Premiere Pro allows you to create new titles and simple graphics directly on the timeline. I have already started the mode for working with graphics (Graphics Workspace) and opened the sequence that will serve as an example. That means I’m ready to add text, but before I get down to business, I’ll look for Preferences in the main menu and click on the Timeline item. By the way, in the Windows version of the program, these options are found in the Edit menu. In the frame that follows, I would like to draw your attention to the option called Still Image Default Duration, because it allows you to define in advance the duration of any new element that would otherwise be limited to one frame. This value can be easily adjusted to suit your needs, but I had to show you how.

As soon as you switch to the mode designed for working with graphics, a section called Essential Graphics will be displayed on the right. In doing so, you will have access to the options found in the Browse section, which means that you will have access to various templates and even content found in the Adobe Stock collection. I am currently more interested in the Edit section, but if I click on the option of the same name, you will notice that it is completely empty for now. However, the program will allow me to create new elements, which, in addition to standard forms, also includes the content found in the external file. This practically means that a picture can be included in a new title.

I will not use any of these options, but instead I will activate the function for entering text (Type Tool) and if I hold down the left mouse button, I will even be able to place it in a vertical position (Vertical Type Tool). In the same way, I can also use the Pen function, if I select the appropriate icon and hold the left button, I will have options for drawing rectangles and ellipses.

I will place the playback marker at the place where I want the new caption to appear, go to the Program Monitor and start typing the text. As soon as new content appears on the screen, a new layer will be displayed on the Essential Graphics panel and it will be automatically selected. In addition, a whole series of new options will be available to you, all of which will be in accordance with the content of the new layer.

Since I’m still in the mode that allows me to continue typing, I’ll press Command + A (or Control + A in Windows) to select the entire text and try to make some changes to it. They include choosing a new font and changing the size of the letters, so that in the end, by choosing this option (Align Horizontally), the entire inscription will be placed in the middle of the screen. If you want your title to look even more attractive, you can apply one of the options in the lower part of the frame. They allow you to change the height of the letters, the spacing between lines and much more with one stroke.

As soon as I started entering new content, a new graphic element automatically appeared on the sequence. Unlike other content, it will not appear in the Project panel, but only on the timeline, on the sequence itself, and will be recorded within the file containing the entire Premiere Pro project. This represents a big difference compared to other contents (video and audio clips) which are in completely independent files.

Since this element is still selected, I can move the cursor to a new location and continue entering text. This means that you can have different text and graphic content within the same element, but if you want them to be separate, simply deselect, select the appropriate tool and add a new element. I will add a rectangle in this way, and this will result in the creation of new content on the timeline. It will be placed on the first free channel, and since it is on a higher level, the element I just added will hide part of the text. This can be corrected very easily, so with a few moves of the mouse I will establish the appropriate layout.

If I then select the element that represents the graphic, I will be able to change its color and thus harmonize it with the other content. To complete my captions, I will first select the content in the middle and then use the text input tool once more. In the end, I just need to align all the existing inscriptions, so for their selection I will use a shortcut that involves pressing the left mouse button while holding the Shift key and selecting all three elements and then applying the Align Left function. To make the content in the first row even more noticeable, I will select it separately and then give it a slightly higher weight (Bold) and a darker shade.

Unfortunately, I missed the opportunity to move the rectangle below the third caption to a new location, and there is no way to correct this by applying one of the alignment functions. That’s why I will try to determine its final location after the selection by carefully moving the cursor, and if I start the options Show Rulers and Show Guides from the View menu, elements will appear on the screen that can help me in this. The entire procedure can be further facilitated by turning on the Snap in Program Monitor option, because in this case the selected element can be automatically positioned at one of the characteristic points.

The graphics I just posted will certainly not win any design awards, but I hope you understand how the individual elements are handled with this example. If you deselect the previous selection, options related to the complete title will appear on the right. This means you can adjust its transparency, size, and more.

If I select the text that is at the highest level (NATURE) and select one of the layers, many blue numbers will appear in this section. You can change them by directly entering a new value as well as by simply dragging the mouse, but keep in mind that they are buttons used to control the animation. This means that they behave the same as the stopwatch icons that you had the opportunity to see in the Effects Control panel. If you’re wondering what all these functions are for, go to the effects control section and you’ll see that it also contains the same options.