4K and 6K footage can bring even powerful machines to their knees. Proxies let you edit with lightweight, low-resolution copies while Premiere Pro automatically swaps in the full-res originals at export time.
How to Create Proxies
- Select your clips in the Project panel
- Right-click > Proxy > Create Proxies
- Choose a preset (GoPro Cineform or ProRes Proxy work well) and a destination folder
- Click OK — Adobe Media Encoder will render your proxies in the background
Toggling Proxies On/Off
Click the Toggle Proxies button in the Program monitor toolbar (wrench icon > add button if you don't see it). Blue highlight means proxies are active. Toggle off before your final export to confirm full-res quality.
Watch the tutorial
Pro tip: Create proxies immediately after importing footage. Set up a Media Encoder watch folder so new footage is automatically proxied as you ingest it.
