Photoshop Elements 3: The Missing Manual

Capturing Video Frames

Elements lets you capture a single frame from a video and use it the way you would any still photo. This feature works best if you choose a movie that's already on your computer.

Elements can read many popular video file formats, including .avi, .wmv, and .mpeg. You do need to have a program on your computer (besides Elements) that's capable of viewing the video file. For example, to view a QuickTime movie, you need to have QuickTime installed on your PC.

Tip

The video capture tool in Elements isn't really designed for use with long movies. You'll get the best results with clips that aren't more than a minute or two long, at most.

To import a video frame go to File → Import → Frame From Video, and then in the Video import dialog box:

1. Find the video that contains the frame you want to copy.

   Click the Browse button and navigate to the movie you want. After you choose the movie, the first frame should appear in the window in the Frame From Video dialog box.

2. Navigate to the frame you want.

   Either click the Play button or use the slider below the window to move through the movie until you see what you want.

3. Copy the frame you want by clicking "Grab Frame."

   You can grab as many frames as you want. Each frame shows up in the Elements Editor as a separate file.

4. When you have everything you need, click Done.

   While this is a very fun thing to be able to do, it does have certain limitations. Most important, your video is going to be at a fairly low resolution, so you're ...