Premiere Pro: Add Text Like A Pro (Easy Guide)

Hey guys! Want to learn how to write text in Premiere Pro like a total pro? You've come to the right place! Adding text to your videos is super important, whether you're creating titles, subtitles, lower thirds, or just fun graphics. It can really elevate your video and make it more engaging for your viewers. In this guide, we'll break down everything you need to know, step-by-step, so you can start adding awesome text to your videos in no time. We'll cover the basics of adding text, customizing its appearance, creating cool animations, and even some advanced techniques to really make your text stand out. So, grab a coffee, fire up Premiere Pro, and let's get started!

Getting Started with Text in Premiere Pro

Alright, let's dive into the basics. First things first, you need to know how to actually add text to your video. It's pretty simple, but crucial. Open up your project in Premiere Pro, and head over to the "Tools" panel. You'll see a little icon that looks like a "T" – that's your Type Tool. Click on it, and then click anywhere in your Program Monitor (that's the window where you see your video). Now you can start typing! Write whatever you want, whether it's your video title, a name, or just some random words to test things out. Once you've typed your text, you can adjust its position by clicking on the Selection Tool (the arrow icon) in the Tools panel, and then dragging the text box around in the Program Monitor. See? Easy peasy!

Now that you've got your text on the screen, let's talk about the Essential Graphics panel. This is where the magic happens when it comes to customizing your text. If you don't see the Essential Graphics panel, go to Window > Essential Graphics. In the Essential Graphics panel, you'll find a bunch of options to change the font, size, color, and other properties of your text. You can choose from a variety of fonts, adjust the font size to make your text bigger or smaller, and pick any color you want using the color picker. You can also adjust the alignment of your text (left, center, or right), and add a stroke (an outline) to your text to make it stand out even more. Experiment with these settings to get a feel for what they do, and don't be afraid to try new things!

Understanding the different text layers is also super important. Each time you add text using the Type Tool, Premiere Pro creates a new text layer in your timeline. These layers are like individual building blocks that you can stack on top of each other to create more complex text effects. You can reorder these layers in the timeline to change the order in which they appear in your video. For example, if you want one text layer to appear on top of another, simply drag it higher in the timeline. This gives you a lot of control over how your text looks and interacts with other elements in your video. Also, keep in mind that each text layer can be independently modified, animated, and adjusted, giving you maximum flexibility.

Customizing Your Text: Fonts, Colors, and Styles

Okay, you know how to add text, but now let's make it look awesome! The Essential Graphics panel is your best friend here. Fonts are super important for setting the tone of your video. Premiere Pro comes with a bunch of built-in fonts, but you can also add your own fonts from websites like Google Fonts or Adobe Fonts. When choosing a font, think about the overall style of your video. If you're making a fun, upbeat video, you might want to choose a playful font. If you're making a more serious, professional video, you'll probably want to stick with a classic, clean font. To change the font, simply select your text layer in the timeline, go to the Essential Graphics panel, and choose a font from the font dropdown menu.

Color is another key element of text design. The color of your text can have a big impact on how it's perceived. To change the color of your text, select your text layer, go to the Essential Graphics panel, and click on the color box next to the Fill option. This will open up the color picker, where you can choose any color you want. You can also use the Eyedropper tool to select a color from your video. When choosing a color, consider the background of your video. You want your text to stand out, so choose a color that contrasts with the background. Also, think about the overall color scheme of your video. You want your text to complement the other colors in your video, not clash with them.

Styles are pre-designed text effects that you can apply to your text with just a few clicks. Premiere Pro comes with a bunch of built-in styles, which you can find in the Essential Graphics panel. These styles can include things like drop shadows, outlines, and gradients. To apply a style, simply select your text layer, go to the Essential Graphics panel, and choose a style from the Styles menu. You can also create your own custom styles by adjusting the various text properties, such as the font, color, size, and stroke. Once you've created a style that you like, you can save it and reuse it in other projects. Styles are a great way to quickly add polish to your text and create a consistent look and feel across your videos.

Animating Your Text: Bringing Words to Life

Alright, now for the fun part: animating your text! Animation can really bring your text to life and make your videos more engaging. Premiere Pro offers a bunch of ways to animate your text, from simple fades and wipes to more complex motion graphics. One of the easiest ways to animate your text is to use the Position, Scale, and Rotation properties in the Effect Controls panel. To access the Effect Controls panel, select your text layer in the timeline, and then go to Window > Effect Controls. In the Effect Controls panel, you'll see a section called Motion. This is where you can adjust the Position, Scale, and Rotation of your text.

To animate these properties, you'll need to use keyframes. Keyframes are like markers that tell Premiere Pro where you want your text to be at a specific point in time. To add a keyframe, simply click on the stopwatch icon next to the property you want to animate. This will create a keyframe at the current time in your timeline. Then, move the playhead to a different point in time, and adjust the property again. Premiere Pro will automatically create a new keyframe at that point in time, and it will interpolate the values between the two keyframes to create an animation. For example, if you want your text to slide in from the left, you could add a keyframe at the beginning of your clip with the Position property set to be off-screen to the left, and then add another keyframe a few seconds later with the Position property set to be in the center of the screen. Premiere Pro will automatically animate the text sliding in from left to right.

Another cool way to animate your text is to use presets. Premiere Pro comes with a bunch of built-in animation presets that you can apply to your text with just a few clicks. To access the presets, go to the Effects panel (Window > Effects), and then search for "animation presets". You'll find a variety of presets, including fades, wipes, zooms, and more. To apply a preset, simply drag it onto your text layer in the timeline. You can then customize the preset by adjusting the various properties in the Effect Controls panel. Presets are a great way to quickly add some visual flair to your text without having to create animations from scratch. Experiment with different presets to see what works best for your video!

Advanced Text Techniques: Making Your Text Stand Out

Ready to take your text skills to the next level? Let's explore some advanced text techniques that can really make your text stand out. One cool technique is to use masks to reveal or hide parts of your text. A mask is like a stencil that you can use to control which parts of your text are visible. To create a mask, select your text layer in the timeline, and then go to the Effect Controls panel. In the Effect Controls panel, you'll see a section called Opacity. Under the Opacity section, you'll find a few different mask options, including a rectangle mask, an ellipse mask, and a pen tool mask. The rectangle and ellipse masks allow you to quickly create rectangular or elliptical masks, while the pen tool mask allows you to create more complex, custom-shaped masks.

Another advanced technique is to use track mattes to create interesting text effects. A track matte is a layer that you use to control the transparency of another layer. To use a track matte, you'll need to create two layers: the layer that you want to apply the effect to (your text layer), and the layer that you want to use as the track matte (usually a shape or another piece of text). Place the track matte layer directly above the text layer in the timeline. Then, select the text layer, and go to the Effect Controls panel. In the Effect Controls panel, you'll see a section called Track Matte. In the Track Matte section, choose the track matte layer from the Matte dropdown menu. You can then choose from a few different matte options, including Alpha Matte, Luma Matte, and Alpha Inverted Matte. Experiment with these different options to see what kind of effect they create.

Finally, don't be afraid to use plugins to enhance your text. There are tons of great plugins available for Premiere Pro that can add all sorts of cool effects to your text, such as 3D effects, particle effects, and more. Some popular text plugins include Boris FX Sapphire, Red Giant Universe, and Video Copilot Element 3D. These plugins can be a bit pricey, but they can really take your text to the next level. If you're serious about creating professional-looking text effects, then it's worth checking out some of these plugins.

So there you have it, guys! Everything you need to know about how to write text in Premiere Pro like a pro. Now go out there and create some awesome videos with killer text! Remember to experiment, have fun, and don't be afraid to try new things. Happy editing!