How to Add Guides in DaVinci Resolve (Safe Areas, Grids & Custom Guides)

Hi everyone, if you’re editing in DaVinci Resolve and wondering how to add guides for safe areas, grids, or custom overlays — this is the complete step-by-step guide you’ve been searching for.

As a video editor London based professional, I use these techniques daily to keep titles, graphics, and shots aligned. Whether you’re creating YouTube videos, films, or social content, guides are essential for precision editing.

In this quick tutorial, you’ll learn four proven ways to add guides in DaVinci Resolve — plus bonus alignment tips.

1. DaVinci Resolve – Add Social Media Aspect Ratio Guides (TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts)

When editing for platforms like Instagram, TikTok, or YouTube Shorts, it’s important to frame your video in the correct aspect ratio. DaVinci Resolve includes Social Media Guides that overlay popular formats, helping you keep your subject, text, and graphics perfectly aligned for each platform.

Adding Social Media Guides in DaVinci Resolve

Steps to enable Social Media Guides in DaVinci Resolve:

1. Go to the Edit page.

2. Open the drop-down menu in the top-right of the Viewer.

3. Select Social Media Guides

4. Choose the aspect ratio you need, such as:

   
   

   • 1:1 – square, great for Instagram posts

   • 4:5 – portrait for Instagram feed videos

   • 9:16 – vertical video for TikTok, Instagram Reels, and YouTube Shorts

   • 16:9 – widescreen for YouTube

These guides are overlays only — they won’t crop or affect your final export. They simply make it easier to frame your content correctly for each platform.

2. DaVinci Resolve – Add Broadcast and Film Aspect Ratio Guides

When working on projects intended for television or cinema, it’s important to preview your video in the correct aspect ratio. DaVinci Resolve includes Broadcast and Film Guides that let you frame your shots for formats like 1.33, 1.77, 1.85, and 2.35 — the standard aspect ratios used in broadcast and feature films.

Adding Broadcast and Film Aspect Ratio Guides

Steps to enable Broadcast and Film Guides in DaVinci Resolve:

1. 1.33 – traditional broadcast (4:3)

2. 1.77 – modern HDTV (16:9)

3. 1.85 – standard cinema widescreen

4. 2.35 – anamorphic cinema (ultra-widescreen look)

These guides act as visual overlays only — they won’t change your project settings or crop the export. Instead, they help ensure your framing matches the final viewing format.

3. DaVinci Resolve – Add Safe Area Guides (Title Safe, Action Safe, Centre)

When editing for broadcast or online platforms, keeping text and key visuals within safe margins ensures nothing important gets cut off on different screens. DaVinci Resolve includes Safe Area Guides for Title Safe, Action Safe, and Centre alignment, making it easier to position graphics and titles correctly.

DaVinci Resolve – Adding Safe Area Guides

Steps to enable Safe Area Guides in DaVinci Resolve:

Choose the guides you need, such as:

• Title Safe – ensures on-screen text stays fully visible

• Action Safe – keeps key action and visuals within the safe viewing area

• Centre – useful for centring titles and graphics in the frame

These guides are overlays only — they won’t appear in your final export. They’re purely for composition, ensuring your titles, graphics, and action are always displayed correctly.

4.  DaVinci Resolve – Add Ruler Guides for Alignment

For precise layout control, DaVinci Resolve lets you add Ruler Guides directly onto the Viewer. These custom guides are especially useful for aligning text, graphics, and other visual elements to exact positions on the screen.

When you enable rulers, measurement markers appear along the top and left-hand side of the Viewer window. From there, you can simply click and drag guides into the Viewer to position them exactly where you need. This makes it easy to keep titles, overlays, and design elements perfectly lined up.

Adding Ruler Guides for Alignment

Steps to enable Ruler Guides in DaVinci Resolve:

1. Open the drop-down menu in the top-right of the Viewer.

2. Select Ruler Guides.

3. Drag guides from the ruler edges into the Viewer to place them.

4. Adjust or remove guides as needed to refine your layout.

Ruler Guides are overlays only — they won’t export with your video. They’re purely a design tool for achieving precise alignment and clean, professional compositions.

Summary: How to Add Guides in DaVinci Resolve

Type of Guide	Purpose / Use
Safe Area Guides	Keeps titles, graphics, and action within broadcast-safe margins so nothing gets cut off on different screens.
Social Media Guides	Provides overlays for popular aspect ratios (1:1, 4:5, 9:16, 16:9) to frame videos correctly for TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts, and more.
Broadcast & Film Guides	Lets you preview cinematic and TV aspect ratios such as 1.33, 1.77, 1.85, and 2.35 for professional film and broadcast projects.
Ruler Guides	Custom guides you can drag into the Viewer to align text, graphics, and elements with precision.

Work With a Professional Video Editor in London

If you found this guide useful and want expert support with your own video projects, I’d love to help. As a working video editor in London, I specialise in editing for events, social media, brands, and creators.

Check out my website: Video Editor London

Contact: londonvideoeditor@gmail.com