How do I take a screenshot of my PS3 theme?

Themezer uses the preview embedded in your .p3t file when it can decode it. You can replace it with an image of your choice. If you want to show exactly how your theme looks on a console, follow these screenshot instructions.

1280×720 and 1920×1080 screenshots work well.

Capture with webMAN MOD

These instructions assume your modded PS3 already has the full edition of webMAN MOD running.

1. Install and apply your theme, then leave the console on the XMB home menu with its background and custom icons visible. Close notifications and menus that obscure the theme.
2. Under Settings → Display Settings → Video Output Settings, use 720p or 1080p with a compatible display. Check the saved image’s dimensions before uploading; the video output setting alone does not guarantee a particular capture size.
3. Find your console’s IP address under Settings → System Settings → System Information. Connect your PC to the same local network.
4. In your PC’s browser, open http://YOUR-PS3-IP/xmb.ps3$screenshot?show, replacing YOUR-PS3-IP with your console’s address. This captures and displays the XMB. Do not add the ?fast option, which reduces capture size and quality.
5. Save the displayed image to your PC. webMAN MOD captures in BMP format; open it in an image editor and export as PNG without resizing. Renaming the file extension does not convert it.
6. Upload the PNG alongside your .p3t file on Themezer. PNG, JPEG and WebP images up to 10 MiB and 4096 pixels per side are accepted. Themezer converts the screenshot to WebP, fitting it within 720p without enlargement.

The full edition also provides the L2 + R2 + SELECT + START XMB screenshot shortcut. The PC browser method is convenient because you can save the capture directly to your computer. See the webMAN MOD screenshot commands and controller shortcuts.

Other capture and transfer options

An unmodified PS3 does not offer a general XMB screenshot function. To capture the home menu on an unmodified console, use compatible external capture hardware. PS3 HDMI uses HDCP, so ordinary HDMI capture cards may not work; check your device’s PS3 support.

For images already visible in the PS3’s Photo library, select the image, press Triangle → Copy, and choose a USB drive. The image is copied into the drive’s PICTURE folder; connect the drive to your PC to retrieve it. This is separate from webMAN MOD’s browser capture. See Sony’s image-copy instructions.

If the embedded preview is missing or unsupported, choose a PNG, JPEG or WebP image at least 320×180 to finish your upload.