GIF REDUCTION - GIF COMPRESSION - GIF ANIMATION Which PROGRAM should I get to REDUCE COLORS at 256 or LESS ? Which PROGRAM should I get to SQUEEZE my ANIMATIONS FILESIZE ? Which PROGRAM could give me the BEST QUALITY ? by olala - last revision december 1998 GIF COLOR REDUCTION - HVS COLOR GIF 2.008 plug-in Filter Digital Frontiers - IMAGEVICE plug-in Filter 1.1 BoxTop Software - PHOTOGIF 1.0 plug-in Filter BoxTop Software - PHOTOSHOP Gif89a plug-in Filter Adobe GIF COLOR REDUCTION and GIF ANIMATION COMPRESSION - ANIMAGIC 1.06b RTL Software - GIF CONSTRUCTION SET 1.0 Alchemy Mindworks - DEBABELIZER PRO 4.5 Equilibrium - GIFMATION 2.2 BoxTop Software - GIF MOVIEGEAR 2.62 Gamani Productions - ULEAD GIF ANIMATOR 3 Ulead Systems - WWW GIFANIMATOR 1.1 Wasinger PROGRAMS TESTING : SAMPLE 1 : we asked all these softwares to reduce a picture at 70KB                    we examine the quality SAMPLE 2 : we asked all these softwares to reduce a picture at 128 colors                    we examine the quality and the filesize purpose here is only GIF reduction for gif animation, we don't care about jpeg quality.

SAMPLE 1	Click on the orange button to reload all sample1 graphics ( 102 Kb ) Click any software product to read everything you need to know about it Click on Image Source to see the none-reduced reference picture we asked all these softwares to reduce this picture at 70KB in 3 dithering modes we just show a detail here in order to load this test quickly if a picture is missing, it means the software was not able to do it
Image Source . . TROUBLE . . RELOAD SAMPLE 1
QUALITY SAMPLE 1		8	6	23	16	30	10	14	20	10	25	6
SAMPLE 2	Click on the orange button to load all the sample2 graphics ( 150 Kb ) we asked all these softwares to reduce this picture at 128 colors
SAMPLE 2
QUALITY SAMPLE 2		0	5	2	4	10	7	6	3	9	11	1
Powerfull Powerless Software   ( see the descriptions )		-6	-3	+2	-5	+3	-2	+2	+3	-2	+2	-6
TOTAL		2	8	27	15	43	15	22	26	17	39	1
CONCLUSION		Even if the reduction quality is depending a lot on the original picture, these cotations give you a good idea about all these softwares . Don't forget there are 2 kinds of softwares : The BEST to REDUCE COLORS AND OPTIMIZE ANIMATIONS : ULEAD GIF ANIMATOR 3.0 ( 39 points ) The BEST to REDUCE COLORS : HVS COLOR GIF from Digital Frontiers (43 points) The BEST to COMPOSE ANIMATIONS EASILY : GIF MOVIE GEAR from Gamani Productions (22 points)

ANIMAGIC 1.06b created 1997 RTL Software $29 http://www.rtlsoft.com/animagic

-function : -install : -optimize : -transform : -effect : -format : -speed : -weak point : -good :

color reduction and compressing gif animation crash on personalized installation palette reduction frames compression (shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation) crop, flip, rotate fade in/out, banner_scroll, wipe, blind gif, jpg, bmp, pcx read large gif file 26s/1Mo can't import AVI files no dithering mode reduction first reducing of 24-bit frames is always in 256 colors no palette reduction previewing very slow reading and reducing of large files palette editing, load and store palette optimize, unoptimize animation by shrinking frames

GIF CONSTRUCTION SET 1.0 created 12-1996 Alchemy Mindworks $20 http://www.mindworkshop.com

-function : -install : -optimize : -transform : -effect : -format : -speed : -weak point : -good :

color reduction and compressing gif animation clean supercompress (= unused palette colors are deleted) wide palette (= can store one picture in multi-frames = multi-palettes) frame compression (shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation) resize, crop, rotate, flip custom animated banner text with shadows split, raster, sandstorm, tile, wipe led sign text gif, tga, jpg, avi, bmp, ani, pcx, png read large gif file 22s/1Mo nothing is real-time interactive palette is always fixed when reducing 24-bits frames palette colors calculation is not correct especially in non-dithering mode when reducing, can't enter a specific number of colors instead of bit-level not clear interface (although a gif animation wizard is present) no variable amount of dithering banner text, effects and transitions

DEBABELIZER PRO 4.5 created 1998 Equilibrium 400$ http://www.equilibrium.com/

-function : -install : -optimize : -transform : -effect : -format : -speed : -weak point : -excellent :

multi-frames color reduction and compressing gif animation (new in 4.5 version) clean install, uninstall color reduction ->large choice and options in palette and superpalette pro ->superpalette is the best common-palette for a group of frames frames compression (shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation) resize pro, trim pro, rotate pro, flip Swap and shift channels Adjust DPI Resolution Intensity, contrast, gamma, hue, saturation, brightness controls with preview lot of filtering & imports plug-ins can be connected all read large gif file 22s/1Mo no interactive reduction previewing no final filesize information a real pro automated and customizable software batch process, scripts, superpalette, plug-ins, wizards multi-algorythm color reduction reduction threshold variable amount of dithering Mac and Windows real-time palette calculation for movie is beautiful Merge, Equalize, sort palettes

GIFMATION 2.2 created 11-1997 BoxTop Software $49 http://www.boxtopsoft.com
-function : -install : -optimize : -transform : -effect : -format : -speed : -weak point : -good :	color reduction gif animation clean install palette reduction resize, crop, flip, greyscale, invert flag, ripple gif, psd, jpg, avi, bmp, emf read large gif file 11s/1Mo don't shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation no palette reduction previewing complex understanding about global and local palettes variable amount of dithering

HVS COLOR GIF 2.008 plug-in Filter created 09/98 Digital Frontiers $50 http://www.digfrontiers.com/
-function : -install : -optimize : -format : -weak point : -excellent :	color reduction filter plug-in manual zip install interactive previewing color reduction and final filesize all supported it creates the largest filesize for an excellent quality full interactive final filesize and reduction previewing clear and intuitive interface variable amount of dithering MultiPalettes for multi-image color tables Thresholding color gamma correction unrivaled quality

IMAGEVICE 1.1 plug-in Filter created 04-1998 BoxTop Software $49.95 http://www.boxtopsoft.com

-function : -install : -optimize : -format : -weak point : -good :

color reduction filter plug-in you should move manually from "program files" to "photoshop plugin" this install process leads to a bad uninstalling palette reduction ( no previewing ) all excepted lossy compression formats such as JPEG undocumented, no previewing, incomprehensible buttons don't remember all last used settings works on selection ( specific reducing on sensible areas ) compression algorythm affected by sliders ( it allows very low filesizes )

GIF MOVIEGEAR 2.62 created 11-1998 Gamani Productions $30 http://www.gamani.com

-function : -install : -optimize : -transform : -effect : -format : -speed : -weak point : -excellent :

color reduction and compressing gif animation clean install interactive previewing color reduction and final filesize frames compression ( shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation ) resize, crop, rotate no gif, psd, jpg, avi, bmp, ani export avi, filmstrip, ani read large gif file 12s/1Mo when first reducing, can't enter a specific number of colors instead of bit-level no variable amount of dithering ( multi-reducing in both dithering and none-dithering is available) real-time interactive Zoom-able previewing clear and intuitive interface the best "optimize, unoptimize animation" by shrinking frames the more understanding "color palette merging" for multi-frames animation fast to read and reduce large gif animation the fastest to read and reduce large AVI

PHOTOGIF 1.0 plug-in Filter created 12-1997 BoxTop Software $69.95 http://www.boxtopsoft.com
-function : -install : -optimize : -format : -weak point : -excellent :	color reduction filter plug-in clean install interactive previewing color reduction and final filesize all supported inadequate colors appear when full dithering 24-bits frames with rainbow colors palette editing interactive Zoom-able previewing clear and intuitive interface variable amount of dithering

PHOTOSHOP plug-in Filter Gif89a Adobe http://www.adobe.com
-function : -install : -optimize : -format : -weak point : -good :	color reduction filter plug-in palette color reduction all supported nothing is real-time interactive no final filesize previewing no variable amount of dithering no palette editing a good compromise between fair quality and small filesize

ULEAD GIF ANIMATOR 3 created 12/1998 Ulead Systems $40 http://www.webutilities.com

-function : -install : -optimize : -transform : -effect : -format : -speed : -weak point : -good :

color reduction and compressing gif animation Unacceptable Overflowing installation it creates new directories and files in windows and windows/system if all softwares do the same, it's gone be a mess under windows color reduction (new engine with color channel preferences) frames compression ( shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation ) rotate, flip, resize, crop Adobe Photoshop and Ulead plug-ins can be connected automated scrolling sprites, banner text with shadows transitions effects ( blind, wipe, split, spiral) animated zoom, stretch, crop, colors, cube effects gate, diagonal, sweep, diamond, iris, mosaic, flap, turn, roll, slide, star wipe, gradient, mirror, charcoal, noise, wind BMP, EPS, AIFF, IMG, GIF, JPEG, MAC, MSP, PCD, PCX, PICT, PNG, PSD, TGA, TIFF Outputs gif, avi, QuickTime, AutoDesk FLC, exe read large gif file 7s/1Mo no real-time interactive reduction and final filesize previewing (only before saving the file) when creating global palette from the first picture, reducing is always in 256 colors final global palette optimizing is wrong when entering a specific number of colors no variable amount of dithering animation wizard and optimization wizard global palette editing stand-alone animations .exe for email or screen-savers the fastest to read large gif animations lot of effects and transitions

WWW GIFANIMATOR 1.1 created 04/97 Wasinger $20 http://stud1.tuwien.ac.at/~e8925005/

-function : -install : -optimize : -format : -transform : -effect : -speed : -weak point : -excellent :

color reduction and compressing gif animation clean palette reduction frame compression ( shrink frames to smallest needed rectangle for gif animation ) Gif, Jpg, Bmp, Dib, Tga, Ani, Cur, Ico, Avi resize blind, blur, blend, fade, flag, invert, move, page, pixelize, roll sphere, rotor, spiral, spot, tilt, wave, weave, zoom you can turn all these effects into transitions between 2 frames custom animated banner text with shadows read large gif file 28s/1Mo no dithering mode reduction no interactive palette reduction previewing no "color palette merging" options complex understanding about global and local palettes banner text and lot of effects and transitions

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