How to Create a Solid Background in Premiere Pro (For Beginners)
Sometimes you just need a clean, solid color background for your video—whether it’s for adding text, building a title screen, or creating a minimalist look. If you’re new to Premiere Pro, this guide shows exactly how to create and customize a solid background using the Color Matte tool.
Here’s how to do it step by step.
Step 1: Open the Project Window
If your Project panel isn’t already open:
Go to Window > Project
This will show all your assets and current media
If you’ve lost track of your clips, this is where you’ll find them
Step 2: Create a New Color Matte
In the Project panel:
Click the New Item button (small icon in the bottom right)
Select Color Matte from the menu
Set your resolution and frame rate
Example: 4096x2160 resolution, 25fps (this matches your timeline settings)
Click OK
You’ll now be prompted to select a color.
Step 3: Choose Your Color
Use the color picker or enter a hex code manually
For a clean look, white is a great option (but you can choose anything)
Name your matte (like “White Background”) and click OK
This new color matte now acts like a piece of footage that you can drag into your timeline.
Step 4: Drop the Matte into Your Timeline
Drag the color matte into the timeline like any other clip. Once placed, it acts as a background layer for anything you want to build on top of it.
This is perfect for title cards, text overlays, or pause screens.
Step 5 (Optional): Add Text on Top
If you want to add text over the solid background:
Use the Text Tool (T) to click on your Program Monitor
Type your message (for example: “Hello”)
Select all the text (Ctrl+A)
Use the Essential Graphics panel to customize:
Change the font
Set the color to black or anything that contrasts your background
Adjust the font size
Now you’ve got clean, centered text over a solid background.
That’s it. You’ve successfully created a solid background in Premiere Pro and added styled text on top—perfect for intros, breaks, or minimalist content sections.
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