Images

Which file types are supported?

We support most formats. See the list of supported file types on our Library page: https://playsignage.com/support/library/

What is the recommended file type?

In general, photos should be in JPG or PNG format. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files are also a great choice, because vector graphics scale without losing quality.

Can I replace an image?

Yes. Click the image, and you'll find Replace Asset in the settings on the right. Keep in mind that the image is replaced on all the slides you choose, not only on the slide you're working on.

Can I lock the position of an image?

Yes. You can lock any object in your content. A locked object stays where it's supposed to be, and it can't be resized or removed. Read more on our Locking Objects page: https://playsignage.com/support/locking-objects/

What is the recommended image resolution in pixels?

The best resolution depends on your TV and media player. HD (1920 × 1080) is enough in most cases. If you have a 4K (3840 × 2160) setup, use 4K images for the best quality.

We don't recommend using images with a higher resolution than your setup can show. If your TV shows 1920 × 1080 pixels, a 4K (3840 × 2160) image only makes it harder for the player to load and draw the image. It has 4 times as many pixels and must be scaled down, which slows down your player. The same goes for images that don't fill the whole screen: if your image only takes up a quarter of the slide, use roughly a quarter of the resolution.

Why did my image change when I uploaded it?

Our service automatically optimizes images to make the files smaller. This keeps our storage use low and makes the service faster, because smaller files load faster. PNG files without transparency (no alpha channel) are converted to JPG files, but we try to keep the loss in quality as small as possible.

If your image is bigger than 4K (3840 × 2160, or 2160 × 3840 for portrait images), it's automatically scaled down to 4K, and it keeps its shape. There's no practical use for gigantic images, and they can crash entry-level players with little memory.

Tip: If you need higher-resolution images, for example for a video wall, you can turn this off in Profile → Default Values → Library defaults → Downscale high-resolution content to 4k.

My 4K image is blurry. What do I do?

If your 4K image has a lot of detail, such as a lot of text in a food menu, the fine details may look blurry or be hard to read on the screen. A workaround is to turn the image into a short 4K video. You can use any software you like. Here are two examples.

To turn an image into a 5-second 4K video with the free ffmpeg command-line tool:

ffmpeg -loop 1 -i input.png -t 5 -vf "scale=3840:2160:flags=lanczos" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -movflags +faststart output.mp4

To turn an image into a 5-second 4K video with DaVinci Resolve 20 (https://www.blackmagicdesign.com/event/davinciresolvedownload):

1. Start a 4K project and timeline. Open Resolve and click New Project. Click the gear icon in the bottom-right corner, then Master Settings. Set Timeline Resolution to 3840 × 2160 Ultra HD and click Save. Tip for slideshows: if you'll add a lot of photos, set the default still duration now in DaVinci Resolve → Preferences → User → Editing → Standard Still Duration
2. Import your images. Go to the Edit page, click File → Import → Media… and choose your photos. Drag them to the timeline in the order you want
3. Make the image fill the 4K frame without black bars. Select the clip on the timeline, open the Inspector, and adjust Zoom and Position under Transform. If your image has a different shape, go to Project Settings → Image Scaling → Input Scaling and pick Scale entire image to fit (keeps the whole image, may add bars) or Scale full frame with crop (fills the frame, crops the edges). Click Save
4. Choose how long the image stays on screen. Right-click the clip, click Change Clip Duration… and enter the length, for example 00:00:05:00 for 5 seconds
5. Export a real 4K file. Go to the Deliver page, then Render Settings → Custom Export. Choose Format MP4, Codec H.264 and Resolution 3840 × 2160, and set the frame rate you want (for example 24, 30 or 60). Click Add to Render Queue, then Render All

If you see a warning about rendering at a higher resolution than the timeline, your timeline isn't 4K. Go back to step 1 and set Timeline Resolution to 3840 × 2160.

How do I flip (mirror) an image?

Click the image, find the Rotate section on the right, and click Flip horizontal (the arrow pointing left and right) or Flip vertical (the arrow pointing up and down). Hover over the small buttons below the angle slider to see their names. See "Flip an image or shape" above.

How do I undo a flip?

Click the same flip button again, or click Undo right after flipping. Flipping never changes the file in your Library.

Can I flip text, emojis, SVG files or videos?

No. The flip buttons are only on images, the Circle, Rectangle and Triangle shapes, icons and groups.

Is Flip horizontal the same as the Flip in X animation?

No. Flip horizontal mirrors the object for as long as it's on the slide. Flip in X and Flip in Y on the Animate tab are entrance animations that make an object flip into view.

Will a flipped image look the same on my screen?

It should. The flip is saved with the slide, and the players draw it with the same engine as the editor. Remember to click Publish.

How do I group objects?

Hold Shift and click each object. On the right, under Actions, click Group objects. See "Group objects" above.

Why is Group objects greyed out?

Either you've only selected one object, or your selection includes a video, a YouTube video or a stream. Videos can't be grouped.

How do I change one object in a group?

Click the group, click Ungroup, change the object, then select the objects again and click Group objects.

How do I ungroup objects?

Click the group, and under Actions, click Ungroup.

Can I animate a group?

No. The Animate tab is greyed out for groups. You can animate the objects before you group them, or ungroup them to change their animations.

I copied a group, but the pasted objects aren't grouped. Why?

At the moment, a copied group is pasted as separate objects that are selected together. Click Group objects right after pasting to group them again.

Do groups work on all players?

Yes. When you publish from the editor, the objects in a group are sent to your screens as separate objects, so every player shows them in the right places. In the editor, they stay grouped.

What does Masking Selection do?

It cuts a picture into the shape of another object. The bottom object is the picture, and the top object gives the shape. The result is a new image. See "Mask an image with a shape (Masking Selection)" above.

Which object becomes the picture, and which becomes the shape?

The one lower in the layers is the picture, and the one on top is the shape. Use Bring forward and Send backward under Layer, or the Layers tab, to change the order before you click Masking Selection.

Why is Masking Selection greyed out?

You need to select exactly two objects, and both must be images, shapes, icons, SVG files, emojis or text. It doesn't work with videos, GIFs, plugins or groups.

Can I undo a mask?

Not directly. Undo doesn't bring the two original objects back, and there's no button to take a mask apart. Instead, remove the masked image, add the picture and the shape again, and mask them again. The original picture is still in your Library.

Where is the masked image saved?

In your Library, in a folder called Masking selection, as a PNG file. You can add it to other slides like any other image.

Can I use text or an emoji as the shape?

Yes. Put the text or emoji on top of the picture, select both, and click Masking Selection. The picture then shows through the letters or the emoji.

Why does my masked image look blurry?

The masked image is made at the size the slide is shown in the editor. Zoom in with Zoom in in the dark bar before masking, and wait until the picture looks sharp in the editor. Then mask again.

Why did I get Failed to save changes when masking?

Check that the two objects overlap. If the shape doesn't cover any part of the picture, there's nothing to keep. Also check your Internet connection, because the result is saved in your Library.

Which file types are supported?

We support most formats; see supported file types.

What is the recommended file type?

In general, photos should be in JPG or PNG format. SVG (Scalable Vector Graphics) files are also a great choice. Vector graphics scale without losing quality.

Can I replace an Image?

Yes, click the image, and you'll find Replace Assets on the right side (Settings). Keep in mind if you replace an image, it will be replaced anywhere it's used.

Can I lock the position of an image?

You can lock any object you have in your content. Locking an object ensures that the object stays where it’s supposed to be, and can not be resized or removed; read more about Locking Objects.

What is the recommended image resolution in pixels?

The best resolution for images depends on which kind of TV and media player you have. HD format (1920×1080) will be sufficient in most cases; however, if you have a 4K (3840 × 2160) setup, then you should use images in 4K resolution for the most optimal quality.

We don’t recommend using higher-resolution images than your setup capability. If your TV is capable of 1920×1080 pixels, using a large  4K (3840 × 2160) image will only make it more difficult for the player to load and render, as it has 4 times the pixels and needs to be downscaled, thus slowing down your player device. The same reasoning can be applied for images that you’re not using in full screen – if your image only takes up a quarter of the space on the canvas, you should use (roughly) equivalent resolution.

The image has changed upon uploading

Our service will automatically try to optimize the image to reduce the file size – this is to keep our storage space low and also make the service faster, as smaller files load faster. PNG lossless files that have no transparency (alpha channel) are converted to lossy JPG format, but we try to keep the loss in quality as little as possible.

If your image is larger than 4K resolution 3840 × 2160 (or  2160 x 3840 for portrait images), it will be automatically scaled down to 4K resolution while maintaining an aspect ratio. This is because there is no practical use for gigantic images and they can potentially crash entry-level players with limited RAM.

If you need higher resolution images, say for a video wall configuration, you can turn off this option in Profile -> Default Values -> Library defaults -> Downscale high-resolution content to 4k

My 4K image is blurry

If you have a lot of information in a 4K image, such as a lot of text in a food menu, the fine details may become blurred or unreadable in your content. A workaround to this issue is to convert your image to a short 4K video. You may use the software of your choice to do so. Below are a couple of examples.

Convert image to 5 second 4k video using ffmpeg command line tool:
ffmpeg -loop 1 -i input.png -t 5 -vf "scale=3840:2160:flags=lanczos" -c:v libx264 -crf 18 -preset medium -pix_fmt yuv420p -r 30 -movflags +faststart output.mp4 Convert image to 5-second 4K video using DaVinci Resolve 20:

1. Start a 4K project/timeline

Open Resolve → New Project.

Click the gear icon (bottom-right) → Master Settings.

Set Timeline Resolution to 3840 × 2160 Ultra HD. Click Save.

Tip (slideshow): If you’ll add lots of photos, set the default still duration now: DaVinci Resolve → Preferences → User → Editing → Standard Still Duration.

2. Import your image(s)

Go to the Edit page.

File → Import → Media… and choose your photo(s).

Drag them to the timeline in the order you want.

3. Make the image fill the 4K frame (no black bars)

Select the clip on the timeline → open the Inspector → under Transform, adjust Zoom/Position as needed.

If your image aspect ratio doesn’t match, set scaling behavior: Project Settings → Image Scaling → Input Scaling and pick:

Scale entire image to fit (keeps full image, may add bars), or

Scale full frame with crop (fills frame, crops edges). Click Save.

4. Control how long the image stays on screen

Right-click the clip → Change Clip Duration… and enter the length (e.g., 00:00:05:00 for 5 seconds).

5. Export a real 4K file

Go to the Deliver page.

Render Settings → Custom Export.

Format: MP4

Codec: H.264

Resolution: 3840 × 2160; set your desired Frame rate (e.g., 24/30/60).

Add to Render Queue → Render All.

If you see a warning about "render higher than timeline resolution," your timeline isn’t 4K—go back to step 1 and set Timeline Resolution to 3840×2160

Image settings (click an image, Settings tab)

• Alignment and cropping: Fit to canvas, align left, center, right, top, center and bottom, the padlock (Lock and Unlock), and Crop image
• Details: the file name and the image size in pixels
• Replace Asset: replaces the image on one or more slides
• Layer: Bring forward and Send backward
• Rotate: the angle (0 to 360), a slider, Rotate counter clockwise, Rotate clockwise, Flip horizontal and Flip vertical
• Positioning: Top and Left
• Sizing: Width and Height
• Opacity: how see-through the image is (0 to 1)
• On Click: the slide to jump to when the image is tapped on a touch screen

Flip buttons on shapes and icons

Circle, Rectangle, Triangle and Icons have the same four buttons under Rotate: Rotate counter clockwise, Rotate clockwise, Flip horizontal and Flip vertical.

When several objects are selected (Settings tab → Actions)

• [number] objects selected: how many objects you've selected
• Align selected objects: lines up the selected objects
• Center selected objects: centers the selected objects
• Group objects: makes the selected objects one group. Greyed out if the selection includes a video (Videos cannot be grouped)
• Masking Selection: cuts the bottom object into the shape of the top object. Only works with exactly two supported objects (Select exactly 2 supported visual objects)

Group settings (click a group, Settings tab)

• Alignment: align left, center, right, top, center and bottom, and the padlock
• Actions → Ungroup: makes the objects separate again
• Layer: Bring forward and Send backward
• Rotate: the angle, a slider, Rotate counter clockwise, Rotate clockwise, Flip horizontal and Flip vertical
• Positioning: Top and Left
• Sizing: Width and Height

The dark bar above the slide

• Undo and Redo: undo or redo your last changes, including flip, group and ungroup (not Masking Selection)
• Copy and Paste: copy the selected objects and paste them on this or another slide, also in another playlist
• Remove: removes the selected objects from the slide
• Zoom in and Zoom out: make the slide bigger or smaller in the editor
• Shortcuts: shows the keyboard shortcuts

Keyboard shortcuts in the editor

• Arrow keys: move the selected objects 1 pixel. Hold Shift to move them 10 pixels
• Esc: deselect
• Ctrl + A (Cmd + A on Mac): select all
• Ctrl + C and Ctrl + V (Cmd + C and Cmd + V on Mac): copy and paste
• Delete, Backspace or Ctrl + D (Cmd + D on Mac): remove the selected objects
• Ctrl + Z and Ctrl + Y (Cmd + Z and Cmd + Y on Mac): undo and redo
• Shift + click: add an object to the selection

Read more on our Shortcuts page: https://playsignage.com/support/shortcuts/