Everything You Need To Know About Editing Professional Titles In Final Cut Pro

If you’re struggling with making Final Cut Pro titles look professional and appealing, this is where you’ll learn everything you need to make Final Cut titles look fantastic, appealing and yeah, professional.

Use your titles to highlight important information and critical points, emphasize branding and cut content to bite-sized portions that viewers can understand.

Get ready to learn everything you need to know about editing great-looking titles in FCP including time-saving keyboard shortcuts in the pro-tips section.

The videos have been embedded and timestamped at exactly the right spots to go along with the steps that are written here.

Let’s go!

How to Add Titles in Final Cut Pro

Whether you’re a professional or just starting in Final Cut Pro, there’s always an advantage to learning the basics of adding titles to your project. It should be easy, right? Yes, it should. Though editing in Final Cut is entirely intuitive, you may spend more time editing if you’re unfamiliar with Final Cut’s interface.

You also have to consider the different types of titles that go best with your projects.

Check out what you can use and how to add your titles in Final Cut Pro.

1. Find your title by going to the Titles browser or using the shortcut code “Alt+Command+1”.
2. Browse through the Categories (a way to organize title templates) under Titles.
3. Select your Category and then find the title you want to use.
4. Drag and drop your title onto your timeline.
5. Done!

How to Change the Words of Your Title

After successfully adding your title to your project, you’re probably wondering how you can change the words to your title.

Here’s how:

1. Double-click the title clip in your timeline.
2. Type in your words.
3. Use the Title and Text Inspectors to customize your title’s font, size, color and more.
4. Done!

How to Edit the Duration of Your Title

Don’t let your titles overstay their welcome. Part of entertaining your audience is making sure things are moving along smoothly including the titles you’ve chosen to employ in your project.

Here’s how to change how long you want your title to be displayed on your project.

1. Hover your playhead at the end of your title clip.
2. Drag and drop your title to make it shorter or longer or you can hit Ctrl+D to enter how long you want your title on screen.
3. Done!

Now that you’ve learned how to add, change and edit the duration of your titles, load up on some pro tips below!

7 sweet shortcuts to automatically add text to your project!

• Use the Search bar to find a specific template, categories or themes.

• Go to Titles to display all your titles and type your title in your Search bar. This action shows all of the titles that have similar words in them. Then, just drag and drop it onto your project.

• To connect your title to the Primary Storyline click Q.

• Select your title and type W to insert it into your timeline wherever the playhead is located. 

• You can type E to add a title to the end of your primary timeline.

• Press D to add your title AND overwrite whatever is in your timeline at the playhead location.

• Add a default title by setting your playhead where you want your title to go and then type Ctrl+T.

• To add a default lower third, press Ctrl+Shift+T.

2 quick ways to change the words of your title!

• Double-click the title displayed on your screen and type in your words.

• Select the clip on your timeline, click on the title displayed on your screen, go to your Text box on the right side of your screen, double-click the text and type your words.

There you go! Easy ways to find, change and edit the duration of your Final Cut Pro titles.

I hope you can now confidently and creatively use the titles in your titles browser including time-saving shortcuts to get your projects done in the shortest and most efficient amount of time.

Happy editing,

Dylan