Use the header bar to navigate through the editing workflow in Premiere Pro. Use the default workspace layouts or customize them to suit your own working style.
Adobe video and audio applications all offer customizable workspaces for different tasks. Although each application has its own set of panels (such as Project, Metadata, and Timeline), you move and group panels in the same way across products.
The main window of a program is the application window. Panels are organized in this window in an arrangement called a workspace. The default workspace contains groups of panels and panels that stand alone.
You customize a workspace by arranging panels in the layout that best suits your working style. As you rearrange panels, the other panels resize automatically to fit the window. You can create and save several custom workspaces for different tasks—for example, one for editing and one for preview.
The Home screen is where you begin in Premiere Pro. Use the options on the left to start a new project or open an existing project. The right side of the Home screen provides access to in-application tutorials, and other tutorials and documentation available online.
The content on the Home screen evolves over time as you use Premiere Pro. As you work on more projects and get more experience, your recent projects are displayed on the Home screen and the number of tutorials displayed are reduced.
A. Home button to open the Home screen B. Import tab C. Edit tab D. Export tab E. Project Name F. Workspaces G. Quick export H. Maximize video output
When you choose New Project, Premiere Pro opens in Import mode. After you create a new project or open an existing one, Premiere Pro opens in Edit mode. When you’re ready to export a video, open Export mode.
The Premiere Pro interface is made up of panels that are organized into a layout and saved as a workspace. Premiere Pro comes with 15 default workspaces. Most of the workspaces are based on specific post-production tasks (such as color, audio, or graphics), but here are tips for using some of the general workspaces:
Click on workspace names in the dropdown menu to access workspaces.
You can also open a Workspace from the Window menu or with keyboard shortcuts:
Click Alt + Shift + 1 (up to 9) to open individual workspaces.
You can customize your keyboard shortcuts to open your preferred workspaces, including custom workspaces.
By default, Premiere Pro opens projects in whatever workspace you currently have open. However, you can open a project in the workspace last used with it. This option is helpful if you often rearrange the workspace for each project.
Before opening a project, select Window > Workspaces > Import Workspace From Projects.
If you import a project and the workspace is empty, close the project. Deselect Import Workspace From Projects. Import the project again, and select an existing workspace for the project.
You can change the order in which workspaces are displayed, or hide a workspace so that it is not displayed in the Workspaces menu. You can also delete custom workspaces if you no longer need them.
You can also access the Edit Workspaces dialog through Window > Workspaces > Edit Workspaces.
You can modify a workspace and save the most recent layout as a custom workspace. Saved custom workspaces appear in the Workspace menu, for future access.
Arrange the groups and panels as desired, and then do one of the following:
If you make changes to the original default workspace and save the changes, the only way to recover them is to delete the workspace config file from your Layouts folder.
Premiere Pro can be rearranged to your liking. Use these steps to save custom layouts and edit the order they appear in the workspace menu.
Learn how to save custom workspaces in Premiere Pro.
Reset the current workspace to return to its original, saved layout of panels.
Do one of the following:
You can dock panels together, move them into or out of groups, and undock them so they float above the application window. As you drag a panel, drop zones—areas onto which you can move the panel—become highlighted. The drop zone you choose determines where the panel is inserted, and whether it docks or groups with other panels.
Docking zones
Docking zones exist along the edges of a panel, group, or window. Docking a panel places it near the existing group, resizing all groups to accommodate the new panel.
Grouping zones
Grouping zones exist in the middle of a panel or group, and along the tab area of panels. Dropping a panel on a grouping zone stacks it with other panels.
Dock or group panels
If the panel you want to dock or group is not visible, choose it from the Window menu.
Drag the required panel onto the desired drop zone. The application docks or groups according to the type of drop zone.
Press the Ctrl key while dragging the panel to make the panel free-floating.
You can choose to present panels in a panel group in a stacked state or in a tabbed state. Stacked panels are expanded and collapsed with a single click of the mouse on the panel header, or a tap of the finger when using a touch surface. Choose the desired option from Panel Group Settings.
Undock a panel in a floating window
When you undock a panel in a floating window, you can add panels to the window and modify it similarly to the application window. You can use floating windows to use a secondary monitor, or to create workspaces like the workspaces in earlier versions of Adobe applications.
Select the panel you want to undock (if it’s not visible, choose it from the Window menu), and then do one of the following:
Choose Undock Panel or Undock Panel Group from the panel menu. Undock Panel Group undocks the panel group.
Hold down Ctrl (Windows®) or Command (Mac OS®), and drag the panel or group from its current location. When you release the mouse button, the panel or group appears in a new floating window.
Drag the panel or group outside the application window. (If the application window is maximized, drag the panel to the Windows taskbar.)
When you position the pointer over dividers between panel groups, resize icons appear. When you drag these icons, all groups that share the divider are resized. For example, suppose that your workspace contains three panel groups stacked vertically. If you drag the divider between the bottom two groups, they are resized, but the topmost group doesn’t change.
To quickly maximize a panel beneath the pointer, press the accent key. (Do not press Shift.) Press the accent key again to return the panel to its original size.
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A. Original group with resize icon B. Resized groups
When you close a panel group in the application window, the other groups resize to use the newly available space. When you close a floating window, the panels within it close, too.
.Click the tab of the panel you want in front.
Hover the cursor above the tab area, and turn the mouse scroll wheel. Scrolling brings each panel to the front, one after another.
Drag tabs horizontally to change their order.
To increase the available screen space, use multiple monitors. When you work with multiple monitors, the application window appears on one monitor, and you place floating windows on the second monitor. Monitor configurations are stored in the workspace.
You can lower the brightness, as when working in a darkened editing suite or when making color corrections. Changing the brightness affects panels, windows, and dialog boxes but does not affect scroll bars, title bars, and menus that aren’t inside panels. In addition, the change doesn’t affect the application background on Windows.
Choose Edit > Preferences > Appearance (Windows) or Premiere Pro > Settings > Appearance (macOS).
Choose a color theme.
Toggle Accessible color contrast if you want the contrast to meet accessibility guidelines.
