Letterboxing is the practice of displaying widescreen content within a standard-width frame by adding horizontal black bars above and below the image, preserving the original aspect ratio without cropping.
Letterboxing occurs when video with a wider aspect ratio is displayed within a frame that has a narrower aspect ratio. The most common example is cinematic 2.39:1 content displayed on a 16:9 screen — the horizontal black bars at the top and bottom are the letterbox. This preserves the filmmaker's intended framing and composition, showing the complete image as it was meant to be seen rather than cropping the sides to fill the screen.
In video production, letterboxing is sometimes applied as a deliberate creative choice even when the footage was shot at standard 16:9. Adding letterbox bars to create a wider apparent aspect ratio (like 2.39:1 or 2.2:1) instantly gives footage a more cinematic quality. This is a common technique in music videos, brand films, and any content where a premium, filmic aesthetic is desired. The wider frame also tends to direct the viewer's eye horizontally, which can enhance compositions.
When planning deliverables, it is important to distinguish between native widescreen (actually shot or framed for a wider aspect ratio) and applied letterboxing (bars added on top of standard footage). Native widescreen maximizes the effective resolution within the wider frame, while applied letterboxing reduces the vertical resolution by masking off pixels. For most web and social applications, the visual difference is negligible, but for large-screen or broadcast delivery, native widescreen is preferred.
Aspect ratio is the proportional relationship between the width and height of a video frame, expressed as two numbers such as 16:9 (widescreen) or 9:16 (vertical for mobile).
Resolution refers to the number of pixels in each dimension of a video frame, typically expressed as width by height (e.g., 1920x1080), which determines the level of detail and clarity in the image.
Title safe is the inner boundary area of a video frame within which text and important graphics should be placed to ensure they remain fully visible across all display devices and platforms.