Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned professional, video editing presets are one of the easiest ways to speed up your workflow while keeping your videos consistent and professional. Presets allow you to apply complex effects, color grades, transitions, and audio settings in just a click — saving time and ensuring a polished look.
What Are Video Editing Presets?
A video editing preset is a saved set of editing adjustments or effects that can be applied to clips instantly. Instead of redoing the same steps for every project, you can use presets to:
- Apply a specific color grading style across multiple videos
- Add complex motion graphics or animations without recreating them each time
- Maintain a consistent audio mix across content
- Speed up editing for social media formats
Where to Find High-Quality Presets
- Motion Array – All-in-one library for video, motion graphics, and audio.
- Envato Elements – Unlimited downloads for a fixed monthly fee.
- Film Riot / Cinecom.net – Creator-friendly free presets.
- Ground Control Pro – Premium cinematic grades for DaVinci Resolve.
Types of Video Editing Presets
Color Grading Presets
These presets instantly apply a specific look or mood to your footage — from cinematic tones to vibrant travel colors. They are especially useful for YouTube creators, filmmakers, and content creators who want a signature style.
Transition Presets
Save time by applying smooth transitions between clips without manually animating them. Popular types include:
- Zoom transitions
- Whip pans
- Light leaks
- Glitch effects
Effect Presets
Effect presets can include custom text animations, motion graphics, or visual overlays. They’re often used for intros, outros, and lower-thirds.
Audio Presets
Audio presets include EQ settings, reverb, and compression for quick sound mixing — especially useful for podcasts, vlogs, or cinematic projects.
Best Tools for Video Editing Presets
How to Use Video Editing Presets Effectively
- Start with a goal – Choose presets that fit your brand style or storytelling mood.
- Customize – Always tweak presets to match your footage instead of using them as-is.
- Organize your library – Group presets by type (color, audio, transitions) for faster access.
- Save your own presets – When you create an effect you like, save it for future use.
- Avoid overuse – Too many presets can make videos feel unnatural or repetitive.
Creating Your Own Video Editing Presets
Most professional software allows you to create custom presets:
- In Premiere Pro, right-click your adjusted effect → Save Preset.
- In DaVinci Resolve, save color adjustments as Power Grades.
- In Final Cut Pro, create custom effects via Motion templates.
Custom presets ensure your videos stand out instead of looking like generic templates.
Conclusion
Video editing presets are a game-changer for creators looking to save time, maintain a professional look, and stay consistent across content. Whether you’re focusing on cinematic color grades, seamless transitions, or pro audio mixing, presets can take your editing to the next level.
If you want to go beyond presets and truly master the art of editing, join our video editing course. You’ll learn not just how to use presets effectively, but also how to build your own signature style from scratch.
