ASCII Effect Premiere Pro Tutorial (Ultra Key Method)

This ASCII effect Premiere Pro tutorial shows you how to put an ASCII text version of your footage on top of the original in Premiere Pro, keyed cleanly and in sync. A product shot that resolves from characters into the real object is a good first project: short, high contrast, and easy to judge.

What you need

• Premiere Pro (any recent version with the Ultra Key effect).
• Your source clip as MP4, WebM or MOV.
• Current Chrome, Edge or Safari 16.4+ for MP4 export.

Step 1: Make the ASCII clip

1. In Premiere, decide which range you want stylized. Export or trim that range as its own file so the ASCII version starts on the same frame.
2. Open Video to ASCII and load the file.
3. Apply the CapCut / Premiere Green Screen preset, which sets the background to #00FF00. If you prefer not to key at all, set the background to black instead.
4. Pick a character set. Detailed (70 levels) holds fine gradients on a product's surface; Braille gives a very fine, dotted texture.
5. Set the width. Higher widths, up to 250 characters, keep small details readable; lower widths look blockier.
6. Export as MP4. Exports go up to 1280×720 and 60 seconds, so for a 1080p or 4K timeline you will scale the clip up.

Step 2: Place it on the timeline

Import the export and drop it on V2, directly above the original on V1. Snap its start to the start of the range you converted. The ASCII file has no audio, so leave the original's audio on A1 where it is.

Right-click the clip and use Set to Frame Size or Scale to Frame Size to fill the frame.

Step 3: Key with Ultra Key

1. In the Effects panel, search for Ultra Key and drag it onto the V2 clip.
2. In Effect Controls, click the Key Color eyedropper and sample the green.
3. Leave Setting on Default to start; try Aggressive if green remains.
4. Switch Output to Alpha Channel to check the matte. The characters should be pure white and the background pure black. Switch back to Composite when done.

The Screen blend alternative

If you exported on black, skip Ultra Key. Select the clip, open Opacity in Effect Controls, and set Blend Mode to Screen. Black disappears and light characters remain. Screen also slightly brightens what is underneath, which suits glowing terminal looks.

Getting a clean key

Open Matte Generation in Ultra Key. Raise Transparency slowly if green speckles remain, and adjust Tolerance if the edges of characters are eaten. In Matte Cleanup, keep Choke low; thin glyphs vanish fast. Spill Suppression removes the green tint that can cling to character edges.

Use mono color for the export when possible. With original colors, any green in your product or background turns into green characters that Ultra Key will remove. The green screen keying basics guide explains the trade-offs.

Creative variations

• Resolve into the product: add a Cross Dissolve at the end of the V2 clip so the characters fade into the real shot.
• Partial ASCII: draw a mask on the V2 clip in Effect Controls so only the product or only the background turns into text.
• Mix: lower Opacity to around 50% for a layered, double-exposure feel.
• Tint: add the Tint effect or use Lumetri Color on V2 to color white characters. You can also choose the text color in ASCII Art Generator before export.

Troubleshooting

Green fringe on characters. Increase Spill Suppression, or re-export with a larger font size so glyphs have more pixels.

Too dense or too thin. Change the width in characters and re-export. Raise contrast or try edge detection if the subject gets lost; best characters for ASCII art compares sets.

Export too slow or too long. Anything over 60 seconds needs to be split. Lower widths and shorter clips export faster.

Misaligned with the original. Confirm the V2 clip starts on the first frame of the range you converted, and that both clips play at 100% speed. Scaling can also shift position; reset Position in Motion and rescale.

Wrapping up

Render a preview of the section, check the key at full resolution, and export your sequence as normal.