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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Draw a rectangle over the text
Place the text, article or screenshot you want to highlight on your timeline. In the toolbar, click and hold the Shape tool and choose the Rectangle Tool. Then, in the Program Monitor, click and drag to draw a rectangle over the words you want to highlight.
Step 2: Change the highlight color
With the shape layer selected, open Effect Controls and expand the shape settings. Under Appearance, click the Fill color swatch, pick the color you want (a bright yellow works like a classic highlighter) and click OK.
Step 3: Set the blend mode to Multiply
Scroll down in Effect Controls to Opacity and set the Blend Mode to Multiply. Multiply keeps the dark text visible through the colored rectangle, just like a real highlighter. On a dark background with light text, other blend modes such as Difference or Lighten can work better, so try a few and see which keeps the text readable.
Step 4: Animate the highlight with Crop
Go to the Effects panel, search for Crop and apply it to the shape. Move the playhead to the start of the clip, then drag the Right value (or the blue handle in the Program Monitor) to the left until the rectangle is hidden. Click the stopwatch next to Right to create a keyframe.
Move forward a little in the timeline and set Right back to 0%, so the shape is fully visible again. Press play and the highlight now wipes across the text. Move the keyframes closer together for a faster swipe or further apart for a slower one.
Step 5: Smooth the animation
Select both keyframes, right click and choose Ease In, then right click again and choose Ease Out. This softens the start and end of the swipe. For more control, click the small arrow next to Right to open the speed graph and shape the curve to your liking.
Smoother with EaseFlow: select the keyframes and apply a real easing curve in one click instead of dragging Bezier handles. See EaseFlow
Step 6: Add the brush look with Roughen Edges
Search for Roughen Edges in the Effects panel and apply it to the shape. In Effect Controls, make sure Roughen Edges sits above Crop. If it does not, drag it above. Otherwise the crop would cut the rough edge off.
In the video, the Border is set to 35 and the Complexity to 10, which gives the rectangle a rough, hand painted brush shape. Change the Scale and play with the other settings until the stroke looks natural to you.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Roughen Edges and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 7: Check the final effect
Play the sequence back. The highlight should sweep across the words and finish with a rough, brushed edge.
Tips
- Match the color to your brand. Pick a fill that stands out against your text and background.
- Duplicate for more lines. Copy the shape layer, move it down to the next line and offset the timing for a staggered highlight.
- Try the pen tool. For uneven highlights, draw your own shape instead of a rectangle.
FAQ
How do you highlight text in a video in Premiere Pro?
Draw a rectangle over the text with the Rectangle Tool, set its blend mode to Multiply and animate it with the Crop effect.
Why is my highlight covering the text?
The blend mode is probably still on Normal. Change Blend Mode under Opacity to Multiply.
Why does the brush edge disappear when the highlight animates?
Roughen Edges needs to be above Crop in Effect Controls so the rough edge is applied before the crop.
Want more ready made looks for your edits? Browse the Ultimate Premiere Pro Presets.
