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How to Export and Download GIF Image Files From Figma Editor

Figma is a popular design and prototyping tool that allows users to create vector graphics, UI designs, diagrams, and more. One useful feature of Figma is the ability to export designs and assets as GIF files. GIFs can be great for sharing short animated previews or concepts.

Exporting Selections as GIFs

To export part of your Figma file as an animated GIF:

  1. Select the frames you want to export. This can be a group of frames from a prototype, page, or file that you want to animate.
  2. Open the export menu. Click on the “+” icon in the top toolbar and select “Export Selection”.
  3. Choose GIF format. In the export settings sidebar that appears, choose “GIF” as the file format.
  4. Set additional options. You can set the output scale, constraint, and playback settings for the GIF:
    • Scale controls the size and resolution of the exported file.
    • Constraint allows you to set standard frame sizes like 800×600.
    • Playback controls the speed and whether the GIF loops.
  5. Name the file and select a save location.
  6. Click the “Export” button to generate and download the GIF file.

The selected frames will be exported as an animated GIF to your computer.

Exporting Screens as GIFs

You can also quickly export entire screens from your Figma file as GIFs:

  1. Navigate to the screen you want to export in the Figma layers panel.
  2. Click the “…” icon in the top-right corner of the screen and choose “Export”.
  3. Select the GIF format in the export settings sidebar.
  4. Adjust options like scale, constraint, and playback as needed.
  5. Name the GIF file and choose a save location.
  6. Click “Export” to generate the animated GIF file.

This will instantly export the full screen as a self-contained GIF animation.

Exporting Prototypes as GIFs

If you want to export an entire click-through prototype from Figma as a GIF:

  1. Open the prototype tab and select the prototype you want to export.
  2. Click the “…” icon in the top-right corner and choose “Export”.
  3. Pick GIF format in the export settings sidebar.
  4. Set additional options like scale and playback speed.
  5. Name the GIF file and pick where to save it.
  6. Click “Export” to generate an animated GIF that shows the prototype playback.

This allows you to easily save and share a full prototype flow as an animated GIF file.

Optimizing GIF Exports

Here are some tips for optimizing your Figma GIF exports:

  • Lower the frame rate in the playback settings to reduce file size. 15-20 FPS is usually sufficient.
  • Limit very long animations to under 10 seconds. Shorter GIFs tend to have better quality.
  • Trim unnecessary frames from the beginning and end of prototypes.
  • Use a constraint to export standard web sizes like 800×600 pixels rather than large canvas sizes.
  • Lower the export scale if you only need a lower resolution GIF.

Sharing and Embedding Figma GIFs

Once exported, Figma GIF files can easily be shared online or embedded into sites:

  • Upload GIFs to project management tools like Trello and Jira to show animated previews.
  • Share GIFs on Dribbble, Twitter, Slack, or other social platforms.
  • Embed smaller GIFs directly into website pages or blogs to showcase animations.
  • Attach animated GIFs to email messages to share with team members or clients.

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