Every video starts with two decisions that are easy to get wrong: the shape of the frame and the resolution. Pick the wrong format and your video plays with black bars or gets cropped on the platform you made it for. Pick a low resolution and your text and graphics look soft the moment someone watches on a large screen.
Animax now makes both decisions simple. Every project is either landscape or vertical, and you can render it in 1080p or, new on the Pro and Agency plans, in 4K.
Here's how to choose the right format for each platform, when 4K is worth it, and how to create your first 4K video with AI.
What Is Animax?
Animax is an AI-powered video studio that runs in your browser. You describe what you want in plain language, and Animax builds animated scenes for you: text, images, charts, counters, timelines, shapes, voiceover and background music, all laid out on a timeline.
Unlike AI tools that hand you a finished clip you can't change, Animax keeps every element editable. Changing a headline, a color or a number takes seconds instead of a full regeneration.
Two Formats for Every Platform
When you create a project in Animax, you choose its format first. There are two, and between them they cover almost everywhere people watch video.
Landscape (16:9): YouTube, presentations and big screens
Landscape is the classic widescreen format. It fills a laptop, a monitor, a TV or a projector, which makes it the right choice for:
- YouTube videos, including tutorials, explainers, product demos and reviews
- Presentations and webinars, where the video plays on a shared screen or in a meeting window
- Conference screens, events and trade shows
- Websites, such as homepage hero videos and product pages
- Training and onboarding videos that people watch at their desks
If your audience will watch on a screen in front of them, choose landscape.
Vertical (9:16): TikTok, Reels, Shorts and Stories
Vertical video fills a phone held upright, which is how most people scroll social feeds. It's the format to use for:
- TikTok
- Instagram Reels and Stories
- YouTube Shorts
- Facebook Reels and Snapchat
- Mobile-first ads, where a full-screen video stops the scroll
- Digital signage on screens mounted in portrait orientation
If your audience will watch on their phone, choose vertical.
Not sure? Ask where it will be watched
The simplest rule is to think about the screen, not the content. The same product launch might need a landscape video for YouTube and the company website, and a vertical one for TikTok and Reels. Choosing the right shape from the start means your text, images and charts are laid out for that screen, instead of being cropped to fit later.
1080p or 4K: Choosing a Resolution
Once you've picked a format, you choose a resolution.
| Format | 1080p (Full HD) | 4K (Ultra HD) | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Landscape (16:9) | 1920 × 1080 | 3840 × 2160 | YouTube, presentations, websites, TVs |
| Vertical (9:16) | 1080 × 1920 | 2160 × 3840 | TikTok, Reels, Shorts, Stories |
1080p is the standard for most online video. It looks great on phones and laptops, and it's the right choice for most social media posts.
4K has four times as many pixels as 1080p. That extra detail makes a visible difference when:
- Your video plays on a large screen. On a 4K TV, a projector or a conference display, small text and fine lines stay crisp instead of blurring.
- You're delivering work to a client. A 4K master looks professional and keeps its quality when the client reuses it.
- You publish on YouTube. Many creators upload in 4K because YouTube streams higher-resolution uploads at a higher quality.
- You want room to edit. A 4K file gives you space to crop or zoom in another editor without losing sharpness.
- You want your content to last. 4K screens are now standard, and a video made in 4K today won't look dated next year.
New: 4K Video in Animax Pro and Agency
Animax now renders videos in 4K, in both landscape (3840 × 2160) and vertical (2160 × 3840).
Animax doesn't simply stretch a 1080p video to a bigger size. Your project is rendered at full 4K resolution, so every headline, chart, icon, line and animation is drawn with four times the detail. The result is noticeably sharper, especially in text and graphics, which is where a lower resolution shows first.
A few things make it easy to use:
- Choose 4K when you create a project. Resolution sits right next to the format choice on the New Project screen.
- Switch at export time. The resolution is a render setting, so you can render the same project in 1080p for social media and in 4K for a big screen, without rebuilding anything. That includes projects you've already made.
- Upscale your AI clips too. Animax's AI Video Upscaling can take generated or uploaded clips up to 4K, so they match the rest of your 4K video.
4K rendering is included in the Pro and Agency plans. The Free plan renders in 1080p.
How to Create a 4K Video With AI in Animax
- Sign up or log in at Animax.ai. It runs in your browser, with nothing to install.
- Create a new project and choose your format: landscape for YouTube and presentations, vertical for TikTok, Reels and Shorts.
- Select 4K as the resolution.
- Describe your video in the chat, for example "Create a 60-second product launch video for our new running shoe". You can also start from a template or turn a PowerPoint deck into a video.
- Refine it. Edit text directly, swap images, adjust timing, or ask for changes in plain language.
- Render in 4K and download your video.
Tip: for the sharpest result, use high-resolution photos and footage. Text, shapes, charts and animations are drawn in 4K automatically.
Frequently Asked Questions
What resolution is 4K?
4K (also called Ultra HD) is 3840 × 2160 pixels for a landscape video. A vertical 4K video is 2160 × 3840. Both have four times the pixels of 1080p.
Can I make 4K vertical videos for TikTok, Reels and Shorts?
Yes. Choose the vertical format and 4K resolution, and Animax renders your video at 2160 × 3840.
Is 4K available on the free plan?
The Free plan renders videos in 1080p. 4K is included in the Pro and Agency plans.
Can I render an existing project in 4K?
Yes. Resolution is a render setting, so you can open any project and choose 4K when you render it.
Do I need 4K for social media?
Not always. 1080p looks great in most social feeds. 4K is worth it when your video will play on large screens, when you publish on YouTube, or when you're delivering a polished, professional video to a client.
What's the best format for YouTube?
Landscape (16:9) for regular YouTube videos, and vertical (9:16) for YouTube Shorts.
Make Every Video Look Its Best
The right format gets your video seen properly on every platform, and the right resolution makes it look professional on every screen. With Animax, you choose both in a couple of clicks: landscape or vertical, 1080p or 4K.
Create your free Animax account and make your first video today, then upgrade to Pro when you're ready for 4K.
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