This tutorial will show you how to make your pixels blink, like the pixel below:



Before we get started, you will need to download the following programs:

Giffy - Available to download here
Microsoft GIF Animator - I can't find a reliable link so try searching for it on Google.

Please do not attempt to copy the pixel featured in this tutorial- it is only there to help you to understand how to make pixels blink.

Step 1:
Open up the pixel that you would like to make blink in Paint and zoom in to 8x. Now, on the pixel, draw its eyes as you would imagine them to look if they were closed. Then save the pixel (along with your original one if you haven't already).



Step 2:
Use Giffy to convert your pixels from BMP to GIF format. You can also use Giffy to make them transparent by ticking the 'Transparent' box and selecting the colour that you want to be made transparent (it is best to fill the background of your pixel with a colour that you haven't used anywhere else in your pixel, and this is the colour that you'd need to make transparent).



Step 3:
Open up your pixels in Microsoft GIF Animator. Using the arrow buttons, arrange the pixels so that the one with its eyes open is at the top. Now click the 'Animation' tab, tick the 'Looping' option then tick 'Repeat Forever'.



Step 4:
Click the 'Image' tab. The 'Duration' is how long each of the frames of your pixel will last for. You will want the frame with the eyes open to last for longer than the one with its eyes closed. So click on the pixel with its eyes open and type '240' into the 'Duration' area.



Step 5:
Now click on the pixel with its eyes closed and type '14' into the 'Duration' area. These are the durations that I think work best but if you'd prefer the animation to be faster or slower, experiment with the duration until you get a speed that you like.



Step 6:
To ensure that you got everything right, click the arrow in the corner (I have circled this in pink on the diagram below). This enables you to see how your animated pixel looks. Once you're satisfied with the pixel, click 'Save' (I have circled this button in blue on the diagram below) and you're done!