A GIF animation is an animation created in a GIF file format. One of the main advantages of using a GIF animation in a banner design is that GIF is one of the most widely used file formats supported by Web publishers. Since the design costs for rich media banners can be prohibitive, GIF animation is often the best cost-effective solution for small businesses. To keep your animated GIF banners looking their best across all monitors and platforms, always design them within the 256-color palette. Utilizing the smallest web-safe color palette possible in your animated GIF banners will allow you to use more creative special effects in your animation.
Most Web publishers have strict looping specifications.
Before creating your animated GIF banner, always ask for looping specifications. Many end users will stop a web page from loading before the banner animation has loaded, leaving only the first frame. Thus, it might be a good idea to have your message come across in your first frame if you know that the web page you are advertising on has a long download time. Style and flashiness do not mask lack of substance. Whether your banner is designed using GIF animation or rich media, the main goal of a banner should always be rich information.