How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro [5 TYPES]

No matter how you consume your videos, films and television, an aspect ratio will be an important factor. Aspect ratios in Premiere Pro are an incredibly important part of the filmmaking process, not just the editing process – they dictate how the viewer will consume your film. Let’s learn How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro.

That’s why you must consider where your project will be shown, and the aspect ratio needed to do this. This guide will look at what an aspect ratio is and how to create and edit an aspect ratio in Premiere Pro.

How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro

Here’s how to set up and change aspect ratios in Premiere Pro. To change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, simply:

• Click: File > New > Sequence and click on the Settings tab. 

• Then under the Video section, you need to update the Vertical value. This should be a horizontal value divided by your aspect ratio. 
• Horizontal Value divided by Aspect Ratio = Vertical Value. 
• The Aspect Ratio can only be updated by altering either of your footage vertical or horizontal values.

Below is how you set the aspect ratio of a Sequence in Premiere Pro.

Video on How to Change Aspect Ratio in Premiere Pro

Here’s a quick video on how to change the aspect ratio within Premiere:

What is an aspect ratio?

An aspect ratio is essentially the width and the height of the image. It determines how your video will project onto a screen and a filmmaking component that must be considered before distributing to your preferred channels (Cinema, television, social media, Youtube, etc.).  

The aspect ratio is written with two numbers and a colon. For example, 4:3 for a fullscreen aspect ratio and 9:16 for a vertical aspect ratio, this is perfect for mobile phones and uploading YouTube shorts or TikTok videos. Let’s look at how to change aspect ratio in Premiere Pro:

What are the different types of aspect ratios?

Here’s a brief overview of the different types of aspect ratios and what they’re used for. Read our guide on aspect ratios and frame sizes for a more in-depth view of aspect ratios and how to decide which one is best for you.

• Widescreen (16:9) – used for online videos, documentaries, and films.
• Vertical (9:16) – commonly used on mobile phones.
• Fullscreen (4:3) – this was used before widescreen was introduced.
• Square (1:1) – this is currently used for social media. 
• Anamorphic (2.40:1) – used in the movies and gives your footage a cinematic feel.

How to fade out audio in Premiere Pro

Playback Speed in Premiere Pro: Everything you need to know

How to set the aspect ratio of a sequence in Premiere Pro

Here we show you how to set the aspect ratio of a sequence in Premiere Pro. To do this, simply: 

Create your sequence in Premiere Pro and select File > New > Sequence. Here’s our in-depth guide on how to create a sequence in Premiere Pro and the best sequence settings in Premiere Pro to help you with part one. 

Now, go to the Settings tab of the New Sequence in the dialogue box. Select the Settings tab.

Now under Video, you enter the Frame Size(height) and horizontal (width). Now, Premiere Pro automatically generates the aspect ratio.

Complete the horizontal and vertical fields, name the sequence, and click OK.

And there you have it. That is how you set the aspect ratio of a sequence in Premiere Pro. 

How to crop aspect ratio in Premiere Pro

To crop an aspect ratio in Premiere Pro follow these simple steps: 

Simply open up the Effects Panel: Window > Effect Controls.

Now, select your clip, and to crop the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, use the Scale and Position function that sits under the Motion tab to crop the aspect ratio. 

Note: Watch your video the entire way through before exporting in Premiere Pro to ensure the framing still works with the camera movement etc.

Read our ultimate guide on how to crop in Premiere Pro.

How to change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro for Instagram

To change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro for Instagram, it’s relatively simple. Follow our steps above on how to change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro. 

But to achieve the Instagram aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, you need to follow the steps and then set the frame size in Premiere Pro to a Square (1:1) – this is the aspect ratio you will need to use to create a high-resolution, perfect fit for Instagram. 

Simply set it to: 

1080 [​​horizontal] x [vertical] 1080px. 

This will give you a high-quality resolution to the Instagram post and the perfect fit.

I can’t change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro

Fear not; we are here to help. Sometimes you cannot change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, but here’s how to fix it. 

To ensure you can change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro, go to the Sequence Settings Panel and click on the Editing Mode drop-down menu. 

Now scroll to find the Custom setting at the top of the list and select this setting. Now you can follow our steps above to change aspect ratios in Premiere Pro.

We hope this article on how to change the aspect ratio in Premiere Pro was useful to you. Please check out our latest editing resource below. Let us know your thoughts in the comment section. And as always, 

Happy Editing!