Edit the text and appearance of a title

You can edit a title’s text, font, size, color, alignment, and background color. You can also preview other title styles and change the title to a style you like better.

To change title text:

  1. In the Project browser, select the title you want to change by clicking the blue or gold title bar.

  2. Select the title text in the viewer on the right and type a new title.

To change the font, color, size, text style, or alignment:

  1. In the Project browser, select the title you want to change by clicking its blue title bar, and then click Show Fonts in the upper-left corner of the viewer.

    Note:  You can’t change the style of some animated titles, such as Pixie Dust and Lens Flare, or themed titles, which are represented by gold title bars.

  2. Move your pointer over any font in the window that opens to preview your title in that font. (The viewer shows the title in whatever font your pointer is hovering over.) Press the Space bar to play the video with that font.

  3. Skim and preview colors and font sizes in the same way you previewed fonts, in step 2 above. Move your pointer down the column of colors, or the column of font sizes, to preview how the title looks in those colors and sizes.

  4. Click any font, color, or size to select it.

  5. Click a style (bold, italic, or outlined) and an alignment to select them.

  6. When you’re satisfied, click Done.

You can see more fonts, sizes, styles, colors, and so on by clicking the System Font Panel button in the lower-left corner of the iMovie fonts window. When you use this fonts panel to preview changes to your title, however, you must first select the title in the viewer by clicking it once (so that it becomes highlighted), and then click various font, color, and other choices in the System Font Panel. When you’re satisfied with how your title looks, click Done. Or, to return to the simplified fonts window, click iMovie Font Panel.

To change the title background color:

Some title styles include a background element whose color you can change. These styles are the following: Gradient - White, Soft Bar - White, Paper, Formal, Gradient - Black, Soft Bar - Black, Torn Edge - Black, and Torn Edge - Tan.

  1. In the Project browser, select the title you want to change by clicking the blue or gold title bar.

  2. In the viewer on the right, click the block of background color, which opens the Colors window.

    If you have trouble getting the Colors window to appear, click in the lower-right or lower-left corner of the viewer below the title.

  3. Select a color from the color wheel, and then close the window.

To change the style of a non-themed title:

Do one of the following:

  • To change the style of a single title, double-click the blue or gold title bar in the Project browser, and then click the Title button (which is labeled with the name of the current title style) in the inspector that opens.

    In the Choose Title window, skim any of the title styles to see a preview in the iMovie viewer. Press the Space bar while your pointer is hovering over a specific style to preview it playing at normal speed.

    Click any title style to select it. If you have automatic transitions turned on, click Turn Off Automatic Transitions in the dialog that appears, and then click Done. If not, simply click Done.

  • To change the style of multiple titles in your project, open your project so that it’s showing in the Project browser, and then click the Title button.

    Image of the Title button

    In the Title browser, move your pointer over any title style to preview it.

    Drag any title style from the Title browser to a clip in the Project browser whose title you want to change. Release the mouse button when you see the green Add (+) symbol.

    In the dialog that appears, choose Replace to change just the selected title, Replace Similar to replace all similar titles (if applicable), or Replace All to change the style of all titles in your project.

    If you have automatic transitions turned on, click Turn Off Automatic Transitions in the dialog that appears.

To change a theme-styled title:

Your project must have a theme in order to add theme-styled titles to it.

  1. With your project open, click the Title button.

    Image of the Title button

  2. In the Title browser, move your pointer over any title style to preview it.

  3. Drag any title style—a theme or a non-theme style—from the Title browser to the clip in the Project browser whose title you want to change.

    Release the mouse button when you see the green Add (+) symbol.

  4. In the dialog that appears, choose Replace to change just the selected title, Replace Similar to replace all similar titles, or Replace All to change the style of all titles in your project.

  5. If you have automatic transitions turned on, click Turn Off Automatic Transitions in the dialog that appears.