Flip Book

animation · optical illusion · DIY art

Pictures that move. Flip books have images that change just a tiny bit from page to page. When you flip through them quickly, your eyes blend all those small changes together and see something moving smoothly, like magic on paper.

Corner animation trick. Many flip books hide their animation in the corner of a regular book or magazine, so you can flip just that section to see the action happen. It's like a secret movie built into pages you thought were just stories.

The animation inventor. Flip books work because your brain holds onto images for a split second before releasing them. When images flash by faster than your brain can forget each one, it stitches them together into smooth motion, the same trick used in real movies.

Anyone can make one. You can create your own flip book by drawing slightly different pictures on the corners of a stack of paper or index cards, then flipping through quickly. Artists, students, and kids have been making them for over a hundred years.

Digital flip books now. Today you can turn video files from your phone or computer into flip books using special software and websites. Your animated short film could become a physical booklet you hold in your hands.