How to Create Back-and-Forth GIFs? Here are 3 Easy Method You Should Try

Last Updated on September 15, 2023 by Peter Wood


Creating back-and-forth GIFs can be a useful technique for certain types of animations, as it allows for a looping effect that appears to go back and forth between two different frames. What are the best methods to make a reverse GIF animation? Here are 3 easy and workable methods to apply the desired files with a sense of repetition and continuity.

Create Back-and-Forth GIFs

Part 1: The Easy Method to Create Back-and-Forth GIFs

If you want to create back-and-forth GIFs with optimal quality, WidsMob GIF is a multi-functional GIF maker and editor that enables you to reverse the GIF animation from photos, videos, and animated files. It enables you to arrange the order of photo frames, reverse the videos/animated files, and more. There are multiple editing features to edit the frames, adjust HSL parameters, and even add stickers/text files.

1. Create back-and-forth GIFs from photos, videos, and animated files.

2. Adjust the brightness, contrast, saturation, duration, and other settings.

3. Set up the looping count and apply the reverse GIF animation effect.

4. Resize GIF animations and tweak compression levels for high quality.

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Step 1: Download and install WidsMob GIF. Launch the program and click the GIF Editor button to select the GIF animation that needs to add a back-and-forth effect. It enables you to import animated GIF, WebP, AVIF, APNG, and other file formats.

Choose Photo to GIF

Step 2: In the preview area of the GIF animation, drag the selection boxes at both ends to determine the playback segment of the GIF animation. Moreover, you can also go to the GIF Adjustment menu and you can adjust the sliders of saturation, contrast, and brightness.

WidsMob Brightness GIF

Step 3: Head to the GIF Settings button and select the Reverse button in the Sequence menu to add a back-and-forth effect to the animated GIF. It enables you to loop the animation with the number of the Loop Count menu and other settings for the animated file.

WidsMob Reverse GIF

Step 4: When you need to export the high-quality back-and-forth GIF, you can select the 50FPS as the Frame Rate menu. Just adjust the slider of the video quality or animated file quality. After that, you can click the Export GIF button to save the back-and-forth GIFs.

WidsMob Export Reverse GIF

Note: If you need to create a back-and-forth animated GIF from the photos, you can drag-n-drop the frames to make a back-and-forth GIF. As for the video files, you can also use the same method as animated GIFs.

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Part 2: How to Make a Small Reverse GIF Animation

Onlinegiftools is a web-based GIF maker, which allows you to create, edit, and convert GIF images online. It provides multiple editing features for the GIF files, including boomerang GIF, removing GIF background, adding a timer for a GIF, and making a back-and-forth animated GIF.

Step 1: Go to https://onlinegiftools.com/ in your web browser. Click the Reverse a GIF Animation button to enter the feature area for adding back and forth to GIFs. Preview the original forward-running GIF animation and the backward-running GIF animation.

Step 2: Click the Import from file button in the GIF area to select the GIF file in the pop-up dialog box. Once the GIF animation is uploaded, it will apply the reverse effect to the file automatically. This online utility lets you reverse the order of all frames in a GIF animation.

Step 3: Make sure you are satisfied with the animated GIF. Click the Save as button to save the GIF animation. After that, click the Download button to save the back-and-forth animated GIF to your computer, or use the Export to Pastebin button to share them directly.

Onlinegiftools Save GIF Win Download Mac Download

Part 3: How to Create Back-and-Forth GIFs with Photoshop

Photoshop is another method to edit GIF animations, which enables you to create back-and-forth GIFs using the timeline panel. You can also loop the animation, set up duration, and more. But you have to render the video and re-edit the animated file. It should be difficult to manage the effects or edit the video within Photoshop.

Step 1: Open Photoshop on your computer and click the File button. Select the Open button from the drop-down menu. Select the GIF animation or video that needs to add a back-and-forth effect. Moreover, you can simply drag-n-drop the desired file into the program.

Import Video to Photoshop

Step 2: Go to the Timeline panel in the Windows menu. Select the desired animation part you want to trim via the Scissors icon. When you need to loop the animation, click the Gear icon to check the Loop Playback option. Make more adjustments before saving.

Cut Out Desired Part Photoshop

Step 3: Click the File menu and choose the Export button. After that, you can rename the video, adjust the video codec, choose the preset, adjust the file size, and more. After that, you can click the Render button to save the video before applying the reverse effect.

Save the Trimmed Video Photoshop

Step 4: Go to the File menu and click the Import button. Choose the Video Frame to Layers option to select the video you have exported. Select the From Beginning To End button and make sure the Make Frame Animation option is checked before clicking the OK button.

Import Clipped Video Photoshop

Step 5: Click the Select All Frame button from the 3-line icon at the right corner of the timeline. After that, you can click the icon again and choose the Reverse Frames button. Click the File button and choose the Export button to save the back-and-forth GIF.

Export as GIF Photoshop Win Download Mac Download

Conclusion

Back-and-forth GIFs can be used to showcase motion, such as the movement of a wave or the swaying of a tree. If you want to apply reverse effect to GIFs, here are the 3 easy methods you should know. When you need to make a high-quality animated GIF with the reverse effect, WidsMob GIF is the desired choice you should choose.