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freeze frames
Hello, Can anyone advise why it is when I export a freeze frame in a 16-9 format from Premiere Pro and import it into a 16-9 format frame in Photoshop it imports as a 4-3 format.
Thanks. Alec -
4 Replies
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Photoshop displays your image in square pixels by default (1), while you are exporting non-square (1.2). In Photoshop you can go to Image > Pixel aspect ratio and change the display to DV / NTSC widescreen and Voila !
Google Pixel Aspect Ratio if you need to understand the process.
Cheers,
Vince
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Thanks for the reply. I must be missing something here. I am using Photoshop 7 in the UK (PAL) and the ‘Pixel aspect ratio’ is not showing. Is it me or are you using a later bersion. Sorry to be a pain!
Thanks, Alec -
No pain here…just helping folks.
We are up to version 10 in Photoshop and 7 probably did not have this then. An alternative would be to create a new layer, increase the canvas size on the right edge by 33% and then stretch the image layer to cover the larger canvas. -
Vince and Mike are both exactly correct in every statement.
Pixel aspect ratio did not appear until the first CS version (directly after version 7).
All of the more current CS versions include this feature when you create a new file (from the file menu).
Here is a work-around chart for Photoshop version 6 or 7:
Format: DV-NTSC 4:3
Create image at: 720×531
Resize image to: 720×480Format: DV-NTSC 16:9 (Anamorphic)
Create image at: 868×480
Resize image to: 720×480Format: 601-NTSC 4:3
Create image at: 720×538
Resize image to: 720×486Format: 601-NTSC 16:9 (Anamorphic)
Create image at: 868×486
Resize image to: 720×486You probably haven’t seen these particular numbers show up anywhere before, but they are based on previously established, yet apparently little-known, information: the actual SMPTE Recommended Practice for pixel aspect ratios (SMPTE RP 187-1995).
The DOWNSIDE: Images created using the two above methods will be geometrically incorrect when viewed in PPRO on your computer display, particularly if it is an LCD display being driven with its digital input (DVI or ADC). The error isn’t much–less than 2%–but a circle created using either of the above methods will not be a circle when viewed in PPRO. It also will not match the shape of images created in PPRO.
The real solution is to upgrade to a later version of Photoshop in the CS series, which offer a lot of additional features that are quite useful for video editors. I know this involves an unexpected expense, but the power it will afford you is truly worth the price of admission, IMHO. All of this work-around will be moot at that point, as all that is needed is to create a new file in PS, and use the drop-down menu at the bottom of that “NEW” window to choose “DV” and then select your aspect ratio (16:9 or 4:3, non-square pixels).
Since you are most likely working with PAL and not NTSC, the beauty of that is that PS also includes PAL presets as well in that same drop-down menu.
For a PAL project, you will have to convert the numbers in the chart I provided above to reflect PAL instead of NTSC.
Of course, as you already know, PAL is 720×576. If you want to create a still in correct PAL pixel aspect ratio with pre CS versions of Photoshop, start with a 1024×576 image, then resize (without the “Maintain ratio” selected for the resize area in Photoshop) to 720×576. It’ll look a bit odd, but it will be correct for PAL broadcast.
Let me know if you get stuck on this part of the process and I will gladly e-mail you a PAL conversion chart as well.
Good luck, I hope this helps you out and gives you a bit of food for thought as well.
Scot Sheely
IMG Videos.com
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