Drop a cap on that Loom.
Loom is great for long-form video, but README files and Slack emoji want gif. Download the Loom MP4, drop in gifcap, ship the gif.
- loom embeds work for some surfaces but not for github readme or slack emoji · downloading loom and re-encoding is a tax · most tools cap file size or run online with ads
gifcap. download your loom video as mp4 (loom dashboard → download). drop in gifcap. set the size cap. gifski encodes per-frame palettes. drop the gif into github / slack / discord.
| axis | online tools / loom export options | gifcap |
|---|---|---|
| reads loom mp4 directly | requires conversion | native mp4 input |
| encoder | default ffmpeg | ffmpeg + gifski |
| hard size cap | trial-and-error | binary search |
| trim long loom videos | no built-in trim | trim panel before encode |
| cost | free | free tier; pro $29 lifetime |
How gifcap solves this — in detail
Loom shines at long-form async video communication — onboarding videos, walkthroughs, async standups. The native Loom embed handles those well. But several common dev/marketing surfaces accept GIF specifically and reject everything else: GitHub READMEs, Slack custom emoji, X ad creative, Mailchimp email body. The Loom-to-GIF conversion is the bridge.
The workflow is two steps. Download the Loom video as MP4 from the Loom dashboard (share icon → download). Drop the MP4 into gifcap. Set the size cap appropriate to your target surface (10 MB for GitHub, 128 KB for Slack emoji, 2 MB for Mailchimp). gifcap binary-searches quality until the output fits, gifski produces per-frame palette encoding for visual quality.
For long Loom recordings (5+ minutes), the trim panel matters. Most surfaces want 5–30 seconds of GIF, not 5+ minutes. gifcap's trim lets you pick a segment from the longer Loom source without re-recording. The original Loom video stays intact in your dashboard for sharing as a link.
Loom-to-GIF — workflow notes
- Loom export format: MP4 download from dashboard share menu
- Loom MP4 typical bitrate: 1–4 Mbps depending on recording quality setting
- gifcap reads Loom MP4: native, no conversion needed
- Trim before encode: gifcap trim panel; set start / end timestamps
- Common GIF target sizes from Loom source: 10 MB (GitHub), 5 MB (Notion), 2 MB (Mailchimp), 128 KB (Slack emoji)
- Long Loom encoding strategy: trim aggressively before encode; 5–30 seconds is the GIF sweet spot
- Loom video accessibility: gifcap encoding is local; original Loom stays on Loom