I am trying to make a series simple slides in photoshop - the slides just have text on them, which i will import into premiere so that i can narrate over them as they progress.

So, i create the graphics in photoshop, which are just plain white backgrounds with a few lines of simple text on them, then i save it and import it into premiere.

When i try it to export the movie the text is all cramped and unreadable.

What am i doing wrong?
What file type should i be importing? jpeg? gif?
What resolution should I make the slides?

Any help would be much appreciated, thanks in advance guys

Not sure what version of Photoshop/Premiere you are using, or if you're working with NTSC or PAL, widescreen or 4:3, but this is what I would do:

A: create the titles in premiere, job done.

If you need to use Photoshop:

B:
create a new file in Photoshop using the relevant built in template - for me it's PAL 16:9 for instance.

Create your text, save the file a s a .psd.

Import the .psd file - don't save as a jpg or gif, just import the actual psd file, depending on your version of premiere it will likely give you the option to import individual layers of the whole thing, I'd just import the text layers.

In premiere, I'd create a blank white video in the first video track.

Put your imported text in the second video track > record voice over > put that in the audio track > export.

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probably a pixel aspect ratio issue maybe. what are your video settings.

The easiest way to get text looking rigth in premiere is to do the etxt as 'titles' rather than import PSD files.

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I'm not young enough to know everything!

Thanks so much for your help guys, you're absolute lifesavers. I learned how to use Premiere at uni, but that was about 6 or 7 years ago and i'm very rusty.

bgarthp,
I am using Premiere Pro v.7 and Photoshop CS3.
I am using widescreen NTSC - I am creating video to stream on a website, is that alright?

I did envision this whole project coming together by simply importing the slides from photoshop, but I can't get this to look 100% right - i've come very close through trial and error, but it looks like i'll have to use the title editor in Premiere. I started playing around with it last night and I should be able to do what i'm trying to using the titles.

Alan,
I'm still playing around and experimenting, so i haven't got a definate set of video settings yet. THe settings i've currently been using are:

DV NTSC - widescreen 48kHz
Frame size: 720h 480v (1.200)
Frame rate: 29.97 frames/second
Pixel Aspect Ratio: D1/DV NTSC Widescreen 16:9 (1.2)
Color depth: Millions of colors
Quality: 100 (out of 100)
Fields: Lower Field First

Thanks again for all your help guys,

I am trying to create these videos to stream on a web site using video vista.
I am open to any suggestions regarding the creation process, video settings, resolution, etc.

Can you guys point me to any online tutorials that can walk me through this process?

Thanks again guys.

Alan will be able to give you the best advice on Premiere, I haven't used that version, but creating titles is normally straightforward.

Is this the video vista you mention?:

http://www.vista.it/

If so it seems to have an encoder as part of the package which will encode your video in the correct settings for streaming, the online help link on their site has a guide with screenshots.

You'll need to export your Premiere timeline in order to run it through the encoder - I'd just export as DV AVI and run it through the encoder to see if that does the job, if it's still not up to scratch I'd consider creating the slideshow in something like Flash maybe - which may be more suited to your needs.

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Panasonic SD9, Panasonic NVGS-75, Canon MV600i

Rigth so basically your project is widescreen i.e. a non square pixel aspect ratio (or ration as I normally write lol). What are the 'title' you are creating in photoshop. Are they square pixels? if so then they will look odd in your project. If they are square pixels do either of the following.

Set pixek aspect ratio in Photoshop. CS3 certainly allows this, before creating the titles. or
Iport them into Premiere as square pixels then rigth click o them in the project assets list and select 'Conform as' or whatevere it;s called. And tehn tell premiere to confiorm them as widescreen - the same as your proect.

See if that sorts it.

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I'm not young enough to know everything!

Thanks for your feedback Alan - I'll give it a go tonight and see if it works