Cropping is a video editing technique that lets you choose the visible part of a video or image frame. You can cut out unwanted elements or lines at the edges of a video or fit an image to a different aspect ratio.
Read on to learn how to crop videos or images, for instance to remove black bars (also called "letterboxing"). In addition to cropping, Clipchamp also lets you trim, zoom, or change the aspect ratio of a video.
Note: The screenshots in this article are from Clipchamp for personal accounts. The same principles apply to Clipchamp for work.
How to crop a video, image, or asset
From removing unwanted background footage to cutting out black borders and watermarks, resize and crop any asset in seconds with the online video cropper.
Easily crop and fit videos for YouTube, TikTok, Instagram and Facebook with convenient resize presets, or freehand crop videos to suit any ratio. Further elevate cropped videos by overlaying onto free-to-use backgrounds.
Option 1 – Automatic crop
There are two ways to crop and resize assets. Option one is to use the automatic crop feature to remove black borders. Option two is to use the freehand crop tool.
To use option one – automatic cropping – click on any asset on your timeline so it's highlighted green, then click on the fit option in the floating toolbar.
The fit button will remove black borders on your asset so it fits the video aspect ratio.
Option 2 – Freehand crop
Freely crop unwanted areas of your video using the cropping handles. Click on any asset on your timeline so it's highlighted green, then click on the crop button on the floating toolbar.
Cropping handles will appear on the sides, top, and bottom of your video preview. Drag the handles left and right, up or down, or diagonally to crop your asset freely. When you're finished, click on the done button.
You can also reposition your media in the preview window. Drag and drop your asset left and right or up and down. Click on the done button to apply your action.
If you would like to undo any cropping changes, click on the undo button. You can also delete your video using the trash can button then drag and drop the same video onto the timeline from the your media tab to start again.
How to edit the look of your cropped video
If you want to keep your video in it's new size without using the fill or fit buttons, add a background to your video to hide the black border. Click on the content library, under the visuals drop down menu, choose backgrounds. Then drag and drop a video background onto the timeline below your video – this positions it behind your video.
Preview and save your video
Before saving your new video, preview it by clicking on the play button. When you’re ready to save, click on the export button and select a video resolution. We recommend saving all videos in 1080p video resolution for the best quality. Paid subscribers can save in 4K video resolution.
How to crop a GIF
To use the online GIF cropper, add a GIF to your timeline. To use GIPHY stickers or GIFs, click on the content library tab on the toolbar. Then click on the visuals drop down arrow, then GIPHY. Drag and drop a GIF onto the timeline.
Next, click the crop button on the floating toolbar to open the GIF cropper. Follow the same cropping steps above to crop your GIF. Click on the done button to apply your action.
How to crop a watermark out of a video
Trim away unwanted watermarks from your video and replace it with your own logo using the video cropper. Just add your video to the timeline and use the crop feature to remove the watermark.
