Graphics Interchange Format 87a

Partly documented

image · also known as GIF (1987a)

The Graphics Interchange Format (GIF) is a raster image format developed by Compuserve, primarily for use on the internet. A GIF file begins with a Header section and a Logical Screen Descriptor section. This is followed by one or more Image sections, and the file is terminated by a Trailer. GIF supports bit depths between 1 and 8 bits (i.e. up to 256 colours) and supports features such as interlacing and transparency. Images are always stored using lossless LZW compression.

Identify it

Extensions	`.gif`
MIME types	`image/gif`
Signatures	`474946383761` at byte 0 (GIF 1987a)
PRONOM	`fmt/3`
Wikidata	`Q27526733`
Apple UTI	`com.compuserve.gif`

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Open it

AvogadroOpen sourcewrites · 3-clause BSD License
Bad PeggyOpen sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License, version 3.0
DendroscopeOpen sourcewrites · GNU General Public License, version 3.0
digiKamOpen sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later
GD Graphics LibraryOpen sourcewrites · BSD licenses
GDALOpen sourcereads and writes · MIT License
GifskiOpen sourcewrites · GNU Affero General Public License, version 3.0 or later
GIMPOpen sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License, version 3.0
ImageMagickOpen sourcereads and writes · ImageMagick License
Integrated Genome BrowserOpen sourcewrites · Common Public License
LibreOffice DrawOpen sourcereads and writes · Mozilla Public License, version 2.0
PhpThumbOpen sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License
PiskelOpen sourcereads and writes · Apache Software License 2.0
PLplotOpen sourcewrites · GNU Library General Public License, version 2.0 or later
Q108353872Open sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License, version 3.0
Q109684117Open sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License, version 2.0
Q138052002Open sourcereads and writes · MIT License
Q141647655Open sourcereads and writes · Apache Software License 2.0 / MIT License
Q141647665Open sourcewrites · Apache Software License 2.0 / MIT License
Q847465Open sourcereads and writes · GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1 or later
SynfigOpen sourcewrites · GNU General Public License, version 2.0
Tux PaintOpen sourcewrites · GNU General Public License, version 2.0 or later
XfigOpen sourcereads and writes · GNU General Public License / MIT License
AbydosOpen sourcereads · GNU Lesser General Public License
AndroidOpen sourcereads · Apache Software License 2.0 / GNU General Public License, version 2.0
CinePaintOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License, version 2.0
cjxlOpen sourcereads · 3-clause BSD License
Classic ColorsOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License, version 2.0
ConverseenOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License, version 3.0
CropToolOpen sourcereads · MIT License
DevILOpen sourcereads · GNU Lesser General Public License, version 2.1
ExifToolOpen sourcereads · Artistic License / GNU General Public License, version 1.0 or later
F-SpotOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License / MIT License
GQViewOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License, version 2.0
GyazoOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License
imageioOpen sourcereads · 2-clause BSD License
JHOVEOpen sourcereads · GNU Lesser General Public License
KolourPaintOpen sourcereads · BSD licenses
KPaintOpen sourcereads · BSD licenses
KuickShowOpen sourcereads · GNU General Public License, version 2.0

And 202 more in the JSON record.

Convert it

To	With	Fidelity	Command and losses
Portable Network Graphics	ImageMagick	Lossless	`convert in.gif out.png` Pixels kept; some metadata, colour profiles or layers may be dropped.
Tagged Image File Format	ImageMagick	Lossless	`convert in.gif out.tif` Pixels kept; some metadata, colour profiles or layers may be dropped.
JPEG File Interchange Format 1.02	ImageMagick	Lossy	`convert in.gif out.jpg` Lossy compression.
WebP	ImageMagick	Lossy	`convert in.gif out.webp` Lossy compression.

Documentation

kaitai grammar: https://github.com/kaitai-io/kaitai_struct_formats/blob/master/image/gif.ksy

Sources

From Kaitai Struct format gallery, PRONOM, Wikidata. Updated 2026-10-24.

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