Animating text spacing in Premiere Pro, specifically the space between letters (tracking) or individual pairs of letters (kerning), is achieved by keyframing the Tracking or Kerning property of a text layer. This allows the spacing to change smoothly over time, creating effects like text expanding or contracting.
Steps to Animate Text Spacing (Tracking)
Tracking adjusts the uniform spacing between all characters in a block of text. This is the most common way to animate overall text spacing.
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Create or Select Your Text Layer:
- Add a text layer to your sequence using the Type Tool (
T). - Enter your desired text.
- Select the text layer in the Timeline.
- Add a text layer to your sequence using the Type Tool (
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Access Text Properties:
- Ensure your text layer is selected in the Timeline.
- Go to the Effect Controls panel. (If not visible, go to Window > Effect Controls).
- Expand the Text properties section within the Effect Controls panel.
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Locate Tracking:
- Within the Text properties, find the Source Text property.
- Next to Source Text, click the small right-pointing arrow to reveal more options.
- You will see various text formatting properties including Tracking.
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Set Initial Keyframe:
- Move the Timeline playhead to where you want the animation to start.
- Click the stopwatch icon next to the Tracking property. This creates the first keyframe and enables animation for this property.
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Set Final Keyframe:
- Move the Timeline playhead to where you want the animation to end.
- Change the value of the Tracking property. Increasing the value expands the spacing; decreasing it contracts it.
- Premiere Pro automatically creates a new keyframe at the current playhead position with the new value.
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Refine Animation:
- The spacing will now animate between the two keyframes.
- You can add more keyframes, adjust their positions in the Effect Controls panel, or change the value of existing keyframes to fine-tune the animation speed and effect.
- You can right-click on keyframes to apply spatial or temporal interpolation (e.g., Ease In/Out) for smoother transitions.
Example Scenario:
Let's say you want text to start condensed and then expand over 2 seconds.
| Step | Playhead Position | Tracking Value | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start Animation | 0:00:00:00 | -50 | Set initial keyframe |
| End Animation | 0:00:02:00 | 150 | Change value (adds keyframe) |
This setup would animate the text spacing from a condensed state (-50) to an expanded state (150) over two seconds.
As the reference notes, once you have completed setting up your animation, "And there we are it's done." You can then "move our workspace to the desired amount and export."
Kerning Animation
While less common for animating a whole block of text, you can also animate the spacing between specific character pairs using the Kerning property. This is typically done character by character via the Essential Graphics panel's text options, selecting individual letters, and adjusting their kerning. The process for keyframing Kerning is similar to Tracking, accessing the Kerning property within the text layer's effect controls.
By utilizing keyframes on the Tracking or Kerning properties, you gain precise control over your text's spacing animation in Premiere Pro.
