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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Draw a straight line with the Pen Tool
Select the Pen Tool in the toolbar (press P) and click in the Program Monitor to place the first point. Move a little to the right, hold Shift and click again. Holding Shift keeps the line perfectly straight. This creates a graphic layer with a solid line on the timeline.
Step 2: Apply the Venetian Blinds effect
Open Window > Effects and search for Venetian Blinds. There are two versions, and you want the one under Video Effects > Obsolete, not the one in Video Transitions. Drag it onto the graphic layer you just created.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Venetian Blinds and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 3: Set Transition Completion
With the layer selected, open Effect Controls. Under Venetian Blinds, set Transition Completion to around 30%. The solid line immediately breaks into thin stripes.
Step 4: Increase the width to make dashes
To turn the stripes into dashes, raise the Width value under Venetian Blinds to around 200. Now the line looks like a clean dotted line.
Step 5: Change the direction of the line
If you rotate your line in any direction, you also need to change the Direction value under Venetian Blinds so the dashes stay aligned with it. Adjust it until the dashes look right.
Step 6: Animate the line in with a Wipe transition
Search for Wipe in the Effects panel and drag the Wipe transition (under Video Transitions > Wipe) onto the start of the graphic layer. The dashes now draw on across the screen.
Step 7: Animate the line out
Apply the same Wipe transition to the end of the layer. If you want the line to leave in the same direction it arrived from, select the end transition, open Effect Controls and tick Reverse.
Tips
- Lower the width for tiny dots. Smaller Width values make shorter dashes, bigger ones give long dashes.
- Combine it with maps and icons. Our number counting animation pairs nicely with this line for infographics.
FAQ
How do I make a dotted line in Premiere Pro?
Draw a line with the Pen Tool and apply the obsolete Venetian Blinds effect. Set Transition Completion to around 30 percent and raise Width to create dashes.
Why can I not find the Venetian Blinds effect?
You need the video effect, which is inside the Obsolete folder under Video Effects. The one under Video Transitions is a different tool.
How do I animate the dotted line?
Apply a Wipe transition to the start and end of the graphic layer, and reverse the end one if you want it to exit in the same direction.
Missing older effects like this one? Get the free restored obsolete effects.
