Unleash Your Creativity with Custom Slack Emojis

Have you ever felt limited by the default selection of emojis in Slack? Maybe you wanted one that was more personalized to your team or perfectly captured an inside joke. Well, my friend, now is your time to shine! Slack allows you to upload your own emoji images, opening a world of possibilities for creative expression.

In this fun guide, I‘ll show you step-by-step how to make custom emojis to level up your Slack conversations. Get ready to learn the emoji dimensions, formats, tips for designing excellent ones, and so much more. The ability to insert mini emoji masterpieces made just for your workspace makes communication much more powerful (and delightful)!

Custom Emojis: The Underused Hero Slack Needs

Before we get to the how-to, I want to take a sec to convince you why bringing your own emojis into Slack is an absolute gamechanger:

Make Your Mark on Company Culture

Default emojis feel generic since every Slack workspace has them. But custom options display your team‘s unique identity for all to see!

Maybe your company loves donuts. Why not have a cute animated donut emoji that appears when people type :donut:?

Imagine another team‘s inside joke about a time the copier got jammed. They could immortalize that hilarious memory with a custom emoji sticker every time someone types :paperjam:.

Do you see the creative magic that awaits? You essentially craft mementos that capture cultural touchpoints.

Boost Engagement Through Visual Communication

Humans biologically respond better to visuals compared to plain text. In fact, our brains process images 60,000 times faster. Custom emojis on Slack seamlessly incorporate visual communication to every convo.

Maybe words fail to express that pressure you feel when your boss assigns an unrealistic deadline. But a stressed, sweaty emoji reacts instantly. Now your teammates grasp your emotions even if tone gets lost over chat.

Emojis also transcend language barriers. A team member abroad could feel disconnected from written jokes. Yet custom visuals eliminate confusion so no one misses out!

Stand Out with Personal Touches

In a sea of similar Slack groups, custom emojis help yours shine. They demonstrate that your leaders value self-expression and creativity.

Members proudly flaunt niche emojis since that bond strengthens through inside references. The ability to display personality makes work more fun! Who wants yet another stifling, corporate McWorkspace?

Default vs. Custom Emojis

This table shows why you shouldn‘t settle for the out-of-the-box emojis when you can design your own.

Now that you know the immense benefits, let‘s dive into making them!

Image & GIF Requirements

Since emojis display rather small in Slack, custom options have size limits:

📏 Dimensions: 128 pixels x 128 pixels

🗜️ File size: Under 128 KB

🖼️ File types: JPG, PNG, or GIF

For GIFs, aim for under 50 animation frames so they‘re not too choppy in Slack.

I recommend using design apps like Canva that optimize exports for social media. Quickly resize images to 128 x 128 px with no quality loss!

Next, I‘ll demonstrate how to upload either images or GIFs from desktop and mobile.

Add Emojis through Slack Desktop

Creating emojis through the desktop app only takes seconds. Let me show you how:

Step 1: Access Your Target Workspace

First, launch the Slack desktop app. In the left sidebar, click to access the specific workspace you want to customize with new emojis.

Make sure you see the correct workspace name highlighted at the top!

Step 2: Open the Emoji Menu

In the message composition box at the very bottom, click the smiley face (aka emoji) icon to pop open the emoji selector menu.

Step 3: Click "Add Emoji"

In the bottom left corner of the emoji menu, click the link that says "Add emoji."

A small window will open allowing you to upload a custom image.

Step 4: Upload Your Image

Hit the "Upload image" button, then select your properly sized emoji graphic from wherever it‘s saved on your computer.

Next, Slack will ask you to name the emoji. I suggest "donut" or another descriptor matching the image.

Once the upload finishes, you will see it appear in your menu! 🎉

Step 5: Utilize Your Emoji

To actually use custom emojis in messages, type a colon : followed by the name you gave it.

For my donut example, I‘d type :donut: and the image would appear. Super simple!

Now that you‘ve mastered the desktop process, let‘s cover mobile next.

Add Emojis through Slack Mobile

The steps to upload custom Slack emojis on an iOS device closely mirrors desktop. Just follow along:

Step 1: Open Your Target Workspace

First, launch the Slack iOS mobile app. Once opened, select the workspace you want to add emoji images to.

Step 2: Access the Emoji Menu

In the message composition box at the bottom, tap the gray emoji icon to open the menu.

Step 3: Name the Emoji Image

Think of a name you want to call this emoji. Try "lightbulb" or describe the image. Enter it in the "Name your emoji" space that appears.

❗️Heads Up: If the name already exists, you‘ll need to get creative and choose a different one.

Step 4: Select the Image from Files

Hit the "Add custom emoji" button. Next tap "Browse" to pick an image file from your camera roll or photo library.

Ensure the image meets Slack‘s emoji dimensions first!

Step 5: Save Your Creation

Once the image finishes uploading, tap "Add" in the bottom right corner to save your emoji masterpiece!

Now when you search that name in the emoji menu, your custom image will appear. Pretty slick!

🤔 "What about Android devices?" you ask. Great question! Unfortunately the ability to upload emojis is not yet available natively through the Android app.

As a workaround, install the Slack mobile browser site. Then follow the desktop steps above to upload custom images. Not ideal…but better than nothing!

Next I‘ll cover supplementary ways to customize emojis across your workspace.

Install Premade Emoji Packs

In addition to singular emoji images, Slack also lets you browse fun packs around various themes:

Let‘s say your team loves dogs. There‘s actually a dog pack with cute puppy emojis!

To browse and add packs:

1. Click the emoji icon as if adding a custom image (covered above).
2. Choose "Emoji packs" near the top to view ones available.
3. Select a pack that resonates with your workspace.
4. Hit "Add pack" to install it!

Now all those extra themed emojis appear for your whole team. Mix and match multiple packs to create a diverse emoji culture.

Set Up Emoji Aliases

This pro tip takes emoji expertise to the next level. Aliases let you type words or phrases that automatically show emojis.

Examples:

Type :celebration:  
Displays 🎉 emoji

Type :frustrated:
Displays 😣 emoji 

Saving time by typing aliases instead of searching menus is a game-changer! Follow these instructions to create them on desktop:

1. Click your Workspace Name > Administration > Customize [Your Workspace]
2. Select Emoji, then click "Add Alias" in the top right corner
3. Choose which existing emoji it should link to
4. Enter the alias word or phrase
5. Click "Save" and start typing your alias in chats!

Now that you know how to make excellent custom options, let‘s discuss best practices for designing truly stellar emojis.

Craft Visually Appealing Emoji Images

With the ability to conceive any emoji comes great responsibility. As you brainstorm ideas and create images, keep these design tips in mind:

🔎 Simplify complex subjects so they translate clearly as tiny graphics.

🎨 Use bold colors that stand out at a small scale.

👪 Convey your team‘s unique personality and culture.

✨ Make them fun and engaging so people actually want to use them.

💡 Brainstorm aliases matching how colleagues speak.

Adhering to those guidelines results in professional, high-quality emojis worth showing off across all your Slack conversations!

Inspiring Emoji Ideas to Spark Creativity

Unsure where to even begin dreaming up custom slack emojis? Here I‘ll provide some sparks to ignite your creative emoji fire:

🐶 Pet emojis like a cute puppy sticker for dog lovers

⚽ Sports emojis for major fanbases to celebrate wins

🎵 Music notes, instruments, genres to bond over favorite songs

💻 Programming languages and code snippets for tech geeks

🗓️ Event icons for upcoming company conferences or parties

🚌 Vehicle emojis to react about commutes or travel

🍕 Food and drinks matching employee tastes

Those are just a few one-of-a-kind ideas to consider. Maintain an evolving wishlist of new emojis to produce over time as cultural touchpoints emerge!

I hope glancing through concrete examples stirs your innovative juices. Remember, the purpose is crafting emojis specially tailored to your organization.

Now I‘m excited to see what you come up with! 😄

Final Thoughts on Customizing Your Slack Workspace

After reading this guide, you should feel empowered to create emoji stickers personalized to your specific teams. Whether replacing generic options with specialized versions or developing new concepts entirely, take pride in that creative freedom Slack allows.

So pull up the emoji menu on desktop or mobile and start uploading your imaginative images today. Combine custom graphics with emoji packs and efficient aliases to fully customize your digital environment.

Soon you‘ll have a unique, visually engaging emoji culture that connects teammates through shared images spawned from your amazing ideas. And thanks to following my tips, people will actually want to use your professional custom designs frequently in chats!

Now get creating and take your Slack community engagement to the next level by unleashing custom emojis today!