How to Colorize GIF: Three Simple Tools to Make Your GIFs Pop

September 25, 2025Lucas Hayes

GIFs are one of the most widely used online ways to share stories, reactions, or crazy fun clips, but let's be honest, sometimes they usually look a little dull or washed out. A little color can change that. Learning how to colorize GIF will not only make them colorful, but it's also about adding life, personality, and impact. This article will help you understand three easy techniques to quickly and easily make your GIFs appear better. Options range from using powerful and equipped desktop software like VidHex to edit using Photoshop, to using a quick fix via an online platform like Fotor in a matter of seconds. You will discover easy-to-use methods to make your GIFs truly pop. Whether you're using it for social media, content creation, or ongoing projects, these tools will help make your animations really stand out!

Colorize Gif

Part 1. How to Colorize GIF Using VidHex Video Enhancer

If you’re looking for an easy but powerful way to edit your GIFs, VidHex Video Enhancer is a simple place to start. Unlike traditional editing software, VidHex is designed to be simple for beginners while delivering professional results with just a few clicks. It can be used to change the brightness, contrast, saturation, and clear up detail, giving your GIFs better quality.

Key Features

• One-click video and GIF enhancement

• Advanced color correction tools to balance tones and improve vibrancy

• AI-powered upscaling to boost GIF resolution and clarity

• An interface that is easy to use for both novice and expert users

• Supports multiple file formats, including GIFs, MP4, MOV, and more

How to Colorize and Enhance GIFs with VidHex

Step 1.
Install VidHex on your desktop and open the software.
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Step 2.
Click the Add File (+) and upload the GIF you want to enhance. You can also choose a scene related to your video under Video Enhancer.
Add The File Gif
Step 3.
It will automatically appear the AI models that you can choose for your GIF. Now select the Color Enhancement Model, and VidHex will adjust the hue to achieve the vibrant colors you want. It is where the tool excels in GIF tutorial color correcting, allowing you to fine-tune tones easily.
Select Color Enhancement Model
Step 4.
Adjust the video output format for your GIF in the Gear icon and choose your Output Resolution.
Choose Format And Resolution
Step 5.
Check the changes in real-time preview, and once satisfied, click Export Full Video to process and save your newly colorized GIF in your preferred format.
Hit Export Full Video

With VidHex, you don’t need advanced editing knowledge. The AI does most of the heavy lifting. It makes it one of the fastest and most effective ways to bring your GIFs to life.

Part 2. How to Change GIF Color With Photoshop

One of the most well-known programs for editing photos and animations is Photoshop, and it also provides precise control when you want to GIF change color. Unlike automatic tools, Photoshop allows you to work frame by frame, enabling you to change DPI, tweak colors, tones, or effects exactly as you want them. However, it does require some editing knowledge and time, especially if your GIF has many frames.

Steps to Change GIF Color in Photoshop

Step 1.
Go to File and click Open and select your GIF. Photoshop will load the GIF as layers or frames.

Note: If your GIF isn’t already in timeline view, go to Window and select the Timeline to see the animation frames.

Step 2.
Use Hue/Saturation, Color Balance, or Selective Color adjustment layers. These allow you to shift colors, make tones more vibrant, or completely change the overall look.
Step 3.
To maintain consistency across frames, ensure that your adjustment layers are applied globally. You can also group layers to avoid color mismatches.
Step 4.
To view a preview of the updated GIF, you can click the Play button in the Timeline panel. Make adjustments until the new color scheme meets your needs.
Step 5.
Go to File again and select Export and click Save for Web (Legacy) and choose GIF format with your preferred settings.

Using Photoshop for making high-quality GIF is powerful but time-consuming. The biggest advantage is precision. You can change every little detail and achieve professional results. The downside is that it is not beginner-friendly. When you have large or long GIFs, they can be slow and resource-intensive. Other tools can deliver quicker results, but Photoshop remains the software of choice for professionals who want full control of the GIF change color process.

Part 3. How to Color GIF Online Using Fotor

If you're looking for a method to change or even dial up the color in your GIF that's quick and simple for beginners, Fotor's Video Color Correction online tool is a good choice. Fotor, unlike complex programs like Photoshop, is easy to use and allows for quick edits because it operates directly in your browser and requires no installation. It's ideal for users who simply wish to tone, brighten, or modify their animations without any additional hassle. It’s especially useful for coloring GIF projects when you need fast results.

Step 1.
Visit the Fotor Auto Video Color Correction Online tool. Click the Upload Video button and select the GIF file you want to edit. The tool will process and display it in the workspace.
Upload The Gif Video
Step 2.
Toggle on the Video Enhancer and Upscaler to instantly change color of GIF.
Turn On Enhancer And Upscaler
Step 3.
Check how your changes look in real-time before saving by clicking the Generate Preview or Full Video.
Preview The Gif Video
Step 4.
Once done, export your edited GIF by clicking the Download Preview or Full Video.
Download Gif Video

Fotor is a quick and convenient option for coloring GIF projects that would suit people who want a painless way to edit GIFs and don't want to deal with complicated editing software. However, Fotor has its limitations. Frame-for-frame editing options are not available, as Fotor does not function quite like Photoshop. Also, coloring isn't as precise as it could be. If your change color of GIF is casual, like for social media, the results could be fantastic. If you're looking for professional, detailed results, desktop software may be the way to go.

Part 4. FAQs about Colorize GIF

Can I change the color of only part of a GIF?

Yes, but this requires frame-by-frame editing, which is possible in Photoshop or professional video editing software. Most online tools only apply changes to the whole GIF.

What is the easiest tool for beginners to colorize GIFs?

For quick edits, Fotor Online is the easiest. For more advanced editing with precise control, Photoshop is the better choice. VidHex is best if you want AI-based enhancement and automation.

Which format should I save my colorized GIF in?

Save it as a GIF for animation compatibility, but you can also export it as MP4 or WEBP for smoother playback and smaller file sizes.

Conclusion

Adding life to your GIFs with color doesn't need to be difficult. You can use an AI-powered tool like VidHex to get a quick professional result. You could also use Photoshop, which allows for more precise editing. Or you want to get simple online changes done with a site like Fotor. Many of these methods are useful in their own ways. VidHex uses smart automation, which is useful. Photoshop allows you to have control, and Fotor is beneficial for convenience. With any of these approaches or even something like a GIF tutorial color correcting, you'll be able to add life to your animations that would have been dull. The most important thing is to determine your method based on your skill and purpose, so that your GIFs can stand out wherever you share them.

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VidHex is an AI-powered video enhancer that upscales, denoises, colorizes stabilizes, and improves video quality in 1 click.

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