Visual Effects Overview

Apply effects to add visual polish to your videos, engage your viewers, and clarify your communication.

Camtasia product icon

In this tutorial:

Add a Visual Effect

Apply visual effects to speed up or slow down a video clip, adjust or remove color, add clickable links, and more.

  1. Click the Visual Effects tab.
    Visual Effects tab
  2. Drag an effect onto media on the timeline.

Edit a Visual Effect

Click the Effects tray on the media and click to select the effect. The effect turns yellow.
Open the Effects tray Select an effect

OptionDescription
Adjust the PropertiesClick the Properties button to view and adjust the effect settings in the properties panel.
Properties button
Turn Off and OnClick the toggle in the properties panel.
Adjust the DurationDrag the effect handles to adjust when the effect starts and ends during the clip.
Drag the effect handles to adjust duration
Delete the EffectPress the Delete key or click the X icon in the properties panel.
Delete button magnified

Visual Effect Types

Color Effects

EffectDetails
Color AdjustmentAdjust the brightness, contrast, and saturation settings of an image or video in the properties panel.

Color Adjustment example
Color LUTApply the default Color Lookup Table (LUT) to enhance color contrast, or import Color LUT files to apply other color grading treatments.

Default Color LUT example
Color FiltersPreview and apply one of 32 new unique Color LUTs to an image or video. See Edit Video Colors and Shading (Filters).
Color TintApply one color to light tones and a second color to dark tones in a video or image.

Color Tint example
ColorizeApply a single color overlay to media.

Colorize example
GlowApply a glowing effect to light areas of media.

Glow example
Remove a ColorRemove a single-color background to substitute a different background image or video.

Remove Background example

See Remove a Color (Green Screen).
Sepia (Mac)Apply a sepia tone to media.

Sepia example

Graphic Display Effects

EffectDetails
Background Removal (Beta)Remove your background, even complex or multi-color backgrounds, without needing to use green screen. This visual effect works best when there is a single person or primary object on the screen.
BorderAdd a color border around the media.

Border example
Corner RoundingRound one or more corners.

Corner Rounding example
Device FrameDisplay media within the frame of a laptop, mobile device, or computer display.

Device Frame example

See Provide Context with Device Frames.
Drop ShadowApply a drop shadow to give media a 3D effect on the canvas. Specify the shadow color and angle.

Drop Shadow example
Keystroke (Mac)Automatically display key combinations pressed during recording that included the Command, Option, or Control modifier key.

Keystroke example

Note: This effect can only be applied to screen recordings captured with Camtasia (TREC files).


Tip: On Windows, manually add keystrokes as annotations.

Select Annotations tab > Keystroke Callouts subtab Keystroke Callouts subtab, and drag a callout onto the timeline. Edit the key combination in the properties panel.

Mask (Mac)Reveal only an oval or rectangular portion of media, or invert the mask to hide a portion of the media.

Mask example
Interactive HotspotAdd a clickable call-to-action to link to a webpage, automatically pause video, or direct users to replay or jump to a different section of your video.

Hotspot example

See Add Hotspots (Interactive Videos).
Mosaic (Mac)Pixelates media to create a tiled or mosaic effect.

Mosaic example
Outline Edges (Mac)Automatically apply the effect of a line drawing to a video or image.

Outline Edges example
ReflectionAdd a reflection to media that does not take up the entire canvas.

Reflection example

Note: To reflect grouped objects individually, ungroup the objects first and then apply the Reflection effect.

Spotlight (Mac)Create the appearance of a spotlight shining on the media.

Spotlight example
Window Spotlight (Mac)Automatically dim all inactive windows in a screen recording to draw attention to the active window.

Window Spotlight example

Note: This effect can only be applied to screen recordings captured with Camtasia (TREC files).

VignetteAdd a fade to an image or video without a defined border.
Example of Vignette Effect

Motion Effects

EffectDetails
Clip SpeedPlay a video clip faster or slower than its original pace.

Clip Speed example

See Speed Up & Slow Down Video Clips.
Freeze RegionFix one area of a video on the canvas while the remaining area continues to play. See Freeze a Region.

Freeze Region example
Motion BlurBlurs objects that have animation applied to them.

Note: Motion Blur does not affect movement in video clips.

Motion PathAdd movement to objects such as annotations, images, and clips, to make them arc, swoop, or glide across the screen.

Example of Motion Path visual effect

See Add Movement to Any Object (Motion Path).

Freeze a Region

Freeze screen content in the selected area while the video continues to play to remove mistakes such as a notification.

  1. Click the Visual Effects > Visual Effects tab.
    Visual effects tab under visual effects
  2. Drag Freeze Region onto the media on the canvas or timeline.
  3. A portion of the screen is selected. Drag the selection to the location on the screen to hide your unwanted content. You can adjust the size by grabbing the surrounding handles.
    Example of how to move freeze region effect on the canvas
  4. Click and drag the effect end points on the timeline to adjust the duration of the Freeze Region effect.
    Example of how to lengthen, shorten, or move freeze region effect on the timeline

Multi-Track Effects

EffectDetails
Blend ModeChoose from dozens of modes to custom blend an image or video with media on the track(s) below.
Blend mode examples
Media MatteSimplifies adding a track matte or “masking” to display or hide media on the tracks below.

Media Matte example

See Create Stunning Animations with Media Mattes.