How To Change Aspect Ratio in DaVinci Resolve

Knowing how to change aspect ratios in DaVinci Resolve is essential for video editors who work on different platforms. If you want your videos to look good on Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, or in theaters, learning to adjust aspect ratios will help your content look professional everywhere.

This in-depth guide will walk you through not just the “how,” but the “why” and “when” of changing your aspect ratio, covering methods from beginner to pro.

Understanding Aspect Ratios

Before getting into the steps, it helps to know what aspect ratios are. An aspect ratio shows how a video’s width compares to its height, written as two numbers with a colon between them, like 16:9 or 4:3.

Common aspect ratios include:

• 16:9 – Standard widescreen format for YouTube, television, and most online video
• 9:16 – Vertical video for Instagram Stories, TikTok, and YouTube Shorts
• 1:1 – Square format popular on Instagram feeds
• 4:5 – Vertical format optimized for Instagram and Facebook feeds
• 21:9 – Ultra-widescreen cinematic format
• 2.39:1 – Anamorphic widescreen for feature films
• 4:3 – Traditional television and vintage content

Method 1: Setting Aspect Ratio at Project Creation

The easiest way is to set your aspect ratio right when you start a new project.

Step-by-Step Process:

1. Launch DaVinci Resolve and you’ll see the Project Manager window.

2. Create a new project by clicking the “New Project” button or right-clicking in the project library.

3. Access Project Settings immediately after creating your project by clicking the gear icon in the bottom right corner, or pressing Shift + 9 (Windows) or Shift + 9 (Mac).

4. Navigate to the “Master Settings” tab at the top of the Project Settings window.

5. Locate the Timeline Resolution settings. Here you’ll see fields for:

• Timeline resolution width
• Timeline resolution height
• Timeline frame rate

6. Enter your desired dimensions. For example:

• 16:9 widescreen: 1920 x 1080 or 3840 x 2160 (4K)
• 9:16 vertical: 1080 x 1920 or 2160 x 3840 (4K vertical)
• 1:1 square: 1080 x 1080 or 2160 x 2160
• 4:5 vertical: 1080 x 1350

7. Click “Save” to apply these settings to your project.

Method 2: Changing Aspect Ratio in an Existing Project

If you want to change the aspect ratio after you’ve started editing, you can adjust the timeline resolution in DaVinci Resolve.

Important Warning:

Changing the aspect ratio in the middle of a project might affect your edits, titles, and effects. Try to set the aspect ratio early, or make a new timeline with the size you want.

Steps to Change:

1. Open Project Settings by clicking the gear icon or pressing Shift + 9.

2. Go to Master Settings and change the Timeline Resolution dimensions to your desired aspect ratio.

3. Click “Save” to apply the changes.

4. Review your timeline. Your footage will now display within the new aspect ratio boundaries. Clips may appear cropped or have black bars depending on their original dimensions.

Method 3: Creating a New Timeline with a Different Aspect Ratio

This method works well if you want to keep your main project as it is, but also make versions in other aspect ratios using the same footage.

Creating a Custom Timeline:

1. Right-click in the Media Pool (the area where your clips appear) or in the timeline area at the bottom.

2. Select “Create New Timeline” from the context menu.

3. In the New Timeline dialog box:

• Give your timeline a descriptive name (e.g., “Instagram_1x1” or “YouTube_Shorts_9x16”).
• Uncheck “Use Project Settings.”
• Enter your custom width and height.
• Set your desired frame rate.

4. Click “Create” to generate your new timeline.

5. Edit in this timeline with your desired aspect ratio, and you can switch between different timeline aspect ratios by clicking the timeline tabs at the top of the timeline panel.

Method 4: Using Timeline Settings

To quickly change just one timeline without changing the whole project:

1. Right-click on the timeline name at the top of the timeline panel.

2. Select “Timeline” > “Timeline Settings” from the menu.

3. Adjust the Format and Resolution settings.

4. Click “OK” to apply.

Adjusting Footage to Fit New Aspect Ratios

After you change the aspect ratio, you may need to adjust your footage so it fits the new frame. Here are some ways to do that:

Using the Transform Tools:

1. Select your clip in the timeline.

2. Navigate to the Inspector panel (top right) and click on the “Video” tab if it’s not already selected.

3. Adjust these parameters:

• Zoom: Scale the image to fill the frame
• Position X and Y: Reframe the shot by moving it left/right or up/down
• Rotation: If needed for creative framing

Using Smart Reframe (Studio Version Only):

DaVinci Resolve Studio has a tool called Auto Smart Reframe. It uses AI to automatically adjust your footage to different aspect ratios and keeps the main action in view.

1. Select your clip in the timeline.

2. Right-click and choose “Smart Reframe” or access it from the Inspector.

3. Choose your target aspect ratio from the dropdown menu.

4. Adjust the tracking settings:

• Auto: Let AI decide what to follow
• Face tracking: Focus on people
• Custom: Manually keyframe the reframing

5. Click “Analyze” and DaVinci Resolve will automatically create keyframes to keep the important action in frame.

Manual Keyframing:

If you want more control, especially if you’re using the free version:

1. Place your playhead at the beginning of the clip.

2. In the Inspector, click the diamond icon next to Zoom, Position X, or Position Y to create a keyframe.

3. Move the playhead to where you want the framing to change.

4. Adjust the parameters, and a new keyframe will automatically be created.

5. Repeat as needed to create smooth pans and zooms that follow the action.

Working with Different Footage Aspect Ratios

When your source footage has a different aspect ratio than your timeline, you have several options:

Option 1: Letterboxing/Pillarboxing

This keeps the whole original image but adds black bars on the sides or top and bottom. You don’t need to do anything—this happens by itself when you put footage into a timeline with a different aspect ratio.

Option 2: Crop to Fill

1. Select the clip in the timeline.

2. In the Inspector, change the “Zoom” slider to scale the image until it fills the frame completely.

3. Use “Position X” and “Position Y” to reframe the shot as needed.

This method cuts off parts of the image but gets rid of the black bars.

Option 3: Stretch to Fill (Not Recommended)

1. Right-click the clip in the timeline.

2. Select “Clip Attributes” or press Shift + Command/Ctrl + A.

3. Uncheck “Maintain aspect ratio” under Video.

This stretches or squashes your footage to fill the frame, which usually looks unnatural and is best avoided.

Exporting in Different Aspect Ratios

Once you’ve finished editing in your chosen aspect ratio, make sure to export your video the right way:

1. Go to the Deliver page (bottom tab in DaVinci Resolve).

2. Select your export preset or create a custom one.

3. Under “Video Settings,” verify that:

• Resolution matches your timeline resolution.
• The aspect ratio is maintained.

4. Choose your codec and format (H.264 for most social media, ProRes for archival).

5. Click “Add to Render Queue” and then “Render All” to export your video.

Tips for Multi-Platform Content Creation

When creating content for multiple platforms with different aspect ratios:

Strategy 1: Shoot with Multiple Outputs in Mind

When you’re filming, think about how you might need to crop later. Leave extra space above and on the sides so you can adjust for different aspect ratios without cutting out anything important.

Strategy 2: Use the “Protect This Frame” Approach

Keep the main action and subjects inside a ‘safe area’ that matches the smallest aspect ratio you’ll use, like 4:5 or 1:1. This way, you won’t lose anything important when cropping.

Strategy 3: Create Master Timeline, Then Derivatives

Edit your main project in your main format, usually 16:9. Then, make a copy of the timeline and adjust it for other platforms. This keeps your work consistent but lets you fine-tune for each platform.

Strategy 4: Use Adjustment Clips

Add an adjustment clip over your whole timeline and put any color grading or effects on it. When you make new timelines in other aspect ratios, you can copy this clip to keep your look the same.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Problem: Footage Appears Stretched or Distorted

Solution: Check that “Maintain aspect ratio” is enabled in Clip Attributes. Right-click the clip, select Clip Attributes, and ensure this option is checked.

Problem: Black Bars Around Footage

Solution: Your timeline aspect ratio doesn’t match your footage. Either zoom the footage to fill the frame or change your timeline resolution to match the source footage.

Problem: Text and Graphics Cut Off After Changing Aspect Ratio

Solution: Recreate titles and graphics within the new aspect ratio boundaries, or reposition them using the Transform tools in the Inspector.

Problem: Export Doesn’t Match Timeline Aspect Ratio

Solution: In the Deliver page, ensure your resolution settings match your timeline resolution exactly. Sometimes presets override your custom settings.

Advanced Techniques

Creating Dynamic Aspect Ratio Changes

For creative projects, you can actually change aspect ratios within a single video:

1. Create a compound clip of the section where you want a different aspect ratio.

2. Add a crop effect or use a matte overlay to create the new aspect ratio look.

3. Animate the transition using keyframes to smoothly move between aspect ratios.

Using Mattes for Custom Aspect Ratios

1. In the Color page, navigate to the Power Windows.

2. Create a custom matte shape that defines your desired aspect ratio.

3. Apply this as a track matte to create unique, creative framing.

Conclusion

Learning how to change aspect ratios in DaVinci Resolve gives you a lot of flexibility in your video projects. Whether you’re making videos for social media, clients, or just trying out new ideas, these skills help your videos look great every time.

The key takeaways are:

• Set your aspect ratio at project creation whenever possible.
• Use Smart Reframe (Studio) or manual keyframing to adapt footage intelligently.
• Create separate timelines for different platforms to maintain editing flexibility.
• Always shoot with your final aspect ratios in mind for the best results.

With some practice, changing aspect ratios will feel easy, and you’ll be able to deliver professional videos for any platform or screen size.