How to add a border to a video
Last updated 2026-10-20
A video border is a line of color around the edge of a clip. It is not a letterbox, which is bars left by a mismatched shape, and it is not a frame, which is a decorative graphic around the whole picture. Use one on a facecam bubble or picture-in-picture. In Woven, set Border and Border color in the Style tab, from 0 to 100 points.
Border, frame and letterbox
People use three words for outlines and edges around video, and they mean different things. Knowing which one you want saves you from searching for the wrong tool.
A border belongs to one clip and follows its shape. A frame is a graphic that sits around the whole picture, often a photo-style edge or a device outline. A letterbox is not a design choice at all. It is the bars you get when wide footage sits in a taller canvas.
| Term | What it is | Belongs to | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| Border | A line of color on a clip's edge | One clip | Separate a facecam or inset from the background |
| Frame | A decorative graphic around the picture | The whole canvas | A style, such as a photo edge |
| Letterbox | Empty bars from a shape mismatch | The canvas | Not chosen: it is what is left over |
When a border helps
A border solves one problem: two images meet and the eye cannot tell where one ends. It is a small fix with a large effect on how tidy a layout looks. It does nothing for a single full-screen clip, where the picture already fills the canvas.
- A facecam bubble. A round inset over gameplay or a screen recording blends into busy detail. A thin ring in a clear color lifts it off the background.
- A picture-in-picture. A small clip over a main clip reads as a separate layer once it has an edge.
- A product shot on a busy background. A border in the brand color holds the product in place when the picture behind it is cluttered.
- Two clips side by side. Give both the same border and they read as two matched panels. The split screen guide covers the layout.
Width and color choices
Width depends on the canvas. On a 1080-wide vertical canvas, a few points reads as a fine line and a dozen reads as a deliberate edge. Beyond that the border starts to compete with the picture. Start thin and add width only when the edge still disappears.
Color needs contrast with whatever sits behind the clip. White works on dark or busy backgrounds. A dark border works on light ones. A brand color adds recognition but can clash, so test it against the background in a still. Use one width and one color for every bordered clip in the video, or the layout looks unplanned.
A border drawn inside a clip uses part of that clip's own edge, so a wide one covers some of the picture. Keep faces and text away from the rim, and check the result in a rendered still.
Rounded corners, circles and masks
A border is most useful on a shape that is not a plain rectangle. Round the corners and the border bends with them. Mask a facecam to a circle and the border becomes a ring. This is the look most people mean when they ask for a border on a facecam.
A side of the clip that runs past the canvas edge shows no border. A main video that fills a canvas of a different shape runs past two edges, so set its Aspect in the Crop tab to match the canvas before you border it.
Add a border in Woven
Borders are a clip setting for video and image clips. In the Style tab under Appearance you will find Corners, Border and Border color. Border width runs from 0 to 100 points, and 0 means none. The border sits inside the clip, so adding one does not move the layout. It follows rounded corners and masks, so a clip masked to a circle gets a ring. Border width and color cannot be keyframed. For a facecam, place the clip on lane 2 or higher and resize it with the handles on the canvas.
Ask in chat
- Put a white border around the facecam.
- Make the facecam a circle with a thin white ring.
- Give both clips the same 8 point border in black.
- Remove the border from the product clip.
Or do it by hand
- 1Select the clip. Pick the facecam or inset clip on the timeline or canvas and switch to the Style tab.
- 2Set the border. Under Appearance, raise Border from 0 to the width you want, then choose a Border color.
- 3Shape it. Raise Corners to round the edge, or open the Mask tab, choose Circle and place it on the canvas to get a ring.
- 4Match the others. Give every bordered clip the same width and color, or ask in chat to match them.
- 5Check the edges. Scrub to the frames where the clip moves and look at the border on every side.
Common questions
Select the clip in an editor with a border setting, choose a width and a color. In Woven, open the Style tab and set Border and Border color under Appearance.
A border is a line on one clip's edge. A frame is a decorative graphic around the whole picture. In Woven, the border setting belongs to a clip.
Thin for a clean edge, wider for a bold look. Woven allows 0 to 100 points. On a 1080-wide canvas, start with a few points and add width only if the edge still disappears.
Yes. Mask the clip to a circle and add a border, and it becomes a ring. In Woven, choose Circle in the Mask tab.
In Woven, no. The border is drawn inside the clip, so the layout does not move. It does cover a little of the clip's own edge.
Not in Woven. Border width and color cannot be keyframed. You can keyframe the clip's Opacity to fade the whole clip, border included.
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