Change the line spacing in Open Caption?

Report · Jul 31, 2017

I'm creating subtitles for some films and wonder where and how I can change the line spacing when I creat an open caption? I want the two different subtitle lines to be loser together. Anyone know where I can change/adjust the line spacing?

Kindly

A

Report · Jul 31, 2017

What are you trying to achieve? Burn the captions as a fixed part of your video (traditional open captions) or enable users to choose to switch them on/off (closed captions, more specifically standards CEA-608, CEA-708 or Teletext)?

Although I have no experience with the closed captions offered by Premiere Pro (I don't work in broadcast), I usually use the Open Captions to create an SRT (Sub-Rip Text format) output file that can be uploaded separately on social media platforms such as YouTube and Vimeo. Since this is user-selectable, it should technically be categorised as a closed caption, but in PPro it is created as an open caption.

On none of the captions format you can use a leading function to spread out the lines more, as far as I know. The SRT file is only a simple text file with timecode and no instructions for how or where it appears.

The only way to achieve this effect is by manually adding Text sections and then placing them wider apart (according to your preference) and then burn these layer(s) as a fixed part of the video.

If you believe line spacing needs to be implemented for open captions (it would be a non-standard alternate), please use the Feature Request/Bug Report Form.

Report · Jul 31, 2017

When I write a long sentence and separate it by pressing "enter" for it to end up on a two-line subtitle I think they are too wide apart, the line spacing is too big. So thats why I would like to adjust line spacing to bring the lines closer together. But maybe there is another way to separate a sentence that is too long into two-line subtitle?

Report · Jul 31, 2017

Hi Annettes - As far as I know, there is no way yet to adjust the leading (spacing) between lines in Premiere Pro's Open captioning feature. But if you just need open captions and don't need to export the captioning layer as a .SRT file, I'd recommend using the regular title tool to create open captions as text on video. It will give you more creative freedom to adjust the leading between lines.

Report · Aug 23, 2017

There is a workaround. Frirst make the font changes (size, font face, border...) Then duplicate the clip on the timeline and move it on another track, so you have two subitle clips exactly in sync. Crop the upper clip from bottom to hide to second line of subtitle text. Crop the lower clip from the top to hide to first line of the subtitle text. Then move the lower clip upwards or downwards in the transform panel.

Report · Nov 20, 2017

Great idea! Thanks Petri5, this worked a treat.

Report · Mar 20, 2018

I have an easy workaround:

Make your captions as usual with the Captions window, or import an SRT file. Change the font, size, color, etc. Then, highlight the line of text that you want to move and change the percentage of the "y" position. This will move that line of text up or down, increasing or decreasing the space between lines.

It's not ideal because you'll have to do it for each instance of two-line captions, but it's better than nothing. I would suggest you file a feature request to add leading to the Captions window.

Report · May 15, 2018

I was having this issue too! I figured out what I was doing wrong. The position caption block was on two different settings. Make sure the position of each line is the same for each. It automatically made the top text centered middle and the bottom text centered bottom. It made it appear that I had spacing issues from the text but it was alignment. That might be so confusing sorry.

Report · Aug 14, 2018

The only way I've been able to reduce the leading between lines in Premiere Pro's Open captioning feature is to tweak the spacing with the Y-axis. line by line. rudimentary but it works.