How to Quickly Add Filters to Videos in CapCut

In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to add the best filters in CapCut. Filters let you transform the look and feel of any video. And with CapCut, they’re remarkably simple to add. It only takes a few quick steps. 

CapCut is a flexible mobile video app. It’s made by ByteDance, the creators of TikTok. With CapCut, you can edit and publish cool videos right from your phone. And CapCut includes an array of useful features and tools to make your videos more interesting. Let’s look at how to adjust filters in a CapCut template. 

What Are Filters in CapCut?

So what are filters in CapCut? You may have heard of video filters, but what are they, and what do they do?

In short, filters in CapCut are pre-built overlays that you can apply to a video clip. These overlay filters change the look and feel of the video clip. What they do is adjust the visual and stylistic parameters. 

You’ll see changes to the color, contrast, brightness, hues, tones, and so much more. Every filter is different, but they serve as one-click adjustments that transform footage into something completely different.

Add filters in CapCut, and you’ll enjoy great benefits like:

• The ability to control the mood of your clips. Filters set the tone for any video clip. For example, a sepia filter delivers a retro vibe.
• A consistent visual aesthetic. When you use similar filters across your projects, they’ll become recognizable as your own work. Filters let you develop your own visual style that audiences can easily recognize. 
• Corrections of video defects and visual issues. Filters smooth over visual issues that naturally occur when you record videos. They make any clip look better.
• Boosts to your production quality. Filters deliver a professional look to your work. They’re a good way to elevate amateur-filmed footage to a higher level.

As you can see, it’s a great idea to adjust filters in a CapCut template. Now, let’s learn how to do it!

How to Add Filters in CapCut (Step by Step)

CapCut is both a desktop and mobile app. For our tutorial, we’ll work with CapCut on iOS 17. You can also download CapCut from the Google Play store. And it’s available for Mac and Windows PCs. The workflow for adding filters is quite similar in any of these versions.

You’ll also see a stock video clip in use. It’s sourced from the vast Envato Elements library. Want to follow along in real time? Download the video clip I’m using to demonstrate.

1. Import Footage

Let’s start learning how to use the best filters in CapCut. To begin, you’ll need to select video footage to edit and work with. In CapCut, video work is handled within projects. Think of a project as any video that you’re producing and editing.

Open CapCut on your mobile device. On the bottom of the screen, you’ll see five menu tabs: Edit, Templates, Library, Inbox, and Me. Make sure that you’re working on the first of these, the one labeled Edit. 

On the Edit tab, look in the upper half of your screen. In blue is the New project field. To choose a video to add filters to, select New project by tapping on it. When you do, your device’s Camera Roll will open. Browse to a video that you want to work with. Click to select it, and then choose Add in the lower right corner.

Just like that, you’ve imported video footage into CapCut. You’re now ready to start adding cool filters. 

2. Open the Filters Panel

Once you’ve created a project and added video footage, it’s time to get to work. You’ll find yourself on the main Edit view inside CapCut. Front and center, you’ll see your video clip displayed. Right below it, you’ll notice a new menu bar.

On this menu bar are all the controls you’ll use when you edit video in CapCut. The default setting is Edit, followed by Audio, Text, Effects, and more. The menu bar is scrollable: drag from right to left on your screen to see all of the available tabs.

From the menu bar, you’ll want to open the Filters panel. It’s accessible by tapping on the Filters button. 

3. Choose and Apply Effects

With the Filters menu open, you can add an array of visual filters to your video. You’ll find them grouped into categories on the Filters tab. By default, you’ll see the Featured section. These are trendy filters that are currently popular.

Thus, you may see different options here each time that you open the app. Then, you can see other categories. For example, Pro, Life, Scenery, Movies, and Portrait are all good choices.

Explore the categories to see all of your options. Then, when you choose a filter that you want to use, click to apply it. Notice that some are labeled Pro. These are part of the premium CapCut tier and are available to purchase.

When you click on a filter, it’s applied instantly.

4. Customize Filters in CapCut

Once you’ve added a filter in CapCut, you can make changes. The ability to adjust filters in a CapCut template lets you control the intensity of a filter effect. In other words, you can make an extreme transformation with a filter, or you can dial it back to create very subtle adjustments. 

These changes are made using the Intensity slider. You’ll find it on the Filters menu tab, once you tap to apply a filter. You can preview adjustments in real time. To use it, simply pull the slider left and right. Moving left reduces the filter intensity; moving to the right amplifies it. 

Find a setting you like? Tap on the checkmark in the lower right corner of your CapCut screen. Just like that, your filter is locked in.

Use CapCut Filters Today

In this tutorial, you learned how to add the best filters in CapCut. As you can see, it’s a quick and effortless process. Simply launch the Filters tab and choose a cool effect to apply.

In seconds, you’ll completely alter the visual look of your videos. So why wait? Try new ideas and explore your filtering options! It’s a quick, easy way to make amazing videos in moments.