Here's what I do to produce good titles using Photoshop and 
RexEdit2.53 using BorisFX4.04. Sometimes I still see a few 
white pixels around the edge of my letters. If there is a method 
to get cleaner alpha channels please share them.

1. In Photoshop open new file 720X480 pixels with a transparent 
background.
2. Add lettering, size and solid color.
3. Select the lettering using Select>color range and eyedropper tool.
4. Then I use Select>modify>contract using 1 pixel. I figure this 
should get rid of any white pixels.
5. Save the selection to create the alpha channel
6. Save as a .tif file to maintain alpha channel information.
7. In RexEdit open the tif file in bin and place file in front of 
the clip over which I what to see the title.
8. Place transition between the title clip and the video clip and drag 
transition until desired length.
9. RMC and select BorisFX to open BorisFX4.04.
10. Select track one and select the media track as a still image. 
When the open file dialog box opens select the tif title slid. 
BorisFX automatically "sees" the alpha channel information.
11. Add drop shadow and any desired motion. Then click apply to 
close the BorisFX control panel.
12. Render transition back in RexEdit2.53.

Please share your methods as I still see a few white pixels on the 
edges of the letters occasionally.


Try this:

1. Same as your method
2. Ditto
3. In the same layer Select All.
4. Click on the the move tool button (the one next to the marquee tool) 
4a. Press any arrow key to nudge the selection. You should see your 
whole text be outlined now.
5. Same as yours.
6. I save as TGA after flattening the image (preserve transparency).
7 - 12. Same as above.

I don't get any white pixels this way. I also add 3d effects in PS5.0 
and they transfer well, too.

What step 4a does for you is give you an precise selection in photoshop 
of whatever is in that given layer. Perhaps that will help with your 
titling. Try that instead of using the select color range and contract 
selection method.

MORE INFO USING PREMIERE AND PHOTOSHOP


I work on PAL so I open a 720*576 file in Photoshop 5.0... type 
something... and save as a PSD file. Then import the PSD file into 
Premeire and select my layer with the text. Then I get the text on 
my video... no white pixels... nothing... it is very clean. I can 
perform lots of effects on my text in Premiere with BorisFX 3.5..

I use the exact same technique that you're using and also get perfect 
results. What you're seeing is Premiere and Photoshop's tight integration. 
I've used to use Targa files extensively with no problems but just 
find that skiping the save as copy method is one thing less to do. 
I still use 32bit tga files when composting any of my 3D elements from Max. 

Using the psd file format for titles means I can go back and edit 
it without having to resave as copy yet again. To change a tiff or 
tga you'd have to redo the alpha channel if you changed anything 
other than color, i.e. position, text, size, etc.

Lost drop shadows!

Using Premiere for titles built in Photoshop is very clean. But when 
I add a drop shadow in Photoshop using Layer>effects>drop shadow and 
resave the title file and reopen in Premiere, only the letters appear 
over the underlying video. The drop shadow does not appear. What happened?

I'm assuming that this is Photoshop 5.X.

1. Type your text.

2. Add Effects (Drop shadow, glows, etc.)

3. Render the Text layer

4. Right click on the "f" in that text layer and from the context 
menue select Create Layer.

what this does is it puts your effects on it's own layer.

5. Link the new Layer and your Text Layer.

6. Merge these two linked layers.

7. Now do a Select >> Load Selection >> Layer "__" Transparency

You now have the correct Alpha info for the drop shadow AND your text.

8. Save selection as new Alpha channel

9. Save as TGA, TIFF, whatever 32bit format you like

That should do it.