GIF export
A GIF is the right format for docs, READMEs and pull requests. Recast exports one from the recording you already made.
One take, a GIF and an MP4
GIFs belong in pull requests, docs and chat where a video player is friction. Recast exports the same recording as GIF and as MP4, so you do not record twice.
Docs and README
A short GIF inline in a README explains a flow faster than three paragraphs and works on every renderer.
Pull requests
Reviewers see the change without leaving the diff. Short, looped, no audio track to argue about.
Chat and support
Slack and Teams autoplay GIFs inline. For anything longer than ten seconds, send the MP4 preset instead.
Making a GIF that does not look broken
GIF is a 1987 format with a 256-colour palette. Most bad GIFs are bad because nobody adjusted for that.
- Keep it short. Five to eight seconds. A GIF is a loop, not a video.
- Cut to the change. Use the timeline to delete everything before the first click.
- Mind the palette. Large flat UI areas compress well; photographic backgrounds band badly at low colour counts.
- Ship the MP4 too. The GIF goes in the doc, the MP4 goes in the message.
FAQ
Does GIF export cost extra?
No. GIF is part of the same one-time licence, with no per-export fee and no watermark.
Is there a length limit?
No hard limit, but a GIF longer than about fifteen seconds gets large fast. Trim on the timeline first.
Record it once, on Windows.
Install, record two minutes, export. If it does not look better than what you send today, uninstall it.
Download for Windows