Select File > New to open the New Document dialog.
Last updated on
Oct 4, 2026
Use Film & Video presets to create properly scaled images with safe zones for broadcast and video output.
Creating images for video output requires specific dimensions and pixel aspect ratios to ensure your content displays correctly on broadcast monitors and video devices.
Use this procedure when creating still images, graphics, or titles intended for video projects. Film & Video presets automatically configure documents with the correct pixel aspect ratio and include action-safe and title-safe guides for broadcast requirements. For editing video clips or creating frame animations, see the animation and video editing topics instead.
Understand frame and pixel aspect ratios
Frame aspect ratio is the width-to-height ratio of your image dimensions. Common video formats include 4:3 (standard definition) and 16:9 (widescreen and high definition).
Pixel aspect ratio is the width-to-height ratio of individual pixels. Computer displays use square pixels (1:1 ratio), while video formats like DV NTSC use rectangular pixels (0.91 ratio). Photoshop automatically compensates for these differences, so images created with square pixels display correctly in video projects.
When you work with video presets, images may appear distorted on your computer monitor but will display with correct proportions on video output devices.
Use safe zones for broadcast video
Action-safe and title-safe zones are designed to accommodate overscan, ensuring that critical visual elements remain visible even when consumer televisions crop the edges of the image. Film & Video presets include nonprinting guides that mark these boundaries:
- Title-safe zone (inner rectangle): Keep all text within this area to ensure readability on all displays
- Action-safe zone (outer rectangle): Keep all important visual elements within this area
Note
Safe zones apply only to broadcast and videotape content. For web or CD delivery, the entire image displays, so safe zones are not necessary.
Create a video document
From the tabs at the top, select Film & Video.
Choose a preset that matches your target video system, such as NTSC DV, PAL, or HDTV options.
Review the preset details in the right panel and modify the document name if needed.
Click Advanced to confirm the pixel aspect ratio matches your intended video format.
Select Create to open your new document with safe zone guides visible.
Your new document opens with the correct dimensions and pixel aspect ratio for your selected video format. Blue guides mark the action-safe and title-safe zones.
Tip
By default, Photoshop displays video documents with Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction enabled, showing how your image will appear on video output devices rather than how the raw pixels appear on your computer monitor.
Adjust pixel aspect ratio settings
Open the video document and select View > Pixel Aspect Ratio.
Choose a pixel aspect ratio that matches your video format from the submenu.
Create custom pixel aspect ratios
For specialized video formats, you can define custom pixel aspect ratio values.
Define a custom pixel aspect ratio
Select View > Pixel Aspect Ratio > Custom Pixel Aspect Ratio.
In the dialog, enter a numeric value in the Factor field that represents your custom ratio.
Type a descriptive name for the custom ratio.
Select OK to save the custom ratio to both the View menu and New Document dialog.
Remove a custom pixel aspect ratio
Select View > Pixel Aspect Ratio > Delete Pixel Aspect Ratio.
Choose the custom ratio you want to remove from the menu.
Select Delete to confirm.
Restore default pixel aspect ratios
Select View > Pixel Aspect Ratio > Reset Pixel Aspect Ratios.
Select Append to restore default ratios while keeping your custom ratios or select OK to restore only default ratios and discard custom ones.
Toggle pixel aspect ratio correction
Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction displays your image as it'll appear on video output devices. You may want to disable this preview to see the raw pixel data or work on precise details.
Toggle between corrected and uncorrected views
Select View > Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction to toggle the preview mode.
A checkmark indicates that the correction is enabled and your image displays with video-accurate proportions. With correction disabled, you see the raw square-pixel representation.
Tip
To view both corrected and uncorrected versions simultaneously, select Window > Arrange > New Window For [document name]. With the new window active, toggle View > Pixel Aspect Ratio Correction to display the uncorrected view while keeping the original window corrected.
Automate video tasks
Photoshop includes specialized video actions that automate common video preparation tasks.
Load Video Actions
Select Window > Actions to display the Actions panel.
Click the panel menu icon. Alternatively, you can select Actions icon in Quick access or properties section.
Select Video Actions from the menu to load the action set.
The loaded video actions help with tasks including constraining luminance and saturation to broadcast standards, resizing for DVD formats, creating alpha channels, reducing interlace flicker, and generating title-safe overlays.
Next steps
After creating your video document, add your content using standard Photoshop tools and layers. When you're working with imported images, Photoshop automatically converts and scales them to match the document's pixel aspect ratio. For video editing workflows, explore the Create frame-based animations to use Timeline panel for frame-by-frame editing and animation. For exporting finished video content, use File > Export > Render Video.
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