If you’ve ever watched someone’s Instagram story and noticed a perfectly branded doodle or playful sticker bouncing across the screen, you’ve probably wondered: how do they do that? The answer is simple—custom GIFs. And you don’t need to be a big brand with a design team to create them.

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I’m a Utah and Montana-based web designer who works with small business owners every day. Beyond websites, a lot of what I do is helping entrepreneurs show up online in ways that feel personal and professional. One of the easiest ways to elevate your Instagram presence is by creating your own graphics, animations, and GIFs.

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In this tutorial, I’ll walk you step by step through creating and posting a custom GIF to Instagram. Whether you’re a small business owner trying to add some personality to your brand, or you just want to make your stories more fun, this guide will give you everything you need.

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Why Small Businesses Should Use Custom GIFs

Before jumping into the tutorial, let’s talk about why this matters.

• Brand Recognition: A GIF with your logo, brand colors, or even a hand-drawn illustration of your product can make your stories instantly recognizable.
• Consistency Across Platforms: If you already worked with a graphic designer for small business marketing (or even DIY in Canva), you can bring those same visuals into motion.
• Engagement: Interactive content—especially short, eye-catching animations—keeps people watching longer.
• Local Connection: For Montana and Utah businesses especially, Instagram is often where people go to find new brands in their community. A personal touch in your stories can make someone feel like they already know you.

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Step 1: Create Your Animation

If you want something truly unique, I recommend starting in Procreate, which is one of the best apps for drawing animations. This step is optional—you can also use photos or video clips—but if you’re an artist or want something hand-drawn, here’s how:

1. Open Procreate and create a new file.
2. Tap the wrench icon → Canvas → Animation Assist to turn on animation mode.
3. Draw your frames, each on a new layer. Procreate will play them back like a flipbook.

When you’re happy with your animation, export it as PNG files:

• Tap the wrench icon → Share → Share Layers → PNG Files.

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Quick Tip: Fixing Blurry Exports

If your export looks fuzzy:

• Go to wrench icon → Canvas → Crop & Resize.
• Select all layers (right swipe each one).
• Tap the cursor icon and resize using Uniform + Nearest Neighbor for clean, crisp lines.

This step ensures your hand-drawn lines don’t lose quality.

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Step 2: Assemble Your GIF in Canva

Once you’ve got your PNG files (or even just a series of photos or a short video), Canva makes it easy to turn them into a GIF.

• Create a 500px x 500px design in Canva.
• For PNGs or photos:
  • Add each frame to its own page.
  • Set the timing. I use 0.5 seconds per page, but you can adjust depending on how fast you want the animation.
  • To speed up workflow, select all pages and adjust the timing at once in the toolbar.
• For video clips:
  • Upload the video to Canva and place it on a single page.

Add transitions if you want a smoother look: just click the arrow between pages.

Finally, export as a GIF. Make sure you toggle Transparent Background if you want the GIF to float over your story without a box behind it.

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Step 3: Add the GIF to Instagram Stories and Reels

This part is where most people get stuck, but it’s actually simple:

1. Save the GIF to your camera roll.
2. Open it, tap the three dots, and choose Copy Image.
3. Open Instagram and start your story or reel.
4. Paste the GIF on top of your design, just like you would paste text.

Now you’ve got a fully custom, branded GIF ready to share.

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How This Helps Small Businesses Stand Out

As a web designer for small businesses in Utah and Montana, I’ve seen firsthand how these little touches build trust. A few examples:

• A local coffee shop in Salt Lake City can make a GIF of steam rising from a cup with their logo.
• A Montana wedding photographer can add doodle-style hearts, rings, or cameras that match their brand.
• An online boutique can create sale stickers or animated product images that pop on stories.

These are quick to make but instantly recognizable to your audience.

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Common Questions About Making GIFs

Do I need Procreate to make GIFs?
No. Procreate is only for hand-drawn animations. You can skip straight to Canva if you’re using photos or videos.

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Can I upload my GIFs to GIPHY so anyone can use them?
Yes, but it requires a GIPHY brand account. This is a great option if you want people to search your business name in the Instagram GIF sticker search.

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Do GIFs work in Instagram Reels?
Yes—they work the same way as stories. Just select "add text" and paste your GIF onto your video.

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What’s the ideal size for Instagram GIFs?
A square format like 500px x 500px usually works best, but you can experiment with different sizes.

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Final Thoughts

Whether you’re in Salt Lake City, Bozeman, or a small town in between, your business can stand out by adding these personal touches. I use this same approach when designing websites for my clients. Sometimes, it’s not about having the most complicated tools. It’s about finding creative, approachable ways to grow online.

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So, next time you post a story or reel, remember that don’t have to just use Instagram’s default stickers. Get creative and have fun!