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Arranging objects in titles

Last updated on 13 January 2022

Premiere Elements

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Change stacking order

When you create objects that overlap each other, you can control their stacking order by using the Arrange command.

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
Select the object you want to move.
Do one of the following:
- Right-click/ctrl-click on the object and choose Arrange.
- Choose Text > Arrange.
Choose one of the following:

Bring To Front

Brings the object to the top of the stacking order.

Bring Forward

Switches the object with the object directly in front of it.

Send To Back

Moves the object to the bottom of the stacking order.

Send Backward

Switches the object with the object directly behind it.
Note: If your text or shape elements are densely stacked, it may be difficult to select an element within the stack. You can use the Text > Select or right-click/ctrl-click > Select command to navigate easily through the stacked elements to reach the target element.

Center objects

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
Select one or more objects and do any of the following in the Adjust panel:
- To center the object vertically, click the Vertical Center button.
- To center the object horizontally, click the Horizontal Center button.

Align and distribute objects

Use the Align and Distribute commands to line up or evenly space selected objects within a title in the Monitor panel. You can align or distribute objects (text boxes, shapes, or both) along the vertical or horizontal axis. When you choose horizontal alignment, the selected objects align along the edge of the object’s horizontal axis closest to the edge you choose. When you choose vertical alignment, the selected objects align along the edge of the object’s vertical axis closest to the edge you choose.

When you align and distribute selected objects, keep the following in mind:

An alignment option aligns selected objects to the object that most closely represents the new alignment. For example, for right‑alignment, all selected objects align to the selected object that is farthest to the right.
A distribution option evenly spaces selected objects between the two most extreme objects. For example, for a vertical distribution option, the selected objects are distributed between the highest and lowest selected objects.
When you distribute objects of different sizes, the spaces between objects may not be uniform. For example, distributing objects by their centers creates equal space between the centers. However, different‑sized objects extend by different amounts into the space between objects. To create uniform spacing between selected objects, use the Horizontal Even Spacing or Vertical Even Spacing option.

Align objects

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
In the Monitor panel, Shift-click two or more objects or drag a marquee over them.
Do one of the following:
- Right-click/ctrl-click any of the objects selected, and choose Align Objects.
- Choose Text > Align Objects.
Select the type of alignment you want.

Distribute objects

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
In the Monitor panel, Shift-click three or more objects or drag a marquee over them.
Do one of the following:
- Right-click/ctrl-click any of the objects selected, and choose Distribute Objects.
- Choose Text > Distribute Objects.
Select the type of distribution you want.

Transform objects

You have full flexibility in adjusting an object’s position, rotation, scale, and opacity—attributes collectively referred to as transform properties. To transform an object, you can drag in the Monitor panel or choose a command from the Text menu.

Adjust an object’s opacity

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
In the Monitor panel, select an object.
Do one of the following:
- Right-click/ctrl-click the object and choose Transform > Opacity.
- Choose Text > Transform > Opacity.
Type a new Opacity value, and click OK.

Note:

The Opacity property setting adjusts the opacity of objects within a title. You can set the overall opacity of the entire title in the Expert view timeline as you would any video clip, using effects.

Move objects

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
In the Monitor panel, select one or more objects.
Do one of the following:
- Drag the selected object or objects to a new position.
- Choose Text > Transform > Position. Type new x and y position values, and then click OK.
- Right-click/ctrl-click the selected object or objects, and choose Transform > Position. Type new x and y position values, and then click OK.
  note: The x and y position values correspond to a coordinate system in which the upper- left corner of the title is 0, 0. When you enter values for x and y, Premiere Elements places the center of the selected object’s bounding box at that point.

Scale objects

If necessary, double-click the title in the Expert view timeline to open it in the Monitor panel.
In the Monitor panel, select one or more objects.
Do one of the following:
- To scale the width, drag the object’s left or right bounding box handles.
- To scale the height, drag the object’s top or bottom bounding box handles.
- To constrain the object’s proportions, press Shift as you drag the corner and bounding box handles.
- To scale and constrain the aspect ratio, press Shift as you drag the object’s corner points.
- To scale from the center, Alt‑drag the object’s corner points.
- To set scale values in terms of percentages, choose Text > Transform > Scale, or right-click/ctrl-click the object and choose Transform > Scale. Specify the values you want, and click OK.
Note:

Dragging the bounding box handles of a text object created with the Type or Vertical Type tool changes its font size.

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