Giphy or Tenor
  2. Crop it to focus on the important part
  3. Resize it to a square format (128x128 pixels)
  4. Optimize it to reduce file size

Tools: EZGIF.com or Gifski work great for this purpose.

2. Create From Video Clips

Turn memorable movie scenes or video clips into reactions:

  1. Find a short video clip (1-3 seconds)
  2. Convert it to GIF format
  3. Crop to focus on the reaction
  4. Optimize and resize

Tools: Giphycapture (Mac) or ScreenToGif (Windows).

3. Make From Scratch

For the creative types:

  1. Use animation software to create a custom animation
  2. Export as GIF with appropriate settings
  3. Resize and optimize

Tools: Photoshop, Figma, or Procreate.

Quick Optimization Tips

Slack's 128KB file size limit can be challenging. Here are tips to reduce file size:

  • Reduce colors: Limit your color palette to essential colors
  • Crop tightly: Only include the essential parts of the animation
  • Lower frame rate: Reduce frames per second
  • Shorten duration: Keep animations brief
  • Reduce dimensions: Make the GIF smaller if needed

Popular Animated Emoji Ideas

  • Dance moves from popular culture
  • Loading animations (spinning, bouncing)
  • Reaction faces (surprise, celebration, confusion)
  • Meme animations that your team loves
  • Custom character animations featuring your company mascot

Conclusion

Animated emojis add a dynamic element to your Slack workspace. While they require a bit more effort than static emojis, the engagement and personality they bring to your team communication is well worth it.

Ready to create your own animated Slack emojis? Try our emoji creator tool to make the process simple and fun!