Understanding the weight of a GIF for more efficient emails

GIFs and slowdowns: what is the problem?

You embed a GIF into an email, and then everything starts to fall apart. Load times are skyrocketing, the display is choppy, and your recipients may abandon before they even see your message. Are you wondering why?

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The culprit is often The weight of the GIF, or rather the Double weight that you did not take into account:

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1. The Disc weight — the raw size of the file.
2. The Memory weight — the resources needed to display it.

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These two concepts have distinct impacts, and understanding them is essential to master your GIFs.

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1. Disk weight: file size

The disk weight of a GIF corresponds to the space it takes up on a hard drive or server. In other words, it's what you're downloading. Several factors influence this size:

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• Resolution : an 800x800 px GIF will weigh much more than a 200x200 px one. Dimension size is a key factor.
• Color palette : GIFs are limited to 256 colors. However, the more nuances and details, the heavier the file.
• Animation : each frame added in the animation makes the file heavier. A static GIF is therefore much lighter than an animated GIF.
• Compression : GIFs use lossless compression. The more color areas or areas that are repeated in your visual, the more effective the compression will be.

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💡 To remember : optimize resolution, reduce unnecessary details, and limit animated images to reduce the disk weight of your GIFs.

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2. Memory weight: the resources required for the display

Memory weight is a less intuitive concept, but even more critical for your campaigns. This is the amount of RAM that a device needs to use to display a GIF.

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Why is it often greater than disk weight?

• When a GIF is displayed, it is unzipped in memory.
• Each animated image is converted to bitmap, a complete pixel array.
• The more frames there are in the animation, the more memory required explodes.

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Concrete example:

Let's take a 200x200 px GIF with 256 colors and 10 animated images:

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• Disc weight : 50 KB.
• Memory weight : 1.2 MB (120 KB per frame × 10 frames).

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This may seem trivial, but for emails that are massively viewed on mobile devices or with limited connections, it can make all the difference!

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3. What weight should you prioritize for your emails?

It is the memory weight that must be monitored. Why? Because it is he who has a direct impact on:

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• The fluidity of display on the devices of your recipients.
• Load times, especially on slow connections.
• Compatibility with older or less powerful devices.

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Too much memory weight can turn your beautiful GIF into a visual nightmare:

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• GIFs that are choppy or completely blocked.
• A degraded user experience, which can damage your brand image.

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4. How to calculate and reduce the memory weight of a GIF?

Here's how to do it:

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1. Calculate the total resolution : Multiply the width and height of the GIF (in pixels).
2. Multiply by the number of moving images : each image adds to the memory load.
3. Add bitmap conversion : each pixel becomes data in memory.

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Practical tools

Don't want to juggle calculations? Good news: specialized tools exist to automatically measure the memory weight of a GIF.

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5. Simplify your life with Signitic

With Signitic, you no longer need to break your head. This tool allows you to optimize your GIFs in a few clicks:

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• Upload your GIF in the platform.
• A gauge shows you The memory weight in real time.
• Easily adjust your settings (resolution, frame count, etc.) to get a GIF that's both smooth and lightweight.

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🎯 Why Choose Signitic?

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• You guarantee efficient emails, without compromising on quality.
• Your GIFs are displayed correctly on all devices, even the oldest ones.

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Conclusion: create GIFs that are a hit

To integrate GIFs into your emails without slowing down the user experience, it is essential to understand and optimize their disk and memory weight.

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✅ Optimize resolution and colors to reduce disk weight.
✅ Watch the memory weight to ensure a smooth display.
✅ Use tools like Signitic to simplify your designs.

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With these best practices, your marketing campaigns will be as powerful as they are effective.

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👉 Give it a try Signitic now and turn your GIFs into real marketing assets!

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