Adding Transitions > Creating transitions > Working in the Single-Track Editing workspace
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Working in the Single-Track Editing workspace


You can add a transition between two clips when the Timeline is in Single-Track Editing mode. In general, this method requires more planning and is recommended for more experienced video editors, especially those with a traditional editing background.

To create a transition in Single-Track Editing mode, Premiere either uses the extra frames available for the clips (extra frames are created by trimming a clip), or repeats frames at the beginning or ending of the clips.

The single-track method of creating a transition is similar to the one in traditional linear editing studios, in which frames that you have trimmed out of the program (by setting new In or Out points, or using the trim, ripple edit, or rolling edit tools), are used to create a transition. The frames trimmed from the beginning of a clip are called head material; the frames trimmed from the end of a clip are called tail material. If insufficient head or tail material is present when applying a transition, Premiere displays a Fix Transition dialog box in which you can choose to change the duration of the transition, change the transition's alignment, or repeat the first and last frames of the clip and use those frames for the transition.

If you delete or move a transition (or a clip tied to a transition) after you've made adjustments using the Fix Transition dialog box, Premiere automatically restores the In and Out points of the corresponding clips.

To add a transition to the Video 1 track in Single-Track Editing mode:

1 If the two adjacent clips in the Timeline window do not already have extra frames that you can use for the transition, trim the Out point of the first by half the number of frames that will be used in the transition and the In point of the second by half the number of frames that will be used in the transition. (For example, for a 10-frame transition, trim the In and Out points by 5 frames each.) Then remove the resulting gap by selecting it and choosing Timeline > Ripple Delete.

2 Do one of the following:
  • Drag a transition from the Transitions palette to the meeting point of the two clips. The overlapping area is highlighted as the pointer moves over the meeting point. The transition is applied, using the default transition duration. If insufficient frames are available, the Fix Transition dialog box appears.
  • Hold down Alt (Windows) or Option (Mac OS) and drag a transition from the Transitions palette to the meeting point of the two clips. A dialog box opens in which you can set the effect (transition) duration and alignment.

    • 3 To see the overlapping area on the Timeline, click the Uncollapse button () next to the Video 1 name.

    4 To preview the transition, see the following.

    Adding Transitions > Creating transitions > Working in the Single-Track Editing workspace