Fix aspect ratio distortion – Adobe Premiere Pro CS3 User Manual
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ADOBE PREMIERE PRO CS3
User Guide
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When you capture or import NTSC footage with the ATSC frame size of 704x480, the D1 frame size of 720x486, or
the DV frame size of 720x480, Adobe Premiere Pro automatically sets the pixel aspect ratio for that asset to D1/DV
NTSC (0.9). When you capture or import footage with the HD frame size of 1440x1080, Adobe Premiere Pro
automatically sets the pixel aspect ratio for that file to HD 1080 Anamorphic (1.33). When you capture or import
PAL footage with the D1 or DV resolution of 720x576, Adobe Premiere Pro automatically sets the pixel aspect ratio
for that file to D1/DV PAL (1.067).
For other frame sizes, Adobe Premiere Pro assumes that the asset was designed with square pixels and changes the
pixel aspect ratio and frame dimensions in a way that preserves the asset’s image aspect ratio. If the imported asset
is distorted, you may need to change the pixel aspect ratio manually.
When you drag an asset into a sequence, Adobe Premiere Pro centers the asset in the program frame by default.
Depending on its frame size, the resulting image may be too small or overcropped for the needs of the project. If so,
you may need to change its scale. You can do this manually or have Adobe Premiere Pro do it automatically
whenever you drag an asset into a sequence.
It is always a good idea to make sure that files are interpreted correctly. You can read an asset’s frame dimensions
and pixel aspect ratio near the preview thumbnail and in the Video Info column of the Project panel. You can also
find this data in the asset’s Properties dialog box, the Interpret Footage dialog box, and the Info panel.
See also
Clip details in the Info panel
Fix aspect ratio distortion
The project settings preset you choose when you create a project sets the frame and pixel aspect ratios for the project.
You can’t change these after you save the project file, but you can change the pixel aspect ratio that Adobe Premiere
Pro assumes for individual assets. For example, if a square-pixel asset generated by a graphics or animation program
looks distorted in Adobe Premiere Pro, you can correct its pixel aspect ratio to make it look right. By ensuring that
all files are interpreted correctly, you can combine footage with different ratios in the same project and generate
output that doesn’t distort the resulting images.
See also
Correct individual aspect ratio misinterpretations
1
Select the file in the Project panel.
2
Choose File
> Interpret Footage, specify options in the Pixel Aspect Ratio section, and click
OK.
Correct recurring aspect ratio misinterpretations
Adobe Premiere Pro automatically assigns pixel aspect ratios to files according to a file of rules. If a specific type of
image is consistently misinterpreted (distorted) when you import it, you can change the relevant rule.
1
Open a text editor, such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac OS).
2
From within the text editor, go to the Adobe Premiere Pro Plug-ins folder.
3
Open the file named Interpretation Rules.txt.
4
Edit the rule that you want to modify, and choose Save.
April 1, 2008