Copy and Paste keys illustrated in purple
Clipboard It: set up once, then copy and paste
  1. Set up onceFolder, bin, and prefix are remembered
  2. Copy an imageCopy actual image data from your source
  3. Click PasteSee the imported image in your chosen bin

This guide covers still images copied from a browser, screenshot tool, or other app. For clips, titles, and effects copied inside Premiere, use Premiere's native copy and paste.

Manual Import or Clipboard It?

What you do for each new image, after Clipboard It's one-time setup:

Task Manual save and import Clipboard It
Bring in the next image Save an image file, then select it with File > Import Copy the image, then click Paste
Save and name the file Choose the folder and filename when saving Uses your remembered folder and prefix, with an incrementing filename
Find it in the project Locate it in the Project panel and organize its bin Imports directly into the chosen bin
Add it to the edit Drag it onto the timeline Drag it onto the timeline

Manual import works for a few images or files already on disk, and Premiere can import several saved files at once. Clipboard It fits repeated imports, such as reference gathering, tutorial screenshots, storyboards, and client graphics, where saving each image and finding it in an import dialog adds up.

Import an Image Without a Plugin

  1. Save or export the image into a folder you will keep with your project.
  2. Use a supported still-image format, such as PNG or JPEG. Renaming the file extension does not convert the format.
  3. In Premiere, choose File > Import and select the image.
  4. Find it in the Project panel and drag it onto a video track.
  5. Adjust its duration, position, and scale for your sequence.

Adobe's still-image import guide covers image preparation and import behavior.

Paste an Image with Clipboard It

One-Time Setup

After installing Clipboard It:

  1. Open Window > Extensions > Clipboard It.
  2. Select the destination folder on disk. Use a project media folder you plan to keep.
  3. Enter the Premiere bin name. A path such as Assets/Graphics creates or uses nested bins.
  4. Optionally set a filename prefix, such as Reference.

The panel remembers the folder, bin, and prefix between uses. Check them when you switch projects.

Each Image: Copy, Then Paste

  1. Copy actual image data from the source app. In a browser, choose Copy Image, not Copy Image Address or Copy Link.
  2. Click Paste in the Clipboard It panel.

Clipboard It saves and names the file, then imports it into your chosen bin. Keep that bin open in the Project panel to see each image arrive, then drag it onto the timeline.

Example: with the folder set to Media/References, the bin to References/Images, and the prefix to Reference, each pasted image lands in the same place with the next numbered filename.

See Clipboard It's features and $24.99 one-time price.

Copy a Screenshot on Mac or Windows

  • Mac: add Control to the screenshot shortcut to copy instead of saving a file. For a selected area, press Control + Shift + Command + 4. See Apple's screenshot instructions.
  • Windows: press Windows + Shift + S and capture the area. To copy the snip explicitly, open it in Snipping Tool and press Ctrl + C. See Microsoft's Snipping Tool guide.

Then click Paste in Clipboard It and check for both the saved file and the bin item.

Disk Folders and Premiere Bins Are Different

The destination folder holds the real media files. A bin only organizes references inside the project; creating a bin does not create a folder on disk.

Keep the saved files when you move or back up a project, or media can go offline. See the project organization guide for a folder and bin workflow.

Image Formats and Transparency

Results depend on the source app, the operating system, and the data placed on the clipboard. Clipboard It uses different capture and conversion paths on macOS and Windows, so check each imported image before using it in a final edit.

  • A copied image is not a copied image URL.
  • A WebP or AVIF shown in a browser may be copied as decoded image data. Dropping the original file follows a different path.
  • PNG can keep transparency, but the source app may flatten the image before copying it.
  • A screenshot captures the visible background; it does not recover a logo's original transparency.
  • If clipboard capture fails, export a PNG or JPEG and import it with File > Import.

If Nothing Imports

  1. Clipboard: copy a known-good image and try again. Text, links, and an empty clipboard are not image data. The No image found message means no usable image was captured.
  2. Destination: set both the folder and bin name, confirm the folder is writable, and make sure the intended project is open.
  3. Source: import a saved PNG with File > Import. If that works but pasting does not, note the source app, OS, and steps.
  4. Help: if the extension is missing, follow the installation troubleshooting steps. For import problems, contact support with your Premiere version, OS, source app, and any error message. Leave out private project media unless support asks for it.