A Mac window setup for video editors
Editing apps want the whole screen. How to share it with notes, references, a browser and client messages without breaking your editing view.
Give the editing app the full main screen, and put everything else, like notes, scripts, references and messages, somewhere you can reach without moving the editor.
One screen
- Keep the editor full width and the rest one swipe or one key away, never on top of the timeline.
- Use the editor's own layout presets for panels, so its inside stays the same.
- Show the desktop (⌘ F3) to drag in media without rearranging windows.
Two screens
- Main screen: the editor.
- Second screen: the viewer (most editors can send it to another display) or references and notes.
On the strip
In ClutterFreeMac, set your editor to open full width in Settings, Apps. It fills the screen; script, notes and browser sit in columns beside it, a swipe away. Media apps with their own full screen modes can be set to always float instead, so they are left alone.
Questions
How should I lay out my screen for video editing on a Mac?
Give the editing app the whole main screen, and keep notes, references and messages beside it, not on top, or on a second display.
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