How to Change a Video’s Aspect Ratio in OpenShot

Short answer: change the OpenShot project profile to the target dimensions and frame rate, then reframe each clip with Best Fit, Crop, or Stretch. Before exporting, make the export profile match the project profile unless you intentionally need a different output.

1. Choose the target format first

Aspect ratio is the relationship between a video’s width and height. Common targets include:

Use case	Orientation	Typical geometry	Framing choice
Desktop, YouTube, presentations	Landscape	16:9	Best Fit or Crop
TikTok, YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels	Portrait	9:16	Crop to keep the subject large
Instagram feed and square posts	Square	1:1	Crop or Best Fit
Older television or archival work	Landscape	4:3	Best Fit when all content must remain visible

Decide these points before editing:

Must every pixel of the source remain visible?
Can the left and right or top and bottom edges be trimmed?
Are black bars acceptable?
What resolution and frame rate does the destination require?

2. Change the OpenShot project profile

Open the project in OpenShot.
Open the Project Profile chooser. In many layouts this is available from the profile control above the preview.
Select a profile with the target orientation, dimensions, frame rate, and display aspect ratio.
Set the profile before doing detailed edits whenever possible. The profile controls the editing canvas and preview.
Save the project.

For a vertical video, choose a profile whose height is greater than its width. For a square video, choose equal width and height. Keep the frame rate appropriate for the source and destination; changing dimensions does not require changing frame rate.

3. Reframe clips after changing the profile

Changing the canvas does not automatically produce a good composition. Select each clip and choose a scaling mode that matches your goal.

Mode	Result	Use it when	Trade-off
Best Fit	Shows the complete source image inside the new frame.	You cannot lose any content.	May leave black bars.
Crop	Fills the new frame and cuts off outer areas.	You want a full frame with no bars.	Edges and sometimes subjects are removed.
Stretch	Fills the frame by changing the image’s proportions.	Only when distortion is acceptable.	People and objects can look visibly wider or taller.
None	Leaves the clip at its original size.	Rare cases where original sizing is intentional.	Usually leaves empty space after a profile change.

For portrait conversions, start with Crop and inspect faces, text, and products near the edges. If important content is cut off, switch to Best Fit and accept bars, or adjust the clip’s position and scale manually. OpenShot’s Crop effect can remove unwanted outer areas, but the removed pixels cannot be recovered in the export.

4. Reposition and animate the crop

Move the playhead to a representative moment in the clip.
Use the clip’s transform controls to change position and scale until the subject is inside the target frame.
Check the beginning, middle, and end of the clip. A subject can move out of frame even when the first frame looks correct.
Add keyframes when the subject moves. Animate position or scale so the crop follows the action.
Repeat for every clip, image, title, and overlay.

Titles and overlays also need review. A title positioned safely in 16:9 may be outside a 9:16 frame. Keep important text away from the outer edges, where platform controls may cover it.

5. Create a custom profile when no built-in profile fits

If the required dimensions or frame rate are missing, duplicate or edit an OpenShot profile and save it with a unique name. OpenShot documents user profiles in:

~/.openshot_qt/profiles/ on Linux and macOS-style installations
C:\Users\USERNAME\.openshot_qt\profiles on Windows

A profile contains the description, frame-rate numerator and denominator, width, height, progressive or interlaced setting, sample or pixel aspect ratio, and display aspect ratio.

Copy a profile close to the format you need.
Give the copy a unique description.
Set width and height. Reversing them is the basic change for a portrait geometry.
Set the frame-rate numerator and denominator to the intended rate.
Set progressive or interlaced mode to match the source and delivery requirement.
Set the sample or pixel aspect ratio and display aspect ratio consistently with the dimensions.
Save the profile, restart or refresh OpenShot if necessary, and select it from the Project Profile chooser.

Do not change only the display ratio while leaving incompatible dimensions or pixel-ratio values. Those fields work together; inconsistent values can make the preview and encoded file disagree.

6. Export with a matching profile

Choose File → Export Video.
In Simple mode, select the target and video profile.
In Advanced mode, verify the profile, width, height, display aspect ratio, and pixel ratio.
Confirm that the export profile matches the project profile unless a deliberate conversion is required.
Export a short section first and inspect it on the destination device or platform.

The export profile normally defaults to the current project profile, but it can be changed. A mismatch can stretch the image, crop it, add black bars, or make the exported file look different from the OpenShot preview.

7. Pick the right strategy for common conversions

Landscape to portrait (16:9 to 9:16)

Switch to a 9:16 project profile.
Use Crop for a full-height, platform-ready frame.
Reposition the crop around the speaker or action.
Use keyframes when the subject moves horizontally.

Use Best Fit when the entire landscape must remain visible; the result will usually have bars above and below or on the sides depending on the geometry.

Portrait to landscape (9:16 to 16:9)

Crop can remove substantial top and bottom content. Best Fit preserves the portrait image but leaves side bars. Stretch fills the frame but distorts the subject and is rarely suitable for people.

Landscape or portrait to square (1:1)

Place the most important content near the center before cropping. Check subtitles, logos, and faces at every scene change.

Changing only the display ratio

Do this only when the pixel dimensions and pixel aspect ratio are already correct for the delivery format. Otherwise, change the full profile so the canvas, encoded dimensions, and display metadata agree.

8. Troubleshooting

Symptom	Likely cause	Fix
Black bars appear	Best Fit preserves the source ratio inside a different canvas.	Accept the bars, or use Crop and reframe the subject.
People look stretched	Stretch changed the image ratio, or profile pixel-ratio values conflict.	Use Best Fit or Crop and verify width, height, display ratio, and pixel ratio.
Important content is missing	Crop removed the outer area.	Reduce scale, reposition, use keyframes, or switch to Best Fit.
Preview and export differ	Export profile does not match the project profile.	Match the profiles and confirm dimensions in Advanced export settings.
Vertical profile is unavailable	No built-in profile has the required geometry.	Create a custom profile with reversed width and height and consistent ratio fields.
Only some clips have bars	Source clips have different ratios or scaling modes.	Inspect each clip and apply the intended mode individually.
Subject leaves the frame	A fixed crop does not follow movement.	Add position or scale keyframes through the shot.
Text is cut off	Titles or captions were placed for the old canvas.	Reposition overlays inside the new safe area and preview the full timeline.

9. Quality, performance, and reliability checklist

Use the destination profile before detailed editing to reduce rework.
Keep the source frame rate unless the delivery target requires another rate.
Preview representative frames from every scene, especially after a ratio change.
Render a short test export before exporting the complete timeline.
For large projects, edit and preview at a practical resolution, then export at the required final dimensions.
Keep a copy of the original project and source media so reframing decisions can be changed later.
Verify the final file’s pixel dimensions and display ratio with a media player or inspection tool before uploading.

10. Or skip the browser setup

If what you need is a clean image of a web page at a particular viewport rather than a rendered video, ScreenshotNeo provides a single screenshot request. See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for all options.

curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);

ScreenshotNeo removes cookie banners, newsletter popups, and chat widgets before the shot. Bot checks, blank pages, failed loads, timeouts, and cache hits are not billed, and the response identifies the result with X-Page-Verdict and X-Billed headers. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and the free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account.

FAQ

Can I change the aspect ratio without changing resolution?

You can change display metadata in some workflows, but a reliable conversion normally changes the project dimensions as well. Otherwise the player may stretch or letterbox the result.

Should I use Crop or Best Fit?

Use Crop when filling the destination frame matters and edge loss is acceptable. Use Best Fit when every part of the source must remain visible.

Is Stretch ever appropriate?

Only when distortion is harmless or intentional. It is usually unsuitable for people, products, architecture, and text.

Why does the exported video have a different shape from the preview?

The export profile may differ from the project profile. Match the two and verify width, height, display ratio, and pixel ratio in Advanced export settings.

No. Use a built-in profile when it matches the platform’s dimensions and frame rate. Create a custom profile only when the required combination is unavailable.