Combining 2 gifs...(Newb question)

[Cocytus]

When I put two random gif images side by side to make a single image, one gif's colors becomes distorted and pixelated? I'm using the regular Paint and/or MS Photo Editor and the results are the same.

Do I need to do something special to make these gifs combine into one file without one getting screwed up?
Do I need a special graphics utility?

Thanks in Advance,
W

 

[igowerf]

In Photoshop, make sure to set the mode to RGB. GIFs used indexed color so there are only certain colors available. If you paste another gif into it, the second gif will be forced to use only the colors that are available in the first gif.

EDIT: Realized you didn't use Photoshop... Try saving both GIFs individually as bitmaps (bmp) first. Then open the bitmap files and try to combine those.

 

[Czar]

create a new image, and then copy both gifs into that one

 

[Cocytus]

I can make a combined BMP no problem. But the BMP file is huge and degrades terribley in compression.

I've tried pasting the 2 images in a new file...but it distorts both images.

This image is going to be the header on a website and needs to be a nice compact quality GIF or JPG.

Once again, starting with 2 gifs, how do I combine them to make a compact, quality, single Gif? Is it even possible with Paint or the MS Photo Editor, or do I need another graphics utility?

 

[Cocytus]

Lil help?

 

[rainypickles]

GIFs limitations is that it can only have 256 colors. JPGs do sharp lines poorly. with those limitations, the bmp file will compress horribly depending on what your image is. paint can save into gif and jpg, and i guess its just not doing a very good job.

 

[BrunoPuntzJones]

Heh, read it as "combining 2 girlfriends"

 

[stephbu]

LOL - oooh - ahhh - err quit whinging about my Xbox obsession...

Second thoughts - perhaps not - sorry OT

 

[Cocytus]

This can't be that difficult....anyone?

 

[TSDible]

I think you need something a bit more powerful than paint/photoeditor

Maybe a windows port of the GIMP would do the trick. I think that you have to install a separate gif plugin for it though.

http://www.gimp.org/

 

[Cocytus]

Wow...thank you.

And thanks Anandtech, as always.