Glossary · Updated
What is aspect ratio?
Short answer
Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between a frame's width and height, written as width to height. The common video ratios are 16:9 widescreen, 9:16 vertical, 1:1 square and 4:5 portrait. Changing ratio means cropping or padding, because scaling alone keeps the shape the same.
How is aspect ratio used in editing?
Vertical 9:16 is standard for Reels, Shorts and TikTok. Use the aspect ratio calculator.
What mistakes do people make?
- Stretching a video to fit
- Letterboxing vertical video inside widescreen
- Cropping out the subject
Which skills support which ratios?
Layers supports 9:16 and 16:9. Explainer, Glass and Bold are 9:16.
Frequently asked questions
What is 9:16?
9:16 is the vertical format, taller than it is wide, used by Reels, Shorts and TikTok, typically at 1080 by 1920 pixels.
What is 16:9?
16:9 is the widescreen format used by most television and standard YouTube videos, typically 1920 by 1080 pixels.
Can I change ratio without cropping?
Only by adding bars or padding.
Which ratio is best?
It depends on the platform.
Skills mentioned on this page
Layers
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