How to change aspect ratio size in Premiere Pro (complete guide)

You can use Adobe Premiere Pro to edit video clips, and work with other multimedia content. It’s an excellent way to create videos to share with the world. You can even use Premiere Pro to change the aspect ratio of your audiovisual projects.

To be successful, your audiences need to be able to watch your videos on their favorite devices! Screens come in all shapes and sizes. You can optimize your content to cover the entirety of those screens when you understand aspect ratio.

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro. Knowing how to set aspect ratio in Premiere Pro is a key skill for any video editor. It’s all about optimizing your content for the target device. Let’s learn more.

Why Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro?

Before we learn how to change Premiere Pro aspect ratio, it’s key to learn why. Let’s define aspect ratio, and learn why it’s such a useful adjustment for you to make in Premiere Pro. After all, when you know the details, learning how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro becomes much easier. 

So, what is aspect ratio? In short, it’s a measure of the relative width to height of a video. You’ll see it expressed as a ratio: think 4:3, 16:9, and so on. It really controls how videos appear on a given screen. 

Ever watched a widescreen movie on an old television? It won’t fill the screen, and you’ll see black bands at the top and bottom. Similarly, if you were to change the video size in Premiere Pro to a square video, it would have bands on the sides when displayed on a widescreen. 

These different video shapes and sizes are fueled by their aspect ratio. As you can see, it’s key to choose the right aspect ratio. This way, you can fill a screen without leaving any empty space. And you can avoid cutting off any of your video contents. The key is to choose the right aspect ratio in advance. Luckily, you can use Adobe Premiere to change video dimensions!

Let’s get started. We’ll learn how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, step by step.

1. Choose an Aspect Ratio to Use

When you think of how to set aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, the key is to plan ahead. The best way to create a successful project is to choose an aspect ratio ahead of time.

And to do that, you’ll want to think of how and where audiences will be viewing your videos. Check out the table below for a list of some of the most common aspect ratios. You’ll see what they are, and where they’re commonly used. This is the first step in using Premiere to trim dimension sizes.

When in doubt, a 16:9 ratio is a great option. It will be viewable on virtually any screen. And for more modern devices, you’ll see it fill the screen when in landscape mode. Some of the other ratios (like 1:1 for social media) are useful in specific settings. But they might look distorted elsewhere, or leave too much empty space on a larger display. 

2. Create a New Sequence

Once you’ve picked an aspect ratio, it’s time to get to work. Here, you’ll do the Premiere Pro change aspect ratio tasks. The first thing to do is create a new sequence. 

What is a sequence? Well, think of a sequence as the framework in which you’ll craft a new video project. It’s almost like a blank canvas. You’ll set up a sequence, and then start adding content. This content of course includes videos. But it may also include audio, still images, graphics, and more. 

A sequence is the firm foundation upon which your finished movie is built. When you think of how to flip a video in Premiere or change its aspect ratio, you’ll want to make this adjustment to a sequence. That way, your chosen aspect ratio will apply to all of the content in the sequence. You won’t have to adjust each individual multimedia asset.

To look at how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, we’ll first need to create a new sequence. To do that, go to the File dropdown. You’ll find this in the upper left corner of the Premiere Pro window. Then, hover over New. And from the list of options, click Sequence. 

Just like that, Adobe Premiere Pro will create a new sequence. Now, we can look at using Premiere to trim dimension size of videos. 

3. Navigate to the Sequence Settings

When you choose to create a new sequence in Premiere Pro, the New Sequence menu will appear in the center of your screen. On this menu, you’ll see several tabs across the top. They’re labeled Sequence Presets, Settings, Tracks, and VR Video.

Click on Settings. When you do, notice the list of options that appears. Specifically, locate the Video group. It’s found in the upper half of the New Sequence > Settings menu that you just launched.

4. Specify a New Sequence Aspect Ratio

The Frame Size specifies the aspect ratio. In Premiere Pro, it defaults to 1920×1080. Remember seeing a TV that told you it had a 1080p resolution? That measure referred to the aspect ratio in use here.

In the box to the right, you’ll see that Adobe Premiere Pro gauges the aspect ratio specified. Here, this is the classic 16:9 ratio.

For example here, let’s use a 4:3 aspect ratio. In essence, 4:3 refers to a frame that is four pixels wide by three pixels tall. And remember, this is a ratio, not a set size. Like any other aspect ratio, a 4:3 frame might fit on a postage stamp. Or it might cover a movie screen!

A very common 4:3 ratio is 1024×768. Go ahead and keyboard 1024 into the Horizontal box. Premiere Pro will not automatically update the Vertical (height) value. For a perfect 4:3 ratio, enter 768 in the Vertical box. 

These same settings control any aspect ratio that you want to use. For example, for a 1:1 social media video for Instagram, you might enter values of 1000 and 1000. Again, the key is to know where your video will be shared. Then, you can change video size in Premiere Pro to choose the best fit possible. 

Need help getting the numeric values right? Handy websites like Calculate Aspect Ratios let you input a desired aspect ratio. Then, you can specify the width, and the height will be calculated for you. 

As you work, Premiere Pro will show you the active aspect ratio in use over on the right side. Again, this is how to set aspect ratio in Premiere Pro with ease.  

When you’ve chosen your aspect ratio, click OK. That’s it! In a few moments, you’ve learned how to change Premiere Pro aspect ratio. When you know how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, you can easily control exactly how your videos appear on audiences’ screens. 

5. Adjust and Edit Your Video Content

You’ve learned how to set aspect ratio in Premiere Pro. But your work may not be done. Back on your main Premiere Pro workspace, let’s add some content. For example here, let’s use this stunning rocket launch stock footage  from Envato.

With the video in place on the Timeline, look at the preview image. It’s the still frame from the video shown in the Program Monitor in the upper center of Premiere Pro. But look what happened.

This clip is a 1920x1080p widescreen clip. That means that it has a 16:9 aspect ratio. But our project sequence is set to 4:3. What do we do?

The key here is to move digital assets so that they fit within your chosen aspect ratio. Fortunately, this is easy. Activate the Selection Tool in the upper left of your Premiere Pro screen. Then, double-click on the video preview.

You can now drag the video around. The visible portions will appear in your exported finished product. But if you don’t see part of a video, it won’t appear in the export. It’s an easy way to use Premiere Pro to change aspect ratios.

Simply repeat these same steps before exporting your finished video project. It only takes a few moments, but the value is immeasurable. Using Adobe Premiere to change video dimensions will help you create polished, professional videos that audiences will love and enjoy. 

Taking the time to make these edits ensures that every video looks just how you want with your chosen Premiere Pro aspect ratio. It’s how to change aspect ratio in Premiere in a way that helps you share all of your favorite clips – just how you want. 

The Top Source for Premiere Pro Templates (With Unlimited Downloads)

Wondering how best to get started in Adobe Premiere Pro? Premium Adobe Premiere Pro templates are your best friend. And the ultimate source for these is Envato.

Envato has thousands of premium Adobe Premiere templates to explore. The offer is powerful. For a flat monthly rate, you can download and use as many of these as you want! 

That’s only a small part of what Envato offers. As a member, you’ll enjoy unlimited access to over 15 million digital assets – and counting. Among these are fonts, stock photos, music, stock footage, and so much more. 

Envato: it’s truly a one-stop-shop for all of your creative needs. And everything is included for one low monthly membership fee.

When you choose a premium Adobe Premiere Pro project template from Envato, you’ll experience:

• Cinematic designs. Want a video that looks like the pros made it? You’ll get exactly that. Envato Premiere Pro templates are built by video experts. They’re made with your needs foremost in mind.
• Easy-to-use layouts. Premiere Pro can be daunting. But it doesn’t have to be. Nor do you have to be a skilled editor with years of experience. Premium templates let you craft your own amazing productions in moments. You can do it just by dropping in your own content.
• Helpful features. Many templates include handy tutorials in the download. And often, you’ll even enjoy video tutorial walkthroughs that show you exactly what to do.

As you can see, Envato is the ultimate value in 2024. Join right now and get started exploring the vast library. You’ll be glad you did.

Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro Today

In this tutorial, you learned how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro. As you can see, it’s a simple, easy process. When you know how to change Premiere Pro aspect ratio, you can control the shape and size of your finished video projects. This way, you can ensure that they perfectly fit the screens that your audience will be using. Just remember to review your content to be sure it fits nicely within your chosen frame size.

So, what are you waiting for? Put your new skills to work today. Start changing Premiere Pro aspect ratios to make the most of every screen. When you do, you’ll create more viewer-focused productions.