How to Create and Share Title Templates in Premiere Pro

Give your videos consistent design with title templates, a helpful tool in Premiere Pro.

One little-known feature in Premiere Pro is the title template tool. This feature is not to be confused with Live Text templates in Premiere Pro, which can be used to import and manipulate After Effects sequences in Premiere. For more on Live Text templates, check out our corresponding blog post here on PremiumBeat.

Instead, a title template allows you to quickly recall a title design in Premiere Pro for use on multiple projects. This can be a handy way to create design consistency on projects with multiple collaborators or projects with multiple episodes. Here’s how to create title templates in Premiere Pro.

Create Title Templates in Premiere Pro

Before we jump into how to create title templates, it must be noted that titles in Premiere are created for specific aspect ratios. If you open an HD title template in a 4K project, it will have severe cropping. So, if you’re going to be working on a project with varying aspect ratios, it’s best to create multiple versions — or, at the very least, create a high-res version you can scale down with the Scale to Frame size feature found under Clip > Video Options > Scale to Frame Size.

Step 1: Design the Title

First things first, you need to design your titles. To do this, create a new title by hitting Command+T on a Mac or Control+T on a PC (or simply navigate to File > New > Title). You’ll be prompted to name your title. For the sake of this demonstration, the title name isn’t important. Just give your title an arbitrary name and click OK.

Once your title editing box pops up, create a title template in whatever way you see fit for the template you are trying to create. Just keep in mind that you want your titles to tell a consistent story. Don’t go overboard. A well-designed minimal title is far more useful than an ultra-specific title that can only be used for a single project.

You can use any combination of shapes and text when creating titles — as long as the person using your titles has the font installed on their computers.

Step 2: Save the Template

After you’ve created your title, it’s time to save the template for future use. This is really what makes this method superior to the ‘New Title Based on Current Title’ technique. Navigate to the Templates button right next to the font selection box at the top of the title editing window (or simply hit Command+J on a Mac or Control+J on a PC).

If this is your first time working with title templates in Premiere Pro, the screen that pops up should be blank. Don’t worry… simply navigate to the small menu button near the top right of the pop-up and select Import Current Title as Template. You will be prompted to name your new template. Name your title template and click OK.

Step 3: Create a New Title in Your Desired Project

Now it’s time to create a new title using the title template. One of the perks of using a title template is that you don’t have to create a new template for each project as long as you’re working on the same workstation. With your desired project open, create a new title, name it, and click OK.

Note: The cool thing about title templates is they transcend projects and don’t have to be copied to another collaborator’s workstation if you share the project files. For example, if you used a template to create your titles using a title template on Computer A, you can share the project on Computer B without worrying about the titles getting messed up. 

Step 4: Select the Template

In the title editor, navigate to the Templates button next to the font menu near the top of the window (or hit Command+J on a Mac or Control+J on a PC). You should now see your title template. Select the template and edit your text as you would with any other project.

Using this method, you can create an unlimited number of visually consistent titles.

Share Premiere Pro Text Templates

Premiere Pro title templates save in a .prtl file format. Thankfully, Premiere Pro title templates can be easily imported into Premiere Pro applications on other computers. Here’s how it’s done.

Step 1: Save Your Template

Saving a text template is simple. After you’ve designed your text template in the title editor, select the Templates button located near the top of the window next to the font selection menu. A small window will pop up. Select Import Current Title as Template. You’ll be prompted to give your template a name. Use whatever name you find appropriate.

Step 2: Find the File on Your Computer

When you save a template using the method listed above, it saves the template into the following structure by default:

Documents > Adobe > Premiere Pro > Version # > Profile > Templates

Find the .prtl file by navigating the file structure above (or simply search for the file name on your computer). After you find the template file, you can copy it like you would any other document to share with another computer. I typically like uploading files like this via Google Drive, but a flash drive may do the trick if you work in the same building.

Step 3: Copy the Template

Using the same file structure listed above, place the template file into the templates folder on the computer. While you don’t necessarily have to place the file into the templates folder, it’s a best practice for staying organized.

Step 4: Import the Template

To import the text template, go to the title editor by creating a new title (File > New > Title) or hit Command+T or Control+T on a PC. In the text editor, navigate to the Templates button located to the left of the font menu near the top of the window (or hit Command+J or Control+J). From the small pop-up window, select the menu button on the top right and select Import File as Template. The new template has now been added to your template library.

How do you use text templates in your Premiere Pro workflow? Share in the comments below.