How to Add Text in Final Cut Pro: Can it Get Any Simpler?

Every so often, your video demands a tiny note about who’s speaking, where a scene takes place, or why an unsuspecting ferret just wandered past the camera. Without a title or caption to explain it, your viewers may come away with more questions than answers. Thankfully, Final Cut Pro has a few straightforward ways to insert on-screen text so everyone knows (more or less) what’s going on. So, how to add text in Final Cut Pro?

Access the Titles and Generators Sidebar

If you’re still wondering how to insert text in Final Cut Pro, it all begins with the Titles and Generators sidebar. FCP organizes all text and background generators in a handy sidebar so you can drag and drop them onto your timeline.

1. Click the Titles and Generators button in the top-left corner.
2. If you can’t find it, try the shortcut Option-Command-1 to open the same panel.
3. Under Titles, you’ll see all the text presets that FCP offers.

When you spot a title you like just drag it onto your timeline where you want the text to begin. You can also double-click it, to make it instantly appear at the possition of your playhead.

How to Add Basic Text in Final Cut Pro

Sometimes you just need a simple title to label a scene, identify a speaker, or add a cheeky remark about what’s happening on-screen, because why bother too much?

The Simple Approach

If in wondering how to add text in Final Cut Pro all you need is a quick line of text without swirling animations or elaborate fonts, you can use:

• Basic Title
• Control-T (keyboard shortcut) to drop in a basic text clip

Once the title clip lands on your timeline, select it and go to the Text Inspector on the top-right. You’ll see options for font, size, alignment, and color. If you want your text to scream “attention,” ramp up the size. If you want it to whisper subtlety, dial it down.

Editing Your Text

Click the text in the Viewer window or edit it directly in the Inspector’s text box. You can:

• Change the font to something legible (unless this is the day for Gothic calligraphy).
• Adjust the size so your text isn’t lost in a corner.
• Pick a color that contrasts with your video. Neon-green text on a bright-green background is hilarious but probably not helpful. If you’re struggling to find this option, you’re not the only one. You do need to look a bit to find the “Face” option and give it a double-click.

Feel free to reposition the text manually by dragging it around in the Viewer window (firstly check that one little box in the transform section of the Inspector, though).

Lower Thirds and Other Pre-Made Titles

Lower thirds are those small banners that pop up near the bottom of the screen to introduce a person, place, or particularly photogenic houseplant. FCP’s built-in library includes plenty of ready-made templates.

1. With the Titles panel open, scroll until you spot “Lower Thirds.”
2. Drag the style you like onto your timeline.
3. Use Shift-Control-T if you want to add a basic lower third instantly.

Now you can edit each text field inside that lower third separately. Maybe the top line says “Dr. Maple Brown” and the second line reads “Certified Waffle Enthusiast.” That’s up to you.

Advanced Customization

Now that the text is there, you can adjust its duration, add a splash of color behind it, or even integrate custom templates that match your project’s style; same as with a simple text, and also:

Extend or Shorten Title Clips

Once you know how to insert text in Final Cut Pro, it’s worth realizing that titles in FCP are “clips,” so you can change how long they stay on screen by trimming their edges. Hover over the edge of the title clip until you see the trim tool, then drag left or right. 

Add a Background

If you need to highlight the text with a color block behind it, try using Generators. Under “Generators,” find whatever will make the text on the foreground more visible (for example, a solid color), and drag it under your title. Then:

1. In the Video Inspector, locate the Crop settings and adjust them to shape the generator so it fits neatly behind your text.
2. Adjust opacity if you want a semi-transparent panel that lets a bit of the footage show through.
3. If you’d like multiple colors or gradients, stack several shapes or apply a gradient layer from the Generators list. Each layer should be trimmed to match the text clip to avoid awkward cutouts.
4. If the background appears too large, use the Transform tools to adjust its position and scale.
5. Choose a color in the Generator Inspector that contrasts with your text, ensuring readability.

Yes, it’s a bit of extra work, but the result can look polished and professional, especially if your video’s background is on the busy side.

Using Plugins for Spectacular Titles and Effects

If the default Final Cut Pro options feel too plain or you crave more elaborate designs, you can upgrade your on-screen text with third-party plugins. MotionVFX, for instance, offers a wide range of professionally animated titles, lower thirds, and other text elements to make your videos special (in a good way).

After installing a plugin package, you’ll find the new templates in your Titles sidebar, ready to drag and drop onto your timeline just like the built-in options, just more… spectacular. 

Some Extra Tips

Text is only helpful if people can read it without squinting. Here are a few pointers:

• Stay High Contrast: Dark text on a bright background or vice versa. Don’t make viewers guess.
• Brevity is Best: If your text is too long, it can overwhelm the frame and distract from the visuals.
• Plan Ahead: Decide where text fits in the editing stage rather than dealing with it on at the last second.

Check Spelling: Typos can create unintentional jokes, and Final Cut Pro has no automatic spellcheck.