How to Perfectly Center Text in Adobe Premiere Pro (Step-by-Step Guide)

Text is one of the most powerful tools in a video editor‘s toolbox. When placed strategically, titles, captions and graphics can make or break your video‘s message and impact. A study by Facebook found that captioned video ads increased view time by an average of 12% (Facebook, 2021). One of the most effective text placements is front and center – smack dab in the middle of the frame.

Centering text creates an immediate focal point that grabs and holds the viewer‘s attention. According to a Nielson Norman Group study, web users spend 57% of their page-viewing time above the fold, with 74% of their viewing time focused on the first two screenfuls (Nielson Norman Group, 2018). Centered text takes advantage of this prime real estate.

As a Premiere Pro certified expert and instructor, I‘ve seen firsthand how proper text alignment can elevate a video from amateur to pro. In this in-depth guide, I‘ll show you multiple ways to quickly and perfectly center text in Premiere Pro, along with some expert tips to maximize your text‘s potential. Let‘s dive in!

Why Center Text in Videos?

So what‘s the big deal about centering your text? Sure it looks nice and balanced, but there‘s actual science behind why it works. Studies show that our brains are hardwired to prefer symmetry. Symmetric elements are perceived as more attractive, effective, and memorable than asymmetric ones (Enquist & Arak, 1994).

Centered compositions feel harmonious and stable, conveying a sense of importance and authority. Think of the iconic intro text to the Star Wars films. The intensely symmetrical crawl commands attention with its strong center alignment:

Image of centered Star Wars opening crawl

Centering isn‘t ideal for every situation – more on that later. But for short, high-impact text like main titles, section headings, and calls-to-action, you can‘t beat the power of dead center alignment.

How to Center Text in Premiere Pro

Premiere Pro offers a few different ways to center text, each with slightly different benefits and use cases. I‘ll walk you through the most common centering methods step-by-step.

Method 1: Essential Graphics Panel

The Essential Graphics panel is the most powerful and precise way to align text and graphics in Premiere Pro. Here‘s how to use it to instantly center your text:

  1. Select the text clip you want to center in your sequence timeline.
  2. Navigate to Window > Essential Graphics to open the Essential Graphics panel.
  3. Click on the Align & Transform sub-menu icon. It looks like three stacked bars.
  4. In the Align section, click the Horizontal Center and Vertical Center buttons.
  5. Boom! Your text jumps to the dead center of the frame.

Screenshot of Essential Graphics Panel alignment tools

The Essential Graphics method gives you pinpoint control over your text placement and is non-destructive. You can easily change the alignment whenever you‘d like.

Method 2: Draggable Guide Snapping

Don‘t want to fuss with panels? No problem. Premiere Pro‘s video preview window has built-in drag guides to help you quickly snap text to the center and other key frame regions.

  1. In the video preview panel, turn on drag snapping by clicking the Snap icon or hitting the S key.
  2. Click and drag your text layer. Blue guides will appear as you approach the frame‘s center, thirds, and edges.
  3. Drop the text when it snaps flush with the center guides. Easy peasy!

GIF demonstrating guide snapping

I love guide snapping for quickly roughing out text placement before fine-tuning the position. It‘s also great for lining up multiple text and graphic layers by eye.

Method 3: Keyboard Shortcut

If you‘re a keyboard maestro, you‘ll dig this blazing fast centering shortcut:

  1. Select the text clip in your sequence.
  2. Hold the Command key and press the up and down arrows to snap the text to the vertical center.
  3. Hold Command and press the left and right arrows to snap it to the horizontal center.

Shave precious seconds off your editing workflow with this handy trick! It takes some practice to nail the timing, but soon you‘ll be tossing text around the screen at lightning speed.

Centering Multiple Text Layers

Need to align multiple text clips at once? No sweat. Just select all the text layers you want to center in your timeline, then use any of the methods above. All the selected clips will jump to the center in unison.

Pro tip: Use the Essential Graphics panel‘s Distribute tools to perfectly space out multiple lines of centered text. Select the text clips, then click Distribute Vertical Centers. The text will spread out evenly from the center of the selection.

GIF demonstrating text distribution

Essential Graphics Panel Deep Dive

Since it‘s the most versatile option, let‘s explore a few more of the Essential Graphics panel‘s hidden gems for next-level text alignment and layout.

Align Tools

In addition to centering, the Align tools let you snap one or more text/shape layers to any edge of the frame or each other.

  • Horizontal Left/Right: Align text along the left or right edges
  • Vertical Top/Bottom: Align text along the top or bottom edges
  • Horizontal/Vertical Distribute: Evenly space out three or more layers from their centers

Animated GIF cycling through alignment options

Transform Controls

The Transform section lets you manually adjust your text layers‘ position, scale, and rotation. For precise centering, make sure the Position values are set to 960,540 (for 1920×1080 comps). Premiere defaults to this center point.

Rulers & Guides

Toggle on the rulers by pressing Command+R, then click and drag from them to create custom guide lines. Great for defining title safe areas or aligning to a specific focal point.

Screenshot of rulers and guides

Grid & Snap Settings

Fine tune your alignment aids under the Video Preview panel menu. Customize the grid spacing, guide color, and snap sensitivity to taste.

Tips for Effective Text Alignment

We‘ve covered the technical how-to, but knowing when and why to center your text is an art in itself. Here are some hard-earned insights I‘ve gained over the years:

  • Limit centered text to short, impactful phrases. Avoid large centered paragraphs, which quickly become tedious to read. For longer copy, try left-aligning and setting a max width of 800px or roughly 65 characters per line (Butterick, 2020).

  • Use centering to create visual hierarchy. Make the most vital information like headings, quotes, or CTAs centered, then align supporting copy to the left or right. This contrast guides the viewer‘s attention.

  • Avoid the "title sandwich."Don‘t stick text between elements like logos and photos. It usually ends up getting lost. Give text breathing room on all sides so it‘s the focus.

  • Mix up your alignments.Using the same alignment for every text clip gets predictable. Variety keeps viewers engaged, so experiment with combinations of centered, left, and right-justified text.

  • Know when to break the rules.Deliberately throwing text slightly off-center can actually make it stand out more and feel edgy or unexpected. Test out subtle offsets and see what feels right for your message.

Conclusion

I‘ve been editing in Premiere Pro for over a decade, and I‘m still amazed by the power of a well-placed line of text. With practice, you‘ll develop an eye for what alignments work best in any situation.

To sum up, here are the key takeaways for perfectly centering your text in Premiere Pro:

  1. Use the Essential Graphics panel‘s Align tools for maximum control and flexibility
  2. Try guide snapping or the keyboard shortcut for quick and dirty centering
  3. Mix and match alignments to create hierarchy, contrast, and visual interest
  4. Above all, keep it simple and let your text shine!

I hope these tips have demystified the art of text alignment and inspired you to take your titles to the next level. Remember, experimentation is key. The more you play with the tools and techniques, the more you‘ll sharpen your eye for what works.

Now get out there and make some epic, center-aligned videos! If you have any other thoughts or questions, drop ‘em in the comments below. Keep learning and creating!

References

Read More Topics