# Extract Frames — Extract frames or a thumbnail from a video on Mac

Save a still, a frame every few seconds, or a contact sheet of the whole video. Part of OneMacTools, 151 private tools in one native Mac app (macOS 26 or later); category: Video. Runs on your Mac; nothing is uploaded.

Grab a single frame at an exact time, export a frame every 1 to 30 seconds, or make a contact sheet grid that shows the whole video at a glance.

Page: https://www.onemactools.com/tools/extract-frames · Download: https://www.onemactools.com/download · Pricing: https://www.onemactools.com/pricing

## How to use it
1. **Install FFmpeg once.** The first time, OneMacTools offers to install FFmpeg through Homebrew with one click.
2. **Drop your videos.** Add one video or several.
3. **Choose what to extract.** Pick One frame, Every few seconds or Contact sheet, then set the time, interval or grid that appears for it.
4. **Choose the format.** Save the frames as JPEG for smaller files or PNG for lossless stills.
5. **Click Extract.** Frames are saved in a new dated folder in Downloads › OneMacTools; frames taken every few seconds go into their own subfolder. Open them with the Preview (eye) button or Show in Finder. Your video is unchanged.

## Options
- **Extract:** One frame saves a single still at a time you choose. Every few seconds saves a frame at a regular interval through the whole video. Contact sheet saves one image with a grid of frames spread evenly across the video.
- **At:** Shown when Extract is One frame. The time of the frame, such as 0:05 or 1:23.5. Leave it empty for the very first frame.
- **Every:** Shown when Extract is Every few seconds. 1, 2, 5 (the default), 10 or 30 seconds between frames.
- **Grid:** Shown when Extract is Contact sheet. 3 × 3, 4 × 4 (the default), 5 × 5 or 6 × 6 frames.
- **Format:** JPEG or PNG. JPEG is saved at high quality and is much smaller; PNG is lossless and best if you'll edit the stills.

## Tips
- To find the exact moment for a single frame, pause the video in QuickTime Player and read the time, including tenths of a second.
- Every 1 second on a long video makes a lot of files. Start with 5 or 10 seconds and go finer only if you need to.
- For a sharp YouTube thumbnail chosen for you, try Thumbnail & Contact Sheet, which scores frames for sharpness.
- Use PNG when you'll edit or upscale the stills, and JPEG when you just need to look through them or share them.
- Frames are full size, so 4K footage gives 4K stills. Run Resize Images on them if you need smaller copies.

## Questions
**How do I extract a frame from a video on a Mac?**
Drop the video onto Extract Frames, choose One frame, type the time in At (such as 0:05) and click Extract. The still is saved as a full-size JPEG or PNG.

**How do I save a frame every second from a video?**
Choose Every few seconds and set Every to 1 second. The frames are saved, numbered in order, in a folder named after the video.

**What is a contact sheet?**
A single image with a grid of frames taken evenly across the video, so you can see the whole thing at a glance. Choose a grid from 3 × 3 to 6 × 6.

**Are the frames full quality?**
Yes. Frames are saved at the video's full resolution. JPEGs use a high quality setting; PNGs are lossless.

**How do I get a thumbnail for YouTube?**
Use One frame at the moment you want, or try Thumbnail & Contact Sheet, which picks the sharpest, best-exposed frames for you.

**Why does it say my video is only a few seconds long?**
The time in At is later than the end of the video. Choose a time within its length.