Video editing guide
How to Add Film Grain in Premiere Pro
Premiere Pro 26.2 replaced its old Noise effect with a rebuilt one that adds animated grain with separate shadow, midtone, and highlight control. A grain overlay clip is still useful when you want a specific film-format look or identical grain across apps, and older versions can fall back to the legacy Noise effect.
Published October 3, 2026 · Updated October 3, 2026 · Written by Maximilian Braun
Method 1: Rebuilt Noise effect (Premiere Pro 26.2+)
Built in, animated, with tonal control.
- 1
Create an adjustment layer (File > New > Adjustment Layer) above your footage so one effect grains the whole edit, or apply the effect to a single clip.
- 2
In the Effects panel, open Video Effects > Noise & Grain and drag Noise onto the adjustment layer or clip.
- 3
Keep the global amount low at first, then use the shadow, midtone, and highlight controls to keep grain mostly out of bright areas.
- 4
Lower noise saturation for neutral, film-like grain, and try the Soft Light blending mode.
Adobe introduced this version of Noise in Premiere Pro 26.2 as a replacement for the legacy effect. Control names may differ slightly between releases.
Method 2: Grain overlay clip
A specific film-format look that matches across projects and apps.
- 1
Download an animated grain loop (MP4) from the imagegrain overlay generator and import it into your project.
- 2
Place it on the video track above your footage, covering the section you want to grain.
- 3
Select the grain clip, open Effect Controls > Opacity, and set Blend Mode to Overlay (or Soft Light).
- 4
Lower Opacity (often 40–80%) until the grain looks right on a full-screen preview.
- 5
Copy and paste or extend the clip to cover longer edits; keep it above your graded footage and below titles if titles should stay clean.
Method 3: Legacy Noise effect (older versions)
For Premiere Pro versions before 26.2.
- 1
In Effects, open Video Effects > Noise & Grain and drag Noise onto the clip or an adjustment layer.
- 2
Set Amount of Noise low (around 5–10%) and turn off color noise for a less digital result.
The legacy effect adds uniform per-pixel noise without tonal control, so an overlay clip usually looks more like film on older versions.
Recommended Premiere Pro grain settings
| Noise amount (26.2+) | Start low and build up on a full-screen preview |
|---|---|
| Noise saturation | Low or zero for monochrome, film-like grain |
| Overlay clip blend mode | Overlay (punchy) or Soft Light (gentle) |
| Overlay clip opacity | 40–80%; scale 1080p grain to 200% on 4K |
Menu names and value ranges can change between Premiere Pro versions.
Tips for natural-looking grain
- Always check an export: the program monitor at reduced playback resolution hides fine grain.
- Streaming compression removes fine grain, so slightly coarser grain survives YouTube better.
- Add grain after the grade so color corrections do not change the grain's contrast.
Get a free grain overlay for Premiere Pro
Generate an animated grain loop or PNG in your browser, then blend it in Premiere Pro with Overlay. Free, no account, no watermark.
Film grain in Premiere Pro: FAQ
Does Premiere Pro have a film grain effect?
Since version 26.2, the Noise effect under Video Effects > Noise & Grain has been rebuilt for film-like grain, with tonal and saturation controls. Earlier versions only have the legacy Noise effect, so many editors use a grain overlay clip instead.
What blend mode should grain use in Premiere?
For an overlay clip, Overlay gives visible, contrasty grain and Soft Light a gentler look; both treat 50% gray as neutral. The rebuilt Noise effect also offers Soft Light among its blending modes.
Why does grain look different after export?
Export codecs and bitrates smooth fine detail. Raise the export bitrate or use slightly larger grain if it disappears.