Photoshop file size to use in Final Cut Express

M

maryd

New member
Can someone recommend the best psd file size (pixel width x pixel height) when making a title card to import into FCE?

Also, I presume that it should be of 300 dpi resolution, right?

Thanks,

maryd
 
It all depends. What size is your output movie? Are you gonna zoom in on the title card? Basically, a 1080p frame is 1920 pixels x 1080 pixels, at 72dpi. Video is always 72dpi just so you know.
maryd said:
Can someone recommend the best psd file size (pixel width x pixel height) when making a title card to import into FCE? Also, I presume that it should be of 300 dpi resolution, right? Thanks, maryd
Click to expand...
 
Thank you both for the info. I guess I'm surprised that video is always 72 dpi. I did some video editing 10+ yrs ago with FCP 3 and for that I always made my psd files 300 pixels/inch and 3000 x 2400. It worked but I guess I never thought about it much. Seat of the pants learning is what it is!

maryd
 
maryd said:
Thank you both for the info. I guess I'm surprised that video is always 72 dpi. I did some video editing 10+ yrs ago with FCP 3 and for that I always made my psd files 300 pixels/inch and 3000 x 2400. It worked but I guess I never thought about it much. Seat of the pants learning is what it is!

maryd
Click to expand...

I have no idea what anyone would mean by 'video is always 72 dots per inch' -- in fact, I would say that is quite obviously not true.

If I have a full resolution standard definition file, and I view it on a little screen, it will be true ... but if I view that same file, on a typical 19" monitor, or an even larger television, it is instantly untrue. The resolution of any video file is fixed, determined on creation -- and has nothing to do with viewing screens, and can not be measured in pixels per inch. Per inch of what, would be the key question ..?

The resolution values for video are easy to identify, and have nothing to do with pixels per inch. If you are working in SD, your resolution is 720x480 or slightly higher for PAL standards, if you are working with HD, it is currently either 1920x1080 or 1280x720 until such time as QuadHD or 4K become useful standards.

Cheers,
GB
 
So when I view video on my 60" television does the file magically become over 4000 pixels wide? Of course not. You had trouble with it because it just isn't so ...
 
video doesn't have a dpi at all

all is has is a resolution measured in pixels across width and height.

The same video will have varying widths in inches depending upon which device (ipod, ipad, tv, laptop, projector) that you play the same video on


edit:
similarly photoshop files are also only measured in width and height in pixels. The dpi measurement in a photoshop file is purely a description for how it is to print. For example :- click image resize in photoshop and uncheck the resample button you can adjust the dpi however you want and you will see the height and width in inches change accordingly. The height and width in pixels will never change.
This is a great way to see how dpi is just metadata appended to the pixel resolution.
 
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Import the highest res file you can into final cut. 1080p will do well. Get a freeze frame, save that file and open it in photoshop. It'll be 72 dpi.

The issue with this, though, is that dpi isn't a measure for video.
 
Look, it is dangerous to cling to this 72dpi notion -- dangerous because it will lead you down the wrong path. Let's imagine I'm going to scan a photo for use in a video -- ahh, simple you say ... scan at 72dpi. Or not. If I had a 4x6 print and scanned it at that, I'd end up with a file that was barely 280 pixels tall and less than 450 wide. So 72 dpi means nothing when gathering photos for video, and as the resolution doesn't change when I show it on my bigger and better screen, it means nothing when showing video. 72dpi is at best a suggestion as to what might make an acceptable print from video -- but it is just that, a printers term, and no use to us here.

Cheers,
GB
 
DPI is really for print. The most important thing is that the resolution is identical to the video that you are working with.
 
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