Possible to export square videos in Elements 15?

[MakeAndDoCrew]

I'm overwhelmed by Premiere Pro so I just downloaded the trial of Elements. In Elements 15, I'm wondering if it's now possible to export a 1080x1080 square video (for use on Facebook or Instagram)? I'd like the video to actually be cropped square, with no letterboxing or black bars on it.

Searching the forums, I have seen mixed answers on previous versions of Elements.

Thanks for your help!

Jess

[Ann Bens]

You cannot crop on export in Elements like you can do in Pro.

You need to have a square project setting to force Elements to export as such.

How do you make a square video for Facebook

But you have seen this already.

[MakeAndDoCrew]

Thank you!

So this is a preset I could create to use sometimes and then still easily export 16:9 videos the rest of the time, correct?

To create that preset are the steps any different on a Mac or it is essentially the same process?

Thanks so much for being a light in the video editing fog.

[Ann Bens]

No this is a custom made project preset for a square frame which also will be export as a square.

If you want 16:9 you will have to use a 16:9 project setting that comes with the program

Have no idea how to make the custom preset work on a mac.

[Mohammad Tahseen]

None of presets offered in PRE has square dimensions. PRE provides export presets based on the common type of devices where media is played.

However, if you want to export in square dimensions you can do so by going to Custom tab and there manually setting the square dimension as depicted in the screenshot.

[Ann Bens]

This is rather a poor solution.

You cannot crop the image on export. You are stuck with two rather wide black bars on top and bottom

Would be nice if one could make custom project settings and export as such.

[Bill Sprague]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Ann+Bens  wrote

Would be nice if one could make custom project settings and export as such.

You can.  I did it once a couple years ago following a "recipe" I found on this forum.  I googled for "custom project settings premiere elements" and found one version.  Essentially the project presets are text files that can be edited.

https://forums.adobe.com/thread/480309

The version I think I remember following was similar and provided by the once prolific ATR.

[Ann Bens]

See link in post 1.

I would be nice to set up custom project settings without having to edit texts files. I know how to do this in windows. Have no idea how to do this on the Mac.

[Bill Sprague]

https://forums.adobe.com/people/Ann+Bens  wrote

See link in post 1.

Oops!  I missed the link. 

[Mohammad Tahseen]

Those bands are because your project settings are other than 1080x1080. Exporting 1080x1080 is not a nice solution and that is the reason it is not there. This is for those who are adamant about exporting in settings of their own choice. At least I am not aware of any device that designs playback for square dimensions. Most standard dimensions are 1920x1080(PAR of 1) or 1440x1080(PAR od 1.333). If we change dimensions to other ratios, there will definitely be approximations and then those bands would appear if your project settings is completely different than clip settings.

[Ann Bens]

My point is not being able to make a project in what ever size the user wants. (wether is nice or not)

Being it square or even for the 'odd' resolutions of a Gopro or drone. (which on a side not does not let the user use the warp stabilizer).

Or give the ability to crop on export (like PrPro)

1440x1080(PAR od 1.333).

This should be removed as a preset (import and export) this is not standard anymore. HDV is long gone. Elements does not have firewire connections anymore. And one does not find these settings on newer cameras.

Another thing which bothers many users: not being able to change project settings while editing.

If for some reason they made a mistake they have to start over.

Which could be easily solved by being able to import one project into another with different.

[Life_Stills_by_B__Wills]

the advantage of a square video in the age of social media is that whatever ratio you produce your video in, it shows as the width of the column x height ratio. To maximize the screen size/visibility of your video, you want that height to be the same as the width. In other words, a square video. I would happily edit my image or video size, cropping if needed, to gain the extra screen space. The real issue, I think is that Adobe would rather have people pay for Premiere Pro, where you are able to set custom sizes.