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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Get an ink transition clip
The effect is built from a video of ink spreading on a black and white background, and the tutorial uses one of the free ink transitions you can download. Our free ink transitions work for this. Download the files and import the one you want into Premiere Pro with File > Import or by double-clicking an empty area of the Project panel.
Step 2: Place the ink clip above your cut
Put the two clips you want to transition between on the timeline, one after the other on V1. Then drag the ink transition clip onto V3, so it sits above both. Position it so the part of the ink animation you want sits over the point where the first clip should end and the second should begin. Keep V2 free for the next step.
Step 3: Stack the second clip under the ink
Now drag the second clip up from V1 to V2, and slide it so its first frame lines up with the first frame of the ink clip. Check the first clip on V1. It should continue until at least the end of the ink clip, because it needs to stay visible beneath the ink until the new scene has fully taken over. Trim or extend it so there is footage underneath the whole length of the transition.
You should now have three layers: the ink clip on top, the second clip below it and the first clip at the bottom.
Step 4: Apply Track Matte Key to the second clip
Open the Effects panel, search for Track Matte Key and find it under Video Effects > Keying. Drag it onto the second clip, the one on V2. This effect lets another layer decide which parts of the clip are visible.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Track Matte Key and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 5: Set the matte to Video 3 and Matte Luma
With the second clip selected, open Effect Controls and scroll to Track Matte Key. Open the Matte dropdown and choose Video 3, which is the track holding the ink clip. Then open the Composite Using dropdown and change it from Matte Alpha to Matte Luma.
Matte Luma uses the brightness of the ink clip as the mask. The ink is the shape that reveals the second clip. Press the spacebar to play it back, and you will see the new scene appear inside the spreading ink.
Tips
- If the reveal is inverted. If you see the first clip inside the ink instead of the second, tick Reverse in the Track Matte Key settings or try the other composite option.
- Add a sound effect. A short whoosh or splash under the transition makes the cut feel much stronger.
- Reuse it. Copy the three-layer setup to other cuts, and swap the ink clip for a different one to change the shape of the reveal.
- Want a similar look? See how to make an object flash transition in Premiere Pro.
FAQ
How do I make an ink transition in Premiere Pro?
Place an ink video on a track above your clips, put the second clip under it and apply Track Matte Key to that clip, using the ink track as the matte and Matte Luma as the composite mode.
Where can I get an ink transition clip?
You can download a free pack from our store. It contains ink transition videos you can drop straight into your project.
Why does my second clip not appear?
Check that the Matte option points to the track with the ink clip and that the second clip lines up with the start of the ink. Also make sure Composite Using is set to Matte Luma.
Download the free ink transitions and try the effect on your own footage.
