How To Change Timeline Resolution
In DaVinci Resolve
Three complete methods to change timeline resolution in DaVinci Resolve — Project Settings, individual Timeline Settings, and the Cut page dropdown — with every step explained on both Windows and Mac.
To change timeline resolution in DaVinci Resolve, click the gear icon in the bottom-right corner to open Project Settings. On the Master Settings tab, choose a size from the Timeline Resolution dropdown under Timeline Format, then click Save. That applies to every timeline in the project. To change just one timeline, right-click it in the Media Pool, open its Timeline Settings, and uncheck Use Project Settings first.
- Open Project Settings — gear icon, bottom-right (works from any page)
- Go to
Master Settings → Timeline Format → Timeline Resolution - Pick a preset, or choose Custom and type the width and height
- Click Save
- One timeline only — right-click it in the Media Pool →
Timelines → Timeline Settings→ uncheck Use Project Settings
Timeline resolution is the size of the canvas your whole project is built on. Every clip, title and effect is fitted to it before export. When you set it wrong, you'll see black bars, soft-looking footage, or a vertical clip squeezed into a horizontal frame. The good news is that Resolve lets you change it at almost any point, so you rarely have to rebuild an edit.
You can find this setting in three places: across the entire project, within a single timeline, or via the quick switch on the Cut page. This guide covers all three, plus what happens to your footage when the sizes don't match. Resolution and aspect ratio are related but separate, so it's worth reading alongside our guide to changing aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve.
I used DaVinci Resolve 20 for this tutorial. However, this tutorial works in DaVinci Resolve 18, 19, and 20 on both Windows and Mac, including the free edition. The menu paths are identical across these versions.
Which Method To Use
| Method | Scope | Best when |
|---|---|---|
| Project Settings | Every timeline in the project | Starting a project or changing your whole workflow |
| Timeline Settings | One timeline only | Delivering several shapes of video from one project |
| Cut page dropdown | The current timeline | Quick switches between common presets |
Project Settings: The Whole Project
As an editor, I would recommend starting with this method. That's because I think this is the most common and easy to use method. Changing resolution here applies it to every timeline inside the current project. That's why it is ideal when you're setting up a new project or need to switch your entire workflow from, say, 4K to 1080p for smoother playback.
Click the gear icon in the bottom-right corner. It works from any page.
The window opens on the Master Settings tab. Find Timeline Format near the top.
Open the Timeline Resolution dropdown and pick a preset such as 1920 × 1080 HD, 3840 × 2160 Ultra HD, or a vertical size. For an exact size, choose Custom and type the width and height.
Use the Save button at the bottom right. Then check your clips in the viewer to make sure the framing still works.
You can edit at a lower resolution for smoother playback and switch back to the delivery resolution before you export. Check your framing after each change.
One Timeline Only: Timeline Settings
I would recommend this when one timeline needs a different size from the rest, for example a horizontal YouTube cut and a vertical Reels cut in the same project.
Open the Media Pool and locate the timeline you want to change. A project can have several, each with its own settings.
Right-click the timeline and choose Timelines → Timeline Settings.
By default, every timeline inherits the project's resolution and the Format dropdown is greyed out. Uncheck the box labeled "Use Project Settings" to unlock the controls for this timeline only.
On the Format tab, pick a preset or enter custom values, then click Apply. This timeline now overrides the project default — every other timeline stays unaffected.
A 16:9 master and a 9:16 vertical cutdown can sit side by side in one project, each with its own resolution. Just remember which timelines have an override, since it's easy to forget one.
Quick Change from the Cut Page
The Cut page has a resolution switcher in the viewer. It's quicker than opening a settings window when you're reframing between common presets like horizontal and vertical.
Click the Cut icon at the bottom of the screen, just left of the Edit icon.
Look in the top-right of the viewer, near the Fullscreen button. It shows the current timeline format with a small arrow.
Choose from the standard sizes in the list, such as HD, Ultra HD, vertical or square. If you need something else, use the custom option to open the full Timeline Settings panel from Method 2.
Video Tutorial
Prefer to watch? This tutorial covers two fast ways to change timeline resolution in just a few minutes.
When Footage Doesn't Match the Timeline
Once the timeline size is set, you'll often import footage shot at a different size, like 1080p clips on a 4K timeline. Resolve fits them using Image Scaling, you will find it under Project Settings → Image Scaling. If the mismatch is big enough to soften your footage, upscaling the clips properly usually looks better than letting Resolve stretch them.
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Scale entire image to fit | Fits the whole frame inside the timeline. Nothing is cropped, but you may see bars. |
| Center crop with no resizing | Keeps the clip's own pixels and crops whatever doesn't fit. |
| Stretch frame to all corners | Forces the image to fill the frame and distorts it if the shapes differ. Rarely what you want. |
Individual clips can override the project's scaling setting too, if one clip needs different treatment.
What To Expect From Common Changes
| Change | What happens |
|---|---|
| 1080p → 4K | Native 4K footage keeps its detail and gives you room to crop. 1080p footage gets scaled up and can look softer. |
| 4K → 1080p | Footage scales down to fit. It generally holds up well, and playback is usually lighter. |
| 16:9 → 9:16 vertical | Wide footage doesn't fill a tall frame. You'll see bars, or you scale up and reposition each clip to keep the subject in view. |
| 16:9 → 1:1 square | Same idea: the sides crop if you fill the height, or bars appear if you keep the full width. Centered subjects survive best. |
When It Doesn't Work
The resolution dropdown is greyed out
If you're in a timeline's settings, the format controls stay locked while Use Project Settings is checked. Uncheck it to edit that timeline on its own, or change the size in Project Settings instead.
My size isn't in the list
Choose Custom in the Timeline Resolution dropdown and type the exact width and height in pixels, such as 2560 × 1440.
My footage looks zoomed in or soft after the change
Usually the footage is being scaled up from a lower resolution to fill a bigger timeline. Check Image Scaling in Project Settings, or set the timeline to match your footage's native size if quality matters more than frame size.
I can't change the frame rate
Frame rate can't be changed on an existing timeline, though resolution can. To change it, create a new timeline at the frame rate you want and copy your clips across.
My export is the wrong size
Timeline resolution and export resolution are separate. On the Deliver page, check the Resolution setting in the Render Settings panel before you add the job to the queue. If the export is also cutting off part of the project, stray markers may be limiting the render range. See our guide to removing In and Out points in DaVinci Resolve.
Titles and graphics are off-centre after the change
Imported graphics and some title templates can use fixed positions and may not move with the frame. Select each one and check its position in the Inspector, then adjust it by hand if needed.
Playback stutters at the higher resolution
That's a performance limit, not a settings error. Lower the preview quality from the Playback menu, or use optimized media, so you can keep editing smoothly. Neither one changes your export.
How To Change Timeline Resolution In DaVinci Resolve — Final Recap
For the whole project, use Project Settings → Master Settings → Timeline Resolution. For one timeline, uncheck Use Project Settings in its Timeline Settings. For a quick switch, use the Cut page dropdown. Then check your framing, and check the Deliver page resolution before you export.
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