Graphic Traffic News #109

Christmas snow globes, GIF optimiser (old style), more artistic QR codes, video newsletters from Substack, positive mental health images, peach fuzz from Pantone, text-to-video with invideoAI...

Welcome to Graphic Traffic News, your update on image and video tools (preferably free or low-cost), resources, tips and inspiration to help your small business or charity stand out online.

Thank you to those who subscribe to the paid-for version. You get the full-length edition every time. If you’re on the free version you’ll get just the one resource.

But since Christmas is coming, in this edition I’m doubling that to two free resources for the free version’s subscribers.

Paid-for subscribers - there is a free draw listed below in which a photo(s) you submit to a UK mental health charity’s photo library could win you a cash prize, but the deadline is today (10 December).

Christmas globes

Let’s start with a walkthrough video from Kris Kashtanova on how to create a Christmas image of a snow globe using Adobe Firefly. She has shared it on X.

GIF optimiser and more

In contrast to the endless new AI-based image tools, here’s an older resource I came across on a list of bookmarks I used to keep of image and video tools.

EZGIF offers a range of free web-based services such as GIF optimiser. It’s all very straightforward using this form. Upload a GIF or enter its URL. Below the form the page details four different ways you might optimise a GIF.

Image: EZGIF.com

Explore EZGIF and you’ll see a dozen or so more free image and video tools, and file conversion tools too.