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# How to crop a video in Premiere Pro
- URL: https://premiereproclub.com/crop-video-premiere-pro/
- Published: 2026-11-06T16:38:15.000Z
- Updated: 2026-11-06T16:57:27.000Z
- Description: Choose Crop for unwanted edges, Scale and Position for framing, and a new sequence shape for portrait or square video. Keep the subject in view through the whole shot.
- Author: Jack Sullivan
- Tags: Editing & trimming

To crop a video in Adobe Premiere (formerly Premiere Pro), select the clip in the timeline, add the **Crop** effect, and adjust **Left, Top, Right and Bottom** in Effect Controls. These values specify the percentage removed from each edge, as Adobe explains in its [Crop effect reference](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/effects-and-transitions-library/transform-effects.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).

I'd use Crop to remove an unwanted edge, because it leaves the sequence's frame shape alone. Scale and Position change the framing of a shot. A vertical or square output needs a sequence with that frame shape; [cropping and changing the aspect ratio are separate operations](https://adobe.com/creativecloud/video/discover/crop-video-in-premiere-pro.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).

| Your goal                                         | Start with                          | Watch for                                      |
| ------------------------------------------------- | ----------------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| Remove something along an edge                    | Crop percentages                    | Important picture content disappearing with it |
| Make a subject larger or move it within the frame | Properties fit, then Motion         | The subject reaching an edge during movement   |
| Make a portrait or square version                 | Sequence dimensions, then reframing | Lost side detail, bars and badly placed titles |

[![Three stacked output frames comparing the original scene, edge removal and a larger repositioned subject](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a21-a407c5bbcfd0-crop-vs-reframe.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a21-a407c5bbcfd0-crop-vs-reframe.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com)

Keep the output frame fixed while comparing edge removal with a change in subject size and position.

## Remove an edge with the Crop effect

Have a project open, your media imported and a sequence on the timeline. If you have not reached that point, set up a first Premiere project before working on the crop. Settle the shot's timing in the [editing workflow](https://premiereproclub.com/tag/editing/) before refining its frame. Select the intended clip and place the playhead over it so you can see the picture you are changing.

1. Choose **Window > Effects**. Search for **Crop** and [drag it onto the selected timeline clip](https://premiereproclub.com/add-effects-premiere-pro/). This follows Adobe's documented [procedure for applying an effect](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/apply-video-effects/apply-effects.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).
2. Open **Window > Effect Controls** with the clip selected, then expand **Crop**.
3. Increase the percentage for the edge you want to remove. Change one edge at a time while watching the Program Monitor, rather than raising all four values for a tighter shot.
4. Once the edges are set, choose **Fit** or **Fill** under Crop to set how the cropped image sits within the frame. Keep the one that holds the subject whole without leaving a border you didn't intend, and judge it in the Program Monitor rather than by the numbers.

There is also a quick route for a selected video clip: the [Properties panel provides Crop percentages](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/intro-to-editing/edit-video-using-the-properties-panel.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) for the top, bottom, left and right edges. Use that route for a straightforward edge adjustment, or keep Effect Controls open when you need to inspect the effect alongside other changes.

[![Crop section in Properties with Left, Top, Right and Bottom at zero percent, and the Left field highlighted](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a21-1ff0d1fd383e-a21-properties-crop-owner130.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a21-1ff0d1fd383e-a21-properties-crop-owner130.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com)

Properties has a separate percentage for each edge. Change the required edge while watching the picture at the playhead.

Play the changed shot through to its end, then across the next cut. A crop that clears an unwanted object on the first frame may cut into a moving face a moment later.

### Feathering and moving the crop

Decide whether you want a softened border. Adobe's current reference lists [Edge Feather as a separate effect](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/effects-and-transitions-library/transform-effects.html?ref=premiereproclub.com): its **Amount** sets the width of a soft black border. That is useful for a dark border treatment. For a clean rectangular crop, keep the edge adjustment simple. Some older tutorials show a Zoom checkbox or an Edge Feather slider inside Crop; the current reference describes only the four edge values and Fit or Fill, so look for the soft border in the separate effect.

To change an edge over time, expand Crop in Effect Controls and look at the individual property you want to animate. Use the following route only where that property offers **Toggle Animation**:

1. Enable **Toggle Animation** for the chosen property.
2. Move the playhead to a time where you need a defined crop value. Set a keyframe and its value using the property's controls.
3. Move to a later time and change the value. With animation enabled, changing an effect property's value creates a keyframe at the current time; **Add/Remove Keyframe** also lets you manage a point explicitly. Adobe describes these controls in its [keyframe workflow](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/control-effects-and-transitions-using-keyframes/add-keyframes.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).

Scrub between the points, then play the whole move. Check the space around the subject between keyframes as well as at them. If the real goal is to follow the subject through a tighter frame, use Position for that framing change, with animation where the property offers it.

## Use Scale and Position to reframe the shot

I'd start with **Fill frame** when the shot has to cover the output, because it sacrifices edges while keeping the picture's proportions. Choose **Fit to frame** when keeping the whole picture matters more; the original aspect ratio stays intact, and different shapes can leave bars. Select the timeline clip and make that choice in Properties. Adobe's [fit and fill explanation](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/intro-to-editing/edit-video-using-the-properties-panel.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) describes that tradeoff.

Then choose **Window > Effect Controls** and expand **Motion**. Adjust **Position** to place the subject within the fitted frame. Motion is a fixed effect already present on timeline clips, with documented controls for [positioning and scaling the picture](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/commonly-used-effects/apply-motion-effect.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).

Use Motion's **Scale** controls for further size adjustments if needed. Check that the subject keeps its original proportions as you change the size; do not widen or compress the picture to hide empty space. If an adjustment distorts the subject, establish the fit again with the Properties quick actions before refining Position.

Play from before the reframed shot through the following edit point. Watch the headroom, the direction the subject moves and any visible jump in framing at the cut.

## Make a vertical or square version

Set the output shape before spending time on individual crops. Keep the horizontal edit as its own version: a Premiere project can contain [multiple sequences with different settings](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/change-clip-sequence/create-a-sequence.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).

### For a shot you are assembling in a new sequence

1. Choose **File > New > Sequence** and open the **Settings** tab.
2. Under **Video**, enter the horizontal and vertical **Frame Size**. Premiere displays the resulting aspect ratio, as shown in Adobe's [sequence aspect-ratio instructions](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/intro-to-editing/set-the-aspect-ratio-of-a-sequence.html?ref=premiereproclub.com).
3. Name the sequence so you can distinguish the version, then select **OK**.
4. Drag the required clip from the Project panel into this sequence's timeline. If you are offered a choice to match the sequence to the source, keep the portrait or square dimensions you chose. Confirm that the Program Monitor still shows the intended frame shape before fitting or repositioning the clip.
5. In Properties, choose **Fit to frame** or **Fill frame** for the composition you need. Then use Motion **Position** to place the subject inside that frame, with further Scale adjustments only if needed.

For square-pixel examples, **1080 by 1920** gives a **9:16** portrait frame; **1080 by 1080** gives a **1:1** square. These are examples of the ratios, not universal upload requirements. Use the dimensions your delivery requires.

[![Frame Size set to 1080 horizontal and 1920 vertical, with a 9:16 ratio and Square Pixels selected](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a21-509036bc96c0-a21-sequence-frame-size-owner130.webp)](https://storage.ghost.io/c/77/55/77555393-c1bd-4bdb-8b52-1f1199ed8675/content/images/2026/11/a21-509036bc96c0-a21-sequence-frame-size-owner130.webp?ref=premiereproclub.com)

A square-pixel 1080 by 1920 sequence has a 9:16 frame. Keep that target shape when adding the source clip.

### For an existing cut with several clips

Select the sequence in the Project panel and choose **Sequence > Auto Reframe Sequence**. Set the **Target Aspect Ratio**, using a preset or a custom ratio, and the required **Resolution**. Adobe's [Auto Reframe sequence guide](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/commonly-used-effects/add-auto-reframe-effect-to-a-sequence.html?ref=premiereproclub.com) confirms that Premiere creates a duplicate with the new dimensions. The duplicate's clips receive Auto Reframe, and the version appears in the **Auto Reframe Sequences** folder.

Choose Motion Tracking for the movement in the footage: **Slower Motion** for little or no camera movement, **Default** for ordinary movement, or **Faster Motion** for substantial action. Review the resulting composition before relying on it. Adobe warns that complex sequences or rapid movement can need manual keyframe adjustments.

**Check transitions before selecting Clip Nesting.** Adobe warns that [nesting does not preserve soft transitions properly](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/add-video-effects/commonly-used-effects/add-auto-reframe-effect-to-a-sequence.html?ref=premiereproclub.com), because the required handle media is absent from the nests. Nesting is an option for retaining complex motion keyframes or handling existing speed or duration changes, so make that choice with the cut in view.

Play the duplicate from start to finish. Check moving subjects, titles and both sides of each transition. Graphics and audio being left unaffected by nesting does not mean a title has landed in a useful place within the portrait frame.

## Remove black bars without stretching the picture

Find the stage that introduces the bars before adding another crop:

- **Bars are part of the original picture.** Inspect the source image before sequence fitting. If the bars are already pixels in that image, remove those edges with Crop, then compose the remaining picture inside the output frame.
- **The whole source fits, with spare space around it.** Compare the source and sequence shapes. [Fit to frame can leave bars when aspect ratios differ](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/edit-projects/intro-to-editing/edit-video-using-the-properties-panel.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). Choose Fill if covering the frame matters more than retaining every edge, then adjust Position to protect the subject.
- **The sequence looks right but the export preview has bars.** Check the output dimensions and fitting in the export preview before changing the timeline again.

When one picture must fill a differently shaped frame, preserving its proportions means giving up some edges. If every part of the original must remain visible, allow space around it. Increasing Crop on all sides cannot resolve that geometric choice.

## Crop a still image

For a photograph already in the sequence, select the image clip and use the Crop-effect route above where the selection exposes those edge controls. Set the edges first, then adjust its placement. Keep the same check at the playhead: an animated image needs room throughout its move, not just in its opening composition.

For a fixed crop, Adobe explicitly recommends [removing unwanted areas before importing the still](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/organize-media/import-files/import-still-images.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). Prepare enough pixels for the largest size the image will reach in the edit. Enlarging a still beyond its original dimensions can reduce sharpness, so decide the final framing before discarding detail you may need for a later move.

## Play through the reframed cut

Start playback a little before each changed shot and continue across the next cut. Watch for a face leaving the frame, a title reaching the edge, an unwanted border or a sudden change in composition. Review every moving shot after Auto Reframe, including the frames between its keyframes.

With the intended sequence selected, choose **File > Export > Media** (**Cmd+M** on Mac, **Ctrl+M** on Windows). Adobe's [export Preview lets you inspect fitting when output dimensions differ](https://helpx.adobe.com/premiere/desktop/render-and-export/export-files/export-video.html?ref=premiereproclub.com). Check the intended frame shape and scrub through the movement before you render and export the finished sequence.