How To Create Preset In Premiere Pro - 5 SIMPLE Steps

You've probably spent countless hours fine-tuning your effects to get them just right. Maybe you've dialed in the perfect color correction settings after 50+ iterations, or perhaps you've crafted a unique transition that you find yourself using over and over again. Presets allow you to save these custom configurations, so you don't have to recreate them from scratch each time. This can save you, on average, about 10-15 minutes per effect, per project. Multiply that by the number of projects you do in a year, and we're talking about a significant time-saving.

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How do I save a preset in Adobe Premiere Pro?

1. Finish Customizing Your Effect

Let's deep-dive into a specific, high-impact example that I often discuss at industry panels: crafting a spin transition coupled with a glow threshold increase. This is a go-to technique for adding a cinematic touch to your transitions, and it's one that you'll want to have readily available in your editing arsenal.

Firstly, you'll need to arrange your clips on the timeline. Make sure one clip ends exactly where the next one begins. Now, place these two clips on separate video tracks, ensuring they overlap during the transition period. This overlap is crucial; it's the canvas on which you'll paint this intricate transition.

Now, let's get into the mechanics of the spin. Navigate to the "Effects" panel and search for the "Transform" effect. Apply this to both overlapping clips. In the "Effect Controls" panel, locate the "Rotation" parameter within the "Transform" effect. You'll want to set keyframes at both the beginning and the end of the overlap. For the outgoing clip, start at 0 degrees and end at -90 degrees. For the incoming clip, start at 90 degrees and end at 0 degrees.

Next, let's add that dynamic glow. Search for the "Glow" effect and apply it to both clips. In the "Effect Controls," set keyframes for the "Threshold" parameter. Start with a higher value, say around 80%, at the beginning and end of the overlap, and dip down to around 40% at the midpoint.

2. Saving The Preset

To save this as a preset, go to the "Effect Controls" panel, hold down the Ctrl or Command key, and select both the "Transform" and "Glow" effects for one of the clips. Right-click and choose "Save Preset." Give it a name that you'll remember, and you're all set.

3. Make Further Adjustments (If Needed)

I often cover in advanced editing workshops. Once you've meticulously crafted your spin transition and glow effect, and you've right-clicked to "Save Preset," a dialogue box will appear. This is where you fine-tune how your preset behaves and how it's cataloged. Trust me, spending a few extra minutes here can save you hours down the line.

First up is naming your preset. The name should be both descriptive and unique. Given that this is a spin transition coupled with a glow threshold increase, you might consider a name like "SpinTransition_GlowIncrease." This way, just by glancing at the name, you'll know exactly what this preset is designed to do. Then, there's the effect properties:

• Rotation/Skew (or whichever effect you used): Opting for this setting keeps the relative timing of your effects intact. For instance, if your spin transition kicks in at the 68% mark of your clip, selecting "Rotation" will ensure that the transition also activates at precisely 68% in any subsequent clip you apply this preset to.
• Anchor to In Point: This setting uses the time elapsed from the beginning of the clip as a reference point for all future applications. So, if your spin transition starts 1.8 seconds after the clip commences, that exact timing will be mirrored in all future clips where you use this preset.
• Anchor to Out Point: Choosing this ensures that your spin and glow effect will manifest at the tail end of any future clip you decide to grace with this preset. Expert Tip: This setting is a perfect match for effects designed to serve as outro animations or to signify the end of a thematic segment. Given our specific example, if you want the spin to serve as a dramatic conclusion to a scene, this is your setting.

Lastly, the description field is not to be ignored. This is where you can add notes or specific instructions for yourself or others who might use this preset. Given the complexity of our spin and glow example, you might note that the preset is optimized for a 15-30 frame overlap and that the glow threshold dips to 40% at the midpoint for maximum effect.

Once you've filled out all these fields, hit "OK," and your preset is ready for action.

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How To Apply The Preset

So, you've meticulously crafted your preset, fine-tuned its settings, and saved it. Now comes the moment of truth: locating and applying this masterpiece to your next clip. This is where the rubber meets the road, and trust me, it's a moment that never gets old, no matter how long you've been in the game.

To find your newly minted preset, navigate to the "Effects" tab within Premiere Pro. Here, you'll find a dedicated section labeled "Presets." This is essentially your personal library of custom effects, transitions, and more. It's a treasure trove that can significantly expedite your workflow.

Expert Insight: The "Presets" section is organized alphabetically by default. However, you can also use the search bar at the top of the "Effects" panel to quickly locate your preset by its name. This is especially useful when you've amassed a large collection of presets.

Your preset should appear here, under the name you've given it. Simply click, drag, and drop it onto the clip you wish to apply it to. It's that straightforward.

Now, take a moment to preview how it looks. Scrub through the timeline or hit the spacebar to play it back. If everything looks as it should, congratulations! You've successfully created and applied a complex, custom preset.

Advanced Note: If you find that the preset isn't quite right for a particular clip—perhaps the timing is off or the glow is too intense—you can always go into the "Effect Controls" panel to tweak individual parameters. Your preset is a starting point, not a straitjacket.

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How to create a color preset in Premiere Pro?

Another common question asked by new Premiere Pro users. The process for creating a colour preset is almost identical to the process of creating a regular preset. Here's what i mean:

First up, the "Turn off Color settings" toggle at the top of the Color panel. This is your go-to for an immediate before-and-after comparison. By toggling this on and off, you can instantly see how your preset affects the clip, allowing you to make more informed adjustments.

Now, onto saving your adjusted color preset. Navigate to the "More Options" (represented by three dots) in the Color panel and select "Create Preset." Here, you'll want to give your new preset a descriptive name that encapsulates its specific adjustments. For example, if you've dialed the intensity down to 40% for a softer look, you might name it "SoftGlow_40Intensity."

Finally, to apply this newly minted preset to another clip, simply select the clip in your sequence and click on your saved preset under "Your Presets" in the Color panel.

Pro Tip: If you're applying this preset to multiple clips, consider using the "Paste Attributes" function to speed up the process. This allows you to apply the preset to multiple clips in one go, a workflow hack that I often share in my advanced editing courses.