How to read GIF files in Java

In this article, I will show you how to read GIF files in Java. We also have a related article covering how to write GIF files in Java.

GIF files can be read directly by Java’s own ImageIO class and I will also show you how to read them in JDeli.

How to read a GIF image in Java with ImageIO

1. Create a File handle, InputStream, or URL pointing to the raw GIF image.
2. ImageIO will now be able to read a GIF file into a BufferedImage. This syntax is like so:

   BufferedImage image = ImageIO.read(gifFileOrInputStreamOrURL)

How to read a GIF image in Java with JDeli

1. Add JDeli to your class or module path. (download the trial jar).
2. Create a File handle or InputStream pointing to the raw GIF image. You can also use a byte[] containing the image data.
3. Read the GIF image into a BufferedImage

   BufferedImage image = JDeli.read(gifFile);