How to make a GIF of your screen in Chrome
Record your screen in Chrome and export a crisp, small animated GIF for docs, READMEs, pull requests and chat, with zooms that show what changed.
Published · 2 min read
GIFs are still the easiest way to show a UI change where video doesn’t play well: a README, a pull request, a help article or a chat thread. They autoplay, loop and need no player. They are also easy to get wrong: too big, too blurry, too long. Here is how to make a good one from a screen recording in Chrome.
What makes a good screen GIF
- Short: 3 to 10 seconds. A GIF has no seek bar.
- Focused: show one change. Zoom in so the important part fills the frame.
- Small: the GIF format stores every frame with a limited palette, so size grows quickly with width, length and frame rate.
Step by step with Lensprout
- Record the moment. Start a recording, do the one thing you want to show, and stop. Automatic zoom moves in on your clicks and typing. See the recording guide for details.
- Trim tightly. In the editor, trim the start and end. Use Smart trim to cut pauses and speed up idle stretches.
- Pick a simple style. Solid or gentle gradient backgrounds compress better than photos.
- Export as GIF. In the export dialog, choose GIF, then:
- Width: 480, 720 or 960 px. 720 px is a good default for docs; 480 px for chat.
- Frame rate: 10, 15 or 20 frames per second. 15 is smooth enough for UI.
- Loop: on for most uses.
- Download. The GIF renders on your computer with the same renderer as the preview, so zooms, the 3D stage and the webcam look the same as in the editor.
Keeping the file small
| Change | Effect on size |
|---|---|
| 960 px to 720 px wide | Roughly halves the pixels per frame |
| 20 fps to 15 fps | A quarter fewer frames |
| 12 s to 6 s | Half the frames |
| Photo background to flat color | Fewer colors to dither |
If the GIF is still large, consider an MP4 instead. Most docs tools and chat apps play short MP4s inline, and they are far smaller for the same length.
GIF or MP4?
- GIF: README files, places that strip video, quick loops without sound.
- MP4: anything longer than about 15 seconds, anything with narration, and social posts.
Lensprout exports both from the same project, so you can make one of each. For phone-friendly videos, see how to make a vertical 9:16 video.