Converting a PDF to an Animated GIF

Converting a PDF to an animated GIF is a two-step process that you can complete using both free and paid software. This is a cool way to view the PDF document--the pages progress automatically. You can also embed this GIF right into a web page instead of having to provide a separate link to the PDF file.

Here is the process of converting a PDF to an animated GIF in a nutshell (three simple steps) :

1. Open each PDF page in your document in an image editing program like Adobe Photoshop or GIMP. Save each page of the PDF as a GIF image file. You can also use a PDF to image converter like the one offered by Black Ice Software to create your GIF files. Save all of your converted GIF images to the same folder for quick reference. Name each file according to its order in the PDF file (for instance, page1.gif, page2.gif and page3.gif).

2. Upload each individual GIF file to an online animated GIF creator like Gickr, GifNinja or Imator. These simple and free online tools allow you to compile the animated GIF for free-you decide the order. You can also set the size of the GIF, change the speed, and morph one page into another with some online generators.

3. Choose the option to generate the animated GIF using the online tool of your choice. It will produce a file with a .GIF extension in a new window. View the animation to ensure that your PDF pages display correctly. Go back and start over to adjust the animation if necessary. Right-click the animation and select "Save Image As" to save it to your computer.

Tip: Keep in mind that some online GIF generators may limit the number of pages you can add to your animation (usually about five to ten pages are allowed) . If you have a very long PDF file with multiple pages you may have to purchase paid software, like Adobe Flash (free trial available) or Corel Animation Shop to complete the process of converting a PDF file into an animated GIF.