Create polished terminal GIF recordings using VHS (Video Hardware Software) by Charmbracelet. Use when asked to create terminal demos, CLI gifs, command-line recordings, or animated terminal screenshots for documentation, READMEs, or marketing.
Create professional terminal GIF/video recordings using VHS.
# Install VHS
brew install vhs
# Run a tape file
vhs demo.tape
Use these settings for consistent, polished recordings:
Set Shell "zsh"
Set FontSize 18
Set Width 900
Set Height 500
Set Theme "Catppuccin Frappe"
Set Padding 20
Set Margin 40
Set MarginFill "gradient-bg.png" # Optional: gradient background image
Set BorderRadius 10
Catppuccin Frappe - Soft purple/blue tones (recommended)Catppuccin Mocha - Darker variantDracula - Purple/pink tonesTokyo Night - Blue tonesNord - Cool blue/grayEnable zsh syntax highlighting before recording:
Hide
Type "source /opt/homebrew/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh"
Enter
Show
Install if needed: brew install zsh-syntax-highlighting
# Header comment describing the demo
Output demo.gif # Output filename (.gif, .webm, .mp4)
# Style settings
Set Shell "zsh"
Set FontSize 18
Set Width 900
Set Height 500
Set Theme "Catppuccin Frappe"
Set Padding 20
# Hidden setup (env vars, cd, clear)
Hide
Type "export API_KEY=xxx"
Enter
Type "clear"
Enter
Show
# Demo commands
Type "echo 'Hello World'"
Sleep 500ms
Enter
Sleep 2s
# End with pause
Sleep 1s
| Command | Description |
|---|---|
Type "text" | Type text (with realistic timing) |
Enter | Press enter key |
Sleep 500ms | Pause for duration |
Hide / Show | Hide/show terminal during setup |
Ctrl+C | Send interrupt signal |
Output file.gif | Set output file |
Sleep 500ms - After typing command, before EnterSleep 2s - Short command outputSleep 3-4s - Longer output or API responsesSleep 1s - End of recording pause# Orthogonal CLI Demo
Output cli-demo.gif
Set Shell "zsh"
Set FontSize 18
Set Width 900
Set Height 500
Set Theme "Catppuccin Frappe"
Set Padding 20
Set BorderRadius 10
# Setup
Hide
Type "source /opt/homebrew/share/zsh-syntax-highlighting/zsh-syntax-highlighting.zsh"
Enter
Type "export ORTHOGONAL_API_KEY=orth_live_xxx"
Enter
Type "clear"
Enter
Show
# Search
Type "orth search 'web scraping'"
Sleep 500ms
Enter
Sleep 2.5s
# Run command
Type "orth run olostep /v1/scrapes url_to_scrape=https://example.com"
Sleep 500ms
Enter
Sleep 4s
Sleep 1s
Output demo.gif # Animated GIF (default, best for docs)
Output demo.webm # WebM video (smaller, web-friendly)
Output demo.mp4 # MP4 video (universal compatibility)
Hide/Show for env vars and cd commandsType "clear" + Enter if neededCreate gradient-bg.png for professional look:
Set MarginFill "gradient-bg.png"