How to Change Resolution in Premiere Pro: 5 Easy Steps (2025)

The resolution of your video can make a significant difference in the final product, and, surprisingly, it's not as complex as it sounds. What if I told you that Adobe's Premiere Pro has a way to change the resolution of your video in just a few easy steps? Let’s dive right in. If you don't have the software already, get the Free Trial for Adobe Premiere Pro here

1. Opening your Project: The first step, obviously, is to open your project in Premiere Pro.
2. Setting up the project - setup your project with the assets and sequences you require. You may want to use some of the amazing Premiere Pro templates here or even check out the MotionArray templates or the Envato Library
3. Navigating to Sequence Settings: Once your project is open, go to the "Sequence" menu at the top of the screen and choose "Sequence Settings."
4. Changing the Resolution: In the sequence settings window, you'll find fields for "Video Frame Size." Here's where you can alter the resolution.
5. Confirming Changes: After entering your desired resolution, click on the "OK" button. A dialog box will appear warning you about the changes - go ahead and confirm.
6. Saving the Project: The final step, of course, is to save your project to make sure your changes don't go to waste.

Pro Tip: If you plan on creating a particular type of video with the intention that it will be viewed at a specific aspect ratio/resolution, platforms like Envato Elements or Motion Array have a targeted search feature to find templates specifically suited to your requirements.

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How To Adjust Resolution In Premiere Pro To 1920x1080?

Some templates that you can download online might already be set to 1920x1080, but incase they aren't, here's how you adjust the resolution:

1. Open your project: The first step is to open the project you're working on in Premiere Pro.
2. Go to Sequence Settings: Once your project is open, navigate to the "Sequence" menu at the top of the screen. From the drop-down list, select "Sequence Settings."
3. Change the Resolution: In the Sequence Settings dialog box, you will see fields for "Video Frame Size." This is where you can change the resolution. To switch from 720p to 1080p, enter 1920 in the horizontal field and 1080 in the vertical field.
4. Confirm the changes: After you've entered the new resolution, click "OK." A dialog box might appear warning you about the changes to your project. Go ahead and confirm the changes.
5. Save your project: Finally, remember to save your project to ensure that your changes are stored.

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Here is a good video on YouTube that demonstrates how to change the project resolution settings in Adobe Premiere Pro with a practical example. It covers adjusting sequence settings and ensuring your project resolution matches your desired output for quality results. I found it quite useful.

Why Change Premiere Pro Resolution Settings Of A Video?

You might be asking, "why should I bother with changing the resolution?" I'm leaning towards the fact that different platforms require different resolutions for optimal viewing. For instance, a video for Instagram might require a different resolution than a YouTube video. By mastering this simple process, you can ensure your videos always look their best.

It's also worth noting that changing resolution might alter how certain effects or text appear in your video, especially if you're changing to a significantly different resolution. Hence, you might as well review your project after making the change to ensure everything still looks as intended.

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FAQs on Changing Resolution in Adobe Premiere Pro

How do I change to 1920x1080 in Premiere Pro?

To set your sequence to 1920x1080 in Adobe Premiere Pro, follow these steps:

1. Create a New Sequence:
   • Go to File > New > Sequence.
   • In the New Sequence dialog box, you'll see different sequence presets. Select any preset, as we’ll customize the settings next.
2. Change Sequence Settings:
   • After selecting a preset, go to the Settings tab in the New Sequence dialog box.
   • Set the Editing Mode to Custom.
   • For Frame Size, change Horizontal to 1920 and Vertical to 1080.
   • Make sure your Pixel Aspect Ratio is set to Square Pixels (1.0).
   • Set Frame Rate to your desired rate (e.g., 23.976, 24, 30, or 60 fps), depending on your project requirements.
3. Confirm and Save:
   • Click OK to create the sequence with your custom 1920x1080 settings.
4. Adjust Existing Sequence (if needed):
   • If you need to change the resolution of an existing sequence, go to Sequence > Sequence Settings.
   • Update the Frame Size to 1920x1080 in the same way and press OK.

‍How do I change the resolution in Adobe Premiere Pro?

To change the resolution in Adobe Premiere Pro, you have two options: setting the resolution for a new sequence or changing it for an existing one. Here’s how to do both:

1. Setting Resolution for a New Sequence

1. Create a New Sequence:
   • Go to File > New > Sequence.
   • In the New Sequence dialog box, select any preset (we’ll customize it in the next step).
2. Customize Sequence Settings:
   • Click on the Settings tab.
   • Set Editing Mode to Custom.
   • Adjust the Frame Size to your desired resolution (e.g., 1920 for Horizontal and 1080 for Vertical if you want 1080p).
   • Make sure Pixel Aspect Ratio is set to Square Pixels (1.0).
   • Choose your desired Frame Rate (e.g., 24, 30, or 60 fps).
3. Save the Sequence:
   • Click OK to create the sequence with the new resolution.

2. Changing Resolution for an Existing Sequence

1. Open Sequence Settings:
   • In your project timeline, click on the sequence you want to change.
   • Go to Sequence > Sequence Settings.
2. Adjust Resolution:
   • In the Frame Size section, change Horizontal and Vertical values to your desired resolution.
   • Click OK.
3. Note: If you see a warning that says, "This change will require rendering of the entire sequence," click OK to proceed.
4. Reframe or Resize Clips (if needed):
   • Some clips may need resizing to fit the new resolution. Right-click on the clip, and select Set to Frame Size or Scale to Frame Size to adjust them.

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How do I resize a video resolution in Premiere?

To resize a video resolution in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can scale individual clips in the timeline to fit your desired resolution. Here’s a step-by-step guide:

1. Use Scale to Adjust the Video Resolution

• In the Timeline, select the clip you want to resize.
• Go to the Effect Controls panel (usually at the top left). If you don’t see it, go to Window > Effect Controls to open it.
• Find the Scale option under Motion.
• Adjust the Scale slider to increase or decrease the size of your clip:
  • If your clip is too large, reduce the scale to fit.
  • If it's too small, increase the scale, but avoid going too high to prevent quality loss.

2. Automatically Resize with "Set to Frame Size"

• Right-click the clip in your timeline.
• Select Set to Frame Size. This automatically resizes the clip to match the sequence resolution without changing the scale percentage, preserving image quality.
• Alternatively, Scale to Frame Size also resizes the clip, but it adjusts the clip’s scale value, which can lower quality if you scale back up later.

3. Change Sequence Resolution and Reframe

• If you’ve changed the sequence resolution, you may need to reframe or resize clips:
  • Go to Sequence > Sequence Settings and adjust the resolution as needed.
  • After changing, use Set to Frame Size or Scale in Effect Controls to ensure all clips fit the new resolution.

Tips for Maintaining Quality:

• Avoid scaling clips beyond 100% if possible, as this can reduce image quality.
• For clips that don’t fit the frame exactly, consider adjusting the Position in Effect Controls to reframe your content within the new resolution.

Check out this YouTube video that shows you a few other tips on how to Resize Video Clips and Images

How do I change resolution to 9:16 in Premiere Pro?

To create a 9:16 (portrait) resolution in Adobe Premiere Pro, you’ll need to customize your sequence settings. Here’s how to set it up:

1. Create a New 9:16 Sequence

1. Start a New Sequence:
   • Go to File > New > Sequence.
2. Customize the Sequence Settings:
   • In the New Sequence dialog box, go to the Settings tab.
   • Set the Editing Mode to Custom.
   • Under Frame Size, set Horizontal to 1080 and Vertical to 1920. This will give you a 9:16 aspect ratio.
   • Ensure the Pixel Aspect Ratio is set to Square Pixels (1.0) for accurate scaling.
   • Choose your desired Frame Rate (e.g., 24, 30, or 60 fps).
3. Save the Sequence:
   • Click OK to apply the settings and create your 9:16 sequence.

2. Reframe or Resize Clips for the 9:16 Aspect Ratio

• Adjust Clip Positioning:
  • If you’re working with 16:9 footage (like landscape 1920x1080), you may need to adjust positioning to fit within the 9:16 frame.
  • Select a clip in the timeline, go to Effect Controls, and use Scale and Position to center or zoom in on key areas.
• Use “Set to Frame Size” or “Scale to Frame Size”:
  • Right-click on each clip and choose Set to Frame Size or Scale to Frame Size to fit the new aspect ratio.

3. Exporting in 9:16

1. When you're ready to export, go to File > Export > Media.
2. In the Export Settings window, set the Width to 1080 and Height to 1920 (to match your 9:16 sequence).
3. Choose your preferred format (like H.264 for most social media).
4. Click Export to render and save your portrait video.

Why is Adobe Asking Me to Change My Screen Resolution to 1024 x 768?

If you’ have encountered a prompt from Adobe Premiere Pro asking you to change your screen resolution to 1024 x 768, it’s likely tied to the software’s interface requirements. Adobe Premiere Pro is optimized for a minimum resolution of 1024 x 768 to ensure all interface elements, such as toolbars, panels, and menus, display correctly. When your screen resolution is set below this threshold, essential components may become inaccessible, hindering your ability to edit effectively.

Why This Happens

The prompt typically appears if:

• Your display settings are lower than 1024 x 768.
• You’re using a scaled resolution on a high-DPI monitor.
• The system detects an external monitor with a lower resolution.

What You Should Do

1. Adjust Display Settings: Navigate to your computer’s display settings and ensure the resolution is set to at least 1024 x 768. For macOS, go to System Preferences > Displays. For Windows, right-click on the desktop, select Display Settings, and adjust the resolution.
2. Check Multiple Displays: If you’re using multiple monitors, ensure all are set to the required resolution.
3. Optimize for Adobe: For an even smoother experience, consider setting the resolution to 1920 x 1080 or higher, which is ideal for video editing workflows.

Impact on Adobe Premiere Pro

Working with the recommended resolution ensures seamless access to panels like the Essential Sound Panel for audio editing, Effects Controls, and the Timeline. This is especially important when learning features like how to remove audio from video in Premiere Pro or using advanced tools for audio editing.If you still face issues, ensure your graphics drivers are updated and consider checking Adobe’s support page for additional troubleshooting. Proper resolution settings will save time and improve your overall editing experience.

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