arrow_1_left_big Back

How to Change the Aspect Ratio in DaVinci Resolve

• 3 mins read

If you’re wondering how to change aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve, it is pretty straightforward. It doesn’t even matter if you have a Free or Studio version of DaVinci Resolve, you can always make sure that your footage fits the intended display medium perfectly. You could be aiming for the cinematic breadth of widescreen formats or targeting the vertical confines of mobile screens, DaVinci Resolve’s got your back. 

Summary

  1. Set Up Your Project
  2. Adjust for Mismatched Resolution
  3. Pay the Edit Page a Visit
  4. Quick Switching Aspect Ratios in the Cut Page
  5. Considerations for Fusion Graphics

Set Up Your Project

But, let’s get to the point – how to change aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve? First, open your project and go to the “Project Settings” in the “File” menu. Here, under the “Master Settings” tab, you’ll find the “Timeline Resolution” section where you can set the dimensions that will define your project’s aspect ratio. For instance, changing the resolution to 1080×1920 switches your project to the 9:16 aspect ratio, which is perfect for TikTok content.

Project Master Settings in DaVinci Resolve

Adjust for Mismatched Resolution

Still in the ‘Project Settings’, give ‘ Mismatched Resolution’ in the “Image Scaling” tab some attention. Take a moment and decide how DaVinci Resolve should handle clips that do not match the timeline’s resolution. You can choose:

  • ‘Center crop with no resizing’ to simply put the media in the middle of the frame, with no changes (aside from possible cropping applied)
  • ‘Scale full frame with crop’ to enlarge the image to fill the new frame, cropping out parts that exceed the boundaries
  • ‘Scale entire image to fit’ to ensure the entire image fits within the new frame
  • ‘Stretch frame to all corners’ which distorts the image to completely fill the frame
Fixing missmached resolution in DaVinci Resolve

Pay the Edit Page a Visit

After adjusting your project’s aspect ratio, head over to the DaVinci Resolve Edit Page to start assembling your timeline. If your footage doesn’t naturally fit the new aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve, you might encounter black bars or cropped shots. This is where you can adjust each clip’s framing by selecting it and then playing with its position, scale, or even rotation in the Inspector panel – basically, do everything to make it fit perfectly within the new frame.

Adjusting clip's aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve

Quick Switching Aspect Ratios in the Cut Page

For a faster way to switch between common aspect ratios like 16:9, 4:5, 9″16, and 1:1, head over to DaVinci Resolve Cut Page. Here, a handy button in the right top corner lets you quickly toggle between these settings much faster.

Quick Switching Aspect Ratios in the Cut Page in DaVinci Resolve

Considerations for Fusion Graphics

It’s important to note that graphics from Fusion are dependent on the project’s aspect ratio. Changes in screen proportions might cause displacements in elements such as titles. That is, of course, if you are not using custom products designed to handle these adjustments.

So there you have it! Changing the aspect ratio in DaVinci Resolve is as straightforward as it gets. Whether you’re stretching the scenic vistas of widescreen to capture every detail of your cinematic masterpiece, or the contrary –  cropping tightly for the vertical rush of a TikTok viral, DaVinci Resolve flexes to fit your creative vision. With just a few clicks, you’re set to mold your footage to perfectly suit any screen size and shape.