Titles

Superimposing titles

Before creating a title, select a place for it. By default, when you create a new title using the Title menu, the title appears superimposed on the first video clip in your project. However, you can choose to place it in an empty area of the Timeline with no underlying video. If you do the latter, you can superimpose it later by using a drag-and-drop procedure.

Superimposing a title

When you create a title in an empty area, Adobe Premiere Elements places it in the Video 1 track of the Timeline and into an empty target area in the Sceneline.

Note: If you drag a clip onto a title in the Sceneline, or place one on a track above the title in the Timeline, the clip will obscure the title and make it disappear from the Monitor panel. To make the title visible again, click the Timeline button and drag the title to a video track higher than the track holding the clip.

Create a still title

The titling tools in Adobe Premiere Elements are powerful, yet easy to use. You can use any font installed on your computer, and create graphic objects by using the shape creation tools. You can also use an included template, preset text style, or image. Title text can run horizontally or vertically. You can stretch or shrink titles, or give them a color or shadow.

Choosing horizontal or vertical type for titles

  1. In the Sceneline, do one of the following:

    • To superimpose the new title on a video clip, select the clip.

    • To add a title without underlying video, select the first clip in the Sceneline. In the Edit view of the Tasks panel, click the Media button, click Project, and then click the New Item button  and choose Black Video. In the Sceneline, drag the new black video clip to the beginning of the movie.

  2. With the superimposed clip or the black video clip selected, do one of the following:

    • Choose Title > New Title > Default Still.

    • Choose File > New > Title.

    Adobe Premiere Elements places default text in the Monitor panel, in title-editing mode.

  3. Do either of the following:

    • To add horizontal type, double-click the default text, and type to replace it.

    • To add vertical type, click and hold the Type Tool button  . Then choose Vertical Type Tool. Click anywhere in the Monitor panel, and type your title.

  4. In the Monitor panel, click the Selection Tool  and reposition the text as desired.
  5. Click Done.

Animate a still title

You can easily apply a preset animation to any still title. Text animation presets quickly and easily animate the characters in your title so that they fade or pop characters into view, or fly in from the top or bottom of the screen. For example, using the Fade In Characters preset instantly makes each separate character in your title fade into view until the title is complete.

To preview an animation, position the pointer on the animation thumbnail in the Text Animation section of the Tasks panel. (To see the Text Animation section, you must select a title so that the Tasks panel is in title editing view.)

Text animation controls

  1. Do one of the following:

    • Create a new still title.

    • In the Timeline, double-click the title clip.

    • In the Sceneline, select the superimposed clip. In the Monitor panel, click the clip, and then double-click the title text.

    The Tasks panel changes to title editor view, displaying the text options.

  2. Select an animation preset under Text Animation.
  3. (Optional) Click the Preview button in the bottom-right corner of the Tasks panel to see how the animation looks on your title text.
  4. Do one of the following to apply the animation to the title:

    • Click the Apply button in the top-right corner of the Text Animation section in the Tasks panel.

    • Drag the animation preset to the Monitor window and drop it on top of the title text.

  5. Click Done at the bottom of the Tasks panel to close out of the title editor view.
Note: To remove an animation from a title, select the title text and click the Remove button in the top right corner of the Text Animation section in the Tasks panel.

Create animated, rolling, or crawling titles

Although static titles, graphics, and images may suffice for some projects, others require titles that move. Using roll and crawl options, you can instantly create professional-looking moving titles. The length of the title in the Timeline determines the speed of the movement. The more you increase the title clip length, the slower the movement.

Rolling titles move characters vertically across the screen.

Crawling titles move characters horizontally across the screen.

Keyframes let you move characters across a custom path that you create by setting different position keyframes at several points in time.

Note: You cannot add a roll or crawl, or apply keyframes to a title that uses an animation preset. Applying an animation preset will overwrite all roll, crawl, and keyframe settings.

Use Roll/Crawl options to change a rolling title to a crawling title or vice versa, specify the direction of a crawl, and set the timing of movement.

A rolling title is commonly used for production credits.