EXR to GIF Converter

Encoding: the EXR uses none, RLE, ZIP, PIZ, PXR24, B44 or DWA, chosen per file; GIF uses lossless LZW over a palette of at most 256 colours, and the download is a GIF with an optimised palette of up to 256 colours per frame, dithered.

Bit depth: 16-bit half or 32-bit floating point per channel in the EXR; GIF allows 8 bits per pixel, as indexes into a palette, and the GIF written here has 8 bits per pixel (palette). Floating-point values are mapped to 8 bits per channel, and anything brighter than white clips.

Colour: scene-linear RGB, often ACEScg or linear Rec.709 in the EXR; GIF supports an indexed palette of up to 256 colours per frame, written here as an indexed palette of up to 256 colours.

Transparency: the EXR stores it as an A channel stored like any other channel; the GIF keeps it as on or off per pixel, so soft edges become hard.

Other images: the EXR can hold extra channels (depth, normals, render passes) and multiple parts; only the main image is converted.

Metadata: the EXR can carry named header attributes such as chromaticities, timecode and camera data; GIF can carry comment and application extension blocks, but no EXIF, but nothing is copied across.

OpenEXR is the high dynamic range format of film visual effects. It stores half or full floating-point channels in linear light, plus any extra render passes, and is the working format of compositing pipelines.

An EXR starts with the magic number 76 2F 31 01 and a version field, then a header of named, typed attributes (channels, compression, dataWindow, displayWindow) and a table of offsets to scanline or tile blocks.

EXR files usually come from 3D renderers and compositing in Nuke, Blender, Houdini, After Effects and DaVinci Resolve.

GIF is the classic animated image format. It is limited to 256 colours per frame and 1-bit transparency, so photos look grainy and files are large, but it plays everywhere.

A GIF starts with 'GIF89a' (or the older 87a), a logical screen descriptor and an optional global colour table, then image blocks, each preceded by a graphic control extension that sets its delay and transparent colour.

GIF is the better choice for short animations and reactions that must play everywhere, while EXR suits visual effects, compositing and 3D render output.

GIF strengths: Animation that works everywhere; Simple, universally supported; Good for small flat graphics. Drawbacks to weigh: Only 256 colours per frame; Hard-edged transparency only; Large files for photos or long clips.