Premiere Pro how-to
How to crop a video in Premiere Pro (Crop effect, 3 steps)
Short answer
Select the clip, apply the Crop effect (Effects panel > Video Effects > Transform > Crop), then drag the crop handles in the Program Monitor or type Left, Top, Right and Bottom percentages in Effect Controls. Cropping removes the edges but leaves the frame size unchanged, so scale the clip up afterwards (Motion > Scale) if you want it to fill the frame. To change the shape of the whole video, change the sequence or use Auto Reframe instead.
Checked against: Adobe Premiere (formerly Premiere Pro), 2026 releases, Windows and Mac.
Method 1: Crop effect
Select the clip
In the Timeline panel, put the playhead over the clip you want to crop and select it.
Apply Crop
In the Effects panel, search for "crop" or open Video Effects > Transform > Crop, and double-click Crop to apply it to the selected clip.
EffectsVideo EffectsTransformCrop
Set the crop
Select Crop in the Effect Controls panel, then drag the handles in the Program Monitor, or type exact Left, Top, Right and Bottom values for a precise crop. Edge Feather softens the cropped edge.
Fill the frame again (optional)
Cropping leaves empty space. To fill it, raise Motion > Scale in Effect Controls until the cropped area covers the frame. Scaling above 100% enlarges pixels, so start from footage larger than your sequence when you can.
Effect ControlsMotionScale
Method 2: Change the frame shape instead
If you want a vertical or square video rather than trimmed edges, cropping is the wrong tool.
Use Auto Reframe
Select the sequence in the Project panel and choose Sequence > Auto Reframe Sequence, then pick the target aspect ratio. Premiere creates a reframed duplicate sequence.
SequenceAuto Reframe Sequence
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Crop values that turn 16:9 into other shapes (1920 × 1080 clip)
| Target | Crop left + right | Result before scaling |
|---|---|---|
| 9:16 vertical | 34.2% each side | 607 × 1080 |
| 1:1 square | 21.9% each side | 1080 × 1080 |
| 4:5 portrait | 27.5% each side | 864 × 1080 |
If it doesn't work
| What you see | Fix |
|---|---|
| Black edges appear after cropping | That is expected: cropping removes pixels without resizing. Raise Motion > Scale, or put a background on a lower track. |
| Crop handles don't show in the Program Monitor | Click the word Crop in Effect Controls so the effect is selected; the handles appear only then. |
| Cropped video looks soft | Scaling a crop above 100% enlarges pixels. Use higher-resolution footage, or reframe the sequence instead of cropping and scaling. |
| Export is still 16:9 with bars | The sequence frame size decides the export shape. Change the sequence or use Auto Reframe. |
Questions people ask
Where is the crop tool in Premiere Pro?
There is no crop tool in the toolbar; cropping is an effect. Open Effects > Video Effects > Transform > Crop and apply it to the clip.
How do I crop a video to 9:16 in Premiere Pro?
For a vertical video, change the frame instead: Sequence > Auto Reframe Sequence with a 9:16 target, or a 1080 × 1920 sequence. Cropping alone keeps the 16:9 frame.
Is cropping the same as changing aspect ratio?
No. Cropping trims the edges of the picture; aspect ratio is the shape of the frame. Adobe treats them as separate tasks.
More Premiere Pro guides
Sources and how we checked
- Adobe: How to crop a video in Premiere (checked 2026-10-05; Adobe blocks automated readers; text read from the Internet Archive copy of 13 Aug 2026)
- Adobe Help: Apply Motion effect (checked 2026-10-05; Adobe blocks automated readers; text read from the Internet Archive copy of 23 Sep 2026)
- Adobe Help: Add Auto Reframe effect to sequences (checked 2026-10-05; Adobe blocks automated readers; text read from the Internet Archive copy of 17 Sep 2026)
Reviewed October 5, 2026 by the Koldflux team. Each step is compared with Premiere Pro's own documentation (linked above) and with the top search results for this task; where they disagree, the maker's documentation wins. Steps without a source link follow the menu names that several current guides agree on.