What happens when you convert EPS to GIF
- The EPS is read by Ghostscript, the standard open-source PostScript interpreter, and the artwork is drawn by MuPDF at 300 dpi, cropped to its bounding box, then saved as a GIF file by ImageMagick, on our conversion server.
- The page is drawn on a white background, so the GIF has no transparency. At 300 dpi, artwork 10 cm wide becomes about 1,180 pixels wide, and the longest side is capped at 6,000 pixels.
- GIF allows 256 colours, so flat artwork converts cleanly while gradients pick up some banding.
- PostScript is a programming language, so Ghostscript runs it in its safe mode, where the file cannot read or write anything else on the server.
- This conversion runs on our server: the file is uploaded, converted, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result has been sent back to you. Nothing is kept. Files up to 25 MB are accepted.
How to convert EPS to GIF online
- Press "Choose EPS files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. Files up to 25 MB each can be converted.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to GIF". The file is uploaded to our conversion server, converted in a few seconds, and deleted together with the result as soon as the result is sent back.
- Save each GIF with its download button. Our server has already deleted both your EPS and the GIF by then.
Why convert EPS to GIF?
EPS files usually come from logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics. People convert them to GIF to share, print or place the picture anywhere: GIF opens on every phone and computer, with no special program needed.
How to convert EPS to GIF on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your EPS files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each GIF is saved to your Downloads folder. Paint can also re-save an image as GIF with Save as, provided Windows can open the EPS in the first place.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the EPS files from Finder onto the drop zone and the GIF files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose EPS files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted GIF appears in Files, in the Downloads folder; to put it in your photo library, open it there, tap Share and choose Save Image.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose EPS files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The GIF is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for EPS to GIF
There are no settings: the artwork is rendered at 300 dpi, cropped to its bounding box, with the longest side capped at 6,000 pixels.
For a result that stays sharp at any size, convert to PDF instead, which keeps the vectors.
EPS vs GIF: the differences
| EPS | GIF | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Encapsulated PostScript | Graphics Interchange Format |
| Type | image | image |
| Created by | Adobe | CompuServe |
| First released | 1987 | 1987 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| Transparency | No | Yes |
| Animation | No | Yes |
| Vector or raster | Vector | Raster |
| Colour | vector drawing, which can also hold raster images | 256 colours per frame from a palette |
| In a browser | does not open in browsers; Illustrator, Inkscape and Affinity Designer open it, and macOS Preview converts it to PDF | opens and animates in every browser |
| Common uses | logos and artwork for print, and stock vector graphics | short looping animations, reactions and simple graphics |
| MIME type | application/postscript | image/gif |
About EPS and GIF files
What is an EPS file?
An EPS is a small PostScript program that draws one page of artwork, with a bounding box so it can be placed inside other documents. Printers and designers still ask for it, but it is gradually being replaced by PDF and SVG.
What is a GIF file?
GIF stores each frame with a palette of at most 256 colours, so photos turn grainy and animations get large fast. Transparency is on or off per pixel, with no soft edges.
EPS to GIF not working? Common problems
- "Files up to 25 MB can be converted." Server conversions have a size limit. Compress the images inside the file, or split it, and try again.
- "The conversion took too long and was stopped." Very long or complex files can pass the 90 second limit. Split the file and convert the parts.
- The EPS will not convert. It may be damaged, or try to do something the converter blocks for safety, such as reading other files.
Convert EPS to GIF from the command line
Ghostscript and ImageMagick do the same on your own computer:
gs -dSAFER -dBATCH -dNOPAUSE -sDEVICE=png16m -r300 -dEPSCrop -sOutputFile=art.png input.eps
magick art.png output.gifConverting on your own computer keeps the file entirely local, which is worth it for very large or very sensitive documents. For everything else, the converter on this page does it without installing anything.
EPS to GIF converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting EPS to GIF?
The artwork is rendered to pixels at 300 dpi, which is sharp for print at the artwork's own size. GIF's 256 colours can band gradients.
Why is the GIF a different size from the EPS?
The GIF stores every pixel, while the EPS stores drawing instructions, so the GIF is usually larger for detailed artwork and can be smaller for simple ones.
Are my EPS files uploaded?
Yes, for this conversion. A faithful EPS to GIF conversion needs Ghostscript, MuPDF and ImageMagick, three open-source tools, which cannot run in a browser. The file travels over an encrypted connection, is converted in a private temporary folder, and is deleted together with the GIF as soon as the result has been sent back to you. We do not keep, read or share it.
Can I convert several EPS files to GIF at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open a GIF file?
GIF opens and animates in every browser. GIF is common for short looping animations, reactions and simple graphics.
Is this EPS to GIF converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up and no watermark. Because this conversion uses our server, there is a fair-use limit of 25 MB per file and a number of files per hour, which stops the service being overloaded.
Can I convert EPS to GIF on my phone?
Yes. It works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. The conversion happens on our server, so it is as fast on a phone as on a computer; the GIF is saved to your Downloads folder.