How to Add an Adjustment Layer on Premiere Pro

Contents

• What is an Adjustment Layer?
• How to Add an Adjustment Layer on Adobe Premiere Pro
• Highlight an Area by Resizing the Adjustment Layer
• Adjustment Layers & Blend Modes
• Final Thoughts

What is an Adjustment Layer?

When editing a video, time is a very important factor, which is why adding effects to each video clip is deemed a major waste of time. This is precisely where adjustment layers come into the equation. They help users in saving both time and effort.

In Adobe’s powerful video editing application, namely Premiere Pro, adjustment layers can aid users in applying the exact same effect to a multitude of video clips which are present on their timeline. Adjustment layers can also help users in applying different video effects, including the likes of color correction, opacity, etc., in a non-destructive way to numerous clips.

In this article, we will take a look at the easy and simple steps following which users can conveniently add adjustments layers on Adobe Premiere Pro followed by the way in addition to other related topics. Let us dive right into it:

How to Add an Adjustment Layer on Adobe Premiere Pro

Step 1: Making an Adjustment Layer

Before adding effects, it is necessary to make an adjustment layer. Here is step by step guide showing how you can get it done:

1. Navigate to File > New > Adjustment Layer. Remember, if the option is grayed out, ensure that you have Project browser selected.
2. Another way to do so is to click on the “New Item” icon which is located at the Project panel’s bottom right side. Then, click on the option labeled “Adjustment Layer” followed by “OK”.
3. Within the browser, rename the Adjustment Layer by right-clicking on it and selecting the “Rename” option. Make sure that you have chosen a relevant name.

Step 2: Adding the New Adjustment Layer to the Sequence

The next step is to add the newly created adjustment layer into the entire sequence. The layer is located in the Project browser section, just alongside the other assets and video clips. Here is how you can navigate through this step:

1. Click on the “Adjustment Layer” option present in the Project browser.
2. Drag the layer and drop it into the desired position in your timeline. Make sure that it is properly stacked about the clip you desire to add effects to.
3. Drag the Adjustment Layer’s ends in order to cover the entire area you wish to apply the effects to.

Step 3: Adding the Desired Color Grade

After the new adjustment layer is added to your sequence, it is advised to add the desired color grading before adding the required effects, since this creates the basis for the appearance of the clip’s new look. Here is how to do so:

1. Open the Color workspace.
2. Navigate to the Lumetri Color panel which is located on the right-hand side. Ensure that the Adjustment Layer is highlighted within the sequence.
3. Make adjustments in the color. Remember, every single clip present on the timeline below will have the exact same effect applied.

Step 4: Adding the Effects

The last step is adding the effects as per the project’s requirements. To do so, follow the given steps:

1. Search for the desired effect in the “Effects” workspace.
2. Drag the chosen effect and drop it on the Adjustment Layer.
3. Make adjustments to the settings of the Effects in the panel named “Effects Control”.
4. After making adjustments in the Effects panel, continue adding and adjusting the visual effects until you obtain the desired appearance on the powerful tool.

Highlight an Area by Resizing the Adjustment Layer

Now that we know how to add an adjustment layer, let us see how we can highlight an area by adjusting its size. Doing this will allow you to highlight an area of your screen. Here is how to get the job done:

1. Select the adjustment layer in your Timeline with a simple double-click
2. Reposition the adjustment layer by dragging the anchor point in the center of the screen. Drag the edge of your clip to scale it down

Adjustment Layers & Blend Modes

You can also add blends and opacity adjustments to a wide range of your video clips using adjustment layers. Here is how you can do it:

1. Alter the blend mode by navigating to the Effects Controls tab of the adjustment layer.
2. Click on the “Opacity” option and select “Blend Mode”.

This is similar to duplicating a clip over an existing clip in a video track and changing the blend mode.

Also Read: How to Export Videos from Adobe Premiere Pro

Final Thoughts

Adding adjustments layers allows users to apply multiple effects across numerous clips in an efficient manner. Moreover, it streamlines the editing process and is one of most convenient non-destructive editing techniques out there.

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