The “No Delay” setting in ImageReady is used to display the smoothest possible transition from frame to frame, which creates the desired animated effect. So, although you have your first frame set to no delay, it still exists in the file and, therefore, will inevitably show up in your animation.

The good news is that once the animation completes its first loop and starts the second, the flicker caused by the first “No Delay” frame setting will be unnoticeable to the viewer because the first and last frames are identical, thus faking a non transitioning, single frame.

If you are attempting to fully avoid the flicker effect that appears in those email clients that DO properly render animated GIF’s, the only quick solution you are left with is making the decision to abandon your Outlook users because without that no delay first frame call-to-action in your file, they are left viewing only the “first page of your story”.