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Watch the tutorial
Step 1: Set up your text layer
Create your title with the Type Tool (T) and place it on a video track. The video puts the text on the track above a blue color matte, so the white letters are easy to see while you work. Make sure the text clip is long enough to show everything you want.
One click with Mako: the free Mako panel adds a color matte over the selected clips, at the playhead, on the first free track, in one click. Get Mako for free
Step 2: Apply the Wave Warp effect
Open the Effects panel (Window > Effects), type Wave Warp into the search box and find it under Video Effects > Distort. Drag it onto your text layer in the timeline. The text will immediately start rippling like a flag, which is fine for now. We will tame it in a moment.
Faster with BetterFX: skip the Effects panel. Press your BetterFX shortcut, type the first letters of Wave Warp and press Enter to apply it to the selected clip. Get BetterFX
Step 3: Stretch the wave into one gentle curve
With the text layer selected, open Effect Controls and scroll to Wave Warp. Two values do most of the work:
- Wave Height: set it to 200. This decides how strongly the text bends.
- Wave Width: raise it to around 1800, or until you get a smooth curved text look. A wide wave means only one slow bend fits across your text, so it reads as an arc instead of a ripple.
Keep the Wave Type on Sine, which gives the smoothest curve. If you type a small width, you will see the text zig-zag like a heartbeat line, so keep pushing the number up until it looks right.
Step 4: Flip the curve
You can bend the text the other way too. Change Wave Height to -200 and the arc flips, so the middle of the text sits higher or lower than the ends. Try both and pick the shape that suits your design. Smaller numbers give a softer curve, bigger numbers give a more dramatic one.
Step 5: Set Wave Speed to zero
By default Wave Warp animates, so your curve would keep moving along the text. To freeze it, set Wave Speed to 0. Now the text stays in one curved position for the whole clip.
Tips
- Use bold fonts. Thick letters hold up better when they are bent and look cleaner at the edges.
- Combine with other text looks. Add a stroke with our text outline guide, or reveal the curved title with the typewriter effect.
- Animate it on purpose. If you want the text to wobble, leave Wave Speed above 0 instead of setting it to zero.
FAQ
How do you curve text in Premiere Pro?
Apply the Wave Warp effect to your text layer, raise Wave Width so there is only one wide bend, and use Wave Height to set how strongly the text curves.
How do I stop the curved text from moving?
Set Wave Speed to 0 in the Wave Warp settings. The effect is animated by default, so the text keeps rippling until you do this.
How do I curve the text up or down?
Use a positive or negative Wave Height. A value like 200 bends the text one way, and -200 bends it the other way.
Want finished text animations without building each one by hand? Check out the Ultimate Text Preset Pack.
