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Adding a background matte


    You can create a full-frame matte of a solid color that you can use like a clip. You can use mattes, for example, as a solid background for titles. Brightly colored mattes can serve as temporary backgrounds while you use a key to help you see transparency more clearly.

To create a background matte:

  1. Activate the Project window.
  2. Choose File > New > Color Matte.
  3. Select a color from the Color Picker window and click OK.
  4. Type a name for the matte, as you want it to appear in the Project window. Then click OK.
  5. Tip icon Create a backdrop from an existing frame by exporting a frame as a still image. See Exporting a still image.

To use a temporary matte for keying:

  1. Create a background matte as described above. Typically, a bright green or yellow works best.
  2. Place the matte in a track beneath the clip you are keying, in either a superimpose track or the Video 1 track.
  3. Make the matte the same length as the clip you are keying so that you can preview transparency across the entire clip.
  4. Create transparency in the clip as described in Using keys to superimpose and create composites. The brightly colored matte shows through in the areas that are transparent.
  5. When you are satisfied with your keying, delete the colored matte from the Timeline window.