Canvas Studio automatically selects a random frame from your video as the thumbnail, instead of using the first frame.

If you want to change the thumbnail and use a specific image, you can follow these steps:

To change the thumbnail in Canvas Studio:

Video-guide

Here, Carina Bois (3:17 min) shows how to replace the automatic thumbnail for an upload video to Canvas Studio. Instructions on how to save a PowerPoint slide as a png i.e. image can be found at the bottom of the page

This is how you do it

Go to your Studio Library and find the video you want to edit.
Click the options menu (the three dots) next to the video.
Select "Replace Thumbnail" from the menu.
Upload an image from your computer that you want to use as your thumbnail.

Tips:

For best results, your thumbnail should be about 1000 pixels wide and 512 pixels high, to keep the right aspect ratio.
If you want to use a specific frame from the video, you can pause the video at the right moment, take a screenshot, and then upload it as a new thumbnail.

Make your video easier to find

Changing thumbnails isn't just about hiding an image you don't like – it also makes it easier to find the right video. Choosing a thumbnail that matches your video title will make it easier for you to navigate your videos and for us to provide support if you need help finding a specific video.

In particular, we recommend that teachers and administrators:

Publishes the video title as the title of the Canvas page above the embedded video.
Specifies the length of the video and who is speaking, which is valuable information for students.
Uses a clear thumbnail with a title that matches the video title.

This not only makes the content more manageable for students, but also makes it easier if a video should disappear – then the title remains on the Canvas page and can easily be used to find or restore the video.

Export a PowerPoint slide as PNG

Open your PowerPoint presentation
- Start Microsoft PowerPoint and open the presentation that contains the slide you want to export.
Select the slide you want to export
- Click on the specific slide in the left side panel.
Go to "Export"
- Click "File" in the menu bar.
- Select "Export."
Select "Change File Type"
- Under "Export," click "Change File Type."
Select Image Format
- Under the "Image File Types" section, select "PNG – Portable Network Graphics Format".
- Then click on "Save As".
Choose where you want to save the image
- Browse to the folder where you want to save the image.
Choose whether to export one or all slides
- A window will pop up with the question,
  "Do you want to export all the images or just the current one?"
- Select "Only this" if you want to save only the selected slide.
Finished!
- Your slide is now saved as a PNG image in the selected folder. You can now select this image as the new thumbnail for your video in Canvas Studio.