diff --git a/src/actions/action-creators.test.js b/src/actions/action-creators.test.js
index bb460cf..dd752b5 100644
--- a/src/actions/action-creators.test.js
+++ b/src/actions/action-creators.test.js
@@ -3,10 +3,58 @@ import * as types from '../constants/action-types';
 import thunkMiddleware from 'redux-thunk';
 import configureMockStore from 'redux-mock-store';
 import panes from '../constants/pane-types';
+import { initializeCalculator } from '../lib/calculator';
 
 const middlewares = [thunkMiddleware];
 const mockStore = configureMockStore(middlewares);
 
+const initialState = {
+  images: {
+    frames: {},
+    frameIDs: [],
+    gifProgress: 0,
+    gifData: '',
+    caption: '',
+    fontColor: '#000000',
+    gifFileName: ''
+  },
+  settings: {
+    image: {
+      width: 300,
+      height: 300,
+      interval: 100,
+      oversample: false
+    },
+    bounds: {
+      left: -10,
+      right: 10,
+      bottom: -10,
+      top: 10
+    },
+    strategy: 'contain'
+  },
+  ui: {
+    expandedPane: panes.NONE,
+    previewIdx: 0,
+    playing: false,
+    error: ''
+  }
+};
+
+const desmosMock = {
+  GraphingCalculator: jest.fn(() => {
+    return {
+      asyncScreenshot: (opts, cb) => cb(''),
+      getExpressions: () => [{ id: 1, latex: 'x = 3' }, { id: 2, latex: '' }],
+      setExpression: () => null
+    };
+  })
+};
+
+const calcContainerMock = { current: undefined };
+
+// Tests
+
 describe('Action creators', () => {
   describe('synchronous action creators', () => {
     it('return an action to add a frame', () => {
@@ -127,6 +175,88 @@ describe('Action creators', () => {
   });
 
   describe('async action creators', () => {
-    // TODO
+    let store;
+
+    beforeEach(() => {
+      store = mockStore(initialState);
+    });
+
+    it('return an action to temporarily display error message', () => {
+      jest.useFakeTimers();
+      const expectedActions = [
+        { type: types.SET_ERROR, payload: { message: 'error' } },
+        { type: types.CLEAR_ERROR }
+      ];
+      store.dispatch(actions.flashError('error'));
+      jest.runAllTimers();
+      expect(store.getActions()).toEqual(expectedActions);
+    });
+
+    it('return an action to request a frame from the calculator', () => {
+      const expectedActions = [
+        {
+          type: types.ADD_FRAME,
+          payload: { id: 2, imageData: expect.any(String) }
+        }
+      ];
+      const opts = {
+        height: 300,
+        targetPixelRatio: 1,
+        width: 300
+      };
+      initializeCalculator(desmosMock, calcContainerMock);
+      return store.dispatch(actions.requestFrame(opts)).then(() => {
+        expect(store.getActions()).toEqual(expectedActions);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('return an action to request a burst of frames from the calculator', () => {
+      const opts = {
+        height: 300,
+        idx: 1,
+        max: 3,
+        min: -3,
+        oversample: false,
+        step: 1,
+        width: 300
+      };
+      initializeCalculator(desmosMock, calcContainerMock);
+      return store.dispatch(actions.requestBurst(opts)).then(() => {
+        // slide with min/max of -3/3 should dispatch addFrame 7 times
+        expect(store.getActions().length).toEqual(7);
+      });
+    });
+
+    it('return actions to play animation via frames in state', () => {
+      const expectedActions = [
+        { type: types.PLAY_PREVIEW },
+        { type: types.UPDATE_PREVIEW_IDX, payload: { idx: 1 } }
+      ];
+      store.dispatch(actions.startAnimation());
+      expect(store.getActions()).toEqual(expectedActions);
+    });
+
+    it('return action to generate a GIF via frames in state', () => {
+      const expectedActions = [
+        { type: types.UPDATE_GIF_PROGRESS, payload: { progress: 100 } },
+        { type: types.ADD_GIF, payload: { imageData: expect.any(String) } }
+      ];
+      const opts = {
+        gifHeight: 300,
+        gifWidth: 300,
+        images: ['img1', 'img2', 'img3'],
+        interval: 0.1,
+        progressCallback: jest.fn()
+      };
+      // gifshot mock
+      const gifshot = {
+        createGIF: (args, cb) => {
+          args.progressCallback(100);
+          return cb({ image: 'test' });
+        }
+      };
+      store.dispatch(actions.generateGIF([], opts, gifshot));
+      expect(store.getActions()).toEqual(expectedActions);
+    });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/actions/index.js b/src/actions/index.js
index e300546..ca6e557 100644
--- a/src/actions/index.js
+++ b/src/actions/index.js
@@ -231,7 +231,10 @@ export const startAnimation = () => (dispatch, getState) => {
 
 // The gifshot library is loaded in index.html
 const gifshot = window.gifshot;
-export const generateGIF = (images, opts) => (dispatch, getState) => {
+export const generateGIF = (images, opts, gifMaker = gifshot) => (
+  dispatch,
+  getState
+) => {
   // Have to check state interval and not opts because opts is in seconds
   const { interval } = getState().settings.image;
   const settingsErrors = getSettingsErrors({ interval });
@@ -245,7 +248,7 @@ export const generateGIF = (images, opts) => (dispatch, getState) => {
     ...opts,
     progressCallback: progress => dispatch(updateGIFProgress(progress))
   };
-  gifshot.createGIF(gifshotArgs, data => {
+  gifMaker.createGIF(gifshotArgs, data => {
     if (data.error) {
       dispatch(flashError(gifCreationProblem()));
     } else {
diff --git a/src/components/App.js b/src/components/App.js
index 6706115..df8c720 100644
--- a/src/components/App.js
+++ b/src/components/App.js
@@ -7,12 +7,12 @@ import SettingsContainer from '../containers/SettingsContainer';
 import FolderContainer from '../containers/FolderContainer';
 import ErrorToastContainer from '../containers/ErrorToastContainer';
 import CALCULATOR_OPTIONS from '../constants/calculator-options';
+import { initializeCalculator } from '../lib/calculator';
 import './App.css';
 
 // The Desmos API is loaded in index.html
 const Desmos = window.Desmos;
 const calcContainer = React.createRef();
-export let calculator;
 
 class App extends Component {
   constructor(props) {
@@ -26,11 +26,7 @@ class App extends Component {
   }
 
   componentDidMount() {
-    calculator = Desmos.GraphingCalculator(
-      calcContainer.current,
-      CALCULATOR_OPTIONS
-    );
-
+    initializeCalculator(Desmos, calcContainer, CALCULATOR_OPTIONS);
     window.addEventListener('keydown', this.handleKeyDown);
   }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/calc-helpers.js b/src/lib/calc-helpers.js
index 598ce17..42957f9 100644
--- a/src/lib/calc-helpers.js
+++ b/src/lib/calc-helpers.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
  * and concise.
  */
 
-import { calculator } from '../components/App';
+import { calculator } from './calculator';
 import { noSuchExpression, notASlider } from './error-messages';
 import { saveGraphToLocal, getGraphFromLocal } from './local-storage-helpers';
 
diff --git a/src/lib/calculator.js b/src/lib/calculator.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9be4f4b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/lib/calculator.js
@@ -0,0 +1,9 @@
+let calculator;
+
+function initializeCalculator(desmos, calcContainer, calcOptions) {
+  calculator = desmos.GraphingCalculator(calcContainer.current, calcOptions);
+  window.calculator = calculator;
+  return calculator;
+}
+
+export { calculator, initializeCalculator };
diff --git a/src/reducers/images.test.js b/src/reducers/images.test.js
index 0ca83b8..873a888 100644
--- a/src/reducers/images.test.js
+++ b/src/reducers/images.test.js
@@ -13,7 +13,10 @@ const initialState = {
   frames: {},
   frameIDs: [],
   gifProgress: 0,
-  gifData: ''
+  gifData: '',
+  caption: '',
+  fontColor: '#000000',
+  gifFileName: ''
 };
 
 describe('reducers', () => {
diff --git a/src/setupFiles.js b/src/setupFiles.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e69de29