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Text quality changed
Hi Everybody!
The quality of my FCP text has changed, and I am very confused with this issue.
I´ve read the posts here and all over Internet talking about the poor quality of some text in FCP but I don´t seem to find a solution.
I´ve applied all the common tips mentioned by other editors: blur filters, de-flicker, to have “whole numbers” in the X-Y control (vs decimal), not more than 90 % of white, suggested fonts, etc, but my text still looks jaggy, even in the Timeline before exporting.
What confuses me the most is that these same text looked pritty well before but I started noticing that some text in the same project looked better while still but the quality decreased while playing. And some of the same text, now, when I´m ready to export, looks like if something would have changed radically.
So, the same text, in the same project, without having changed anything, just changed for worst! and I´m working with 720 Progressive, so I don´t have a field dominance problem.
This is happening with text produced using the FCP generators as well as imported Photoshop ones (merged .psd)
I have finished also a Trailer with the same texts, the same sequence settings, the same material, and there, the texts look fine!!
So, I really can´t understand what´s happening and if there is a solution out there.
The only thing I´ve done it was to update to FCS2.
Am I missing something here? Could someone, please, suggest me a probable solution?
Thanks a lot.
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15 Replies
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Hi Omar,
Are those titles rendered (blue line in the timeline above those clips) or are they previews (green line)?
If they are previews, render them and they will probably be fine then.Jaap
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How are you monitoring? Video monitor? You need one of these to prevent confusion.
No monitor? Set Canvas at 100% and see how it looks.Kevin Monahan
http://www.fcpworld.com
Author – Motion Graphics and Effects in Final Cut Pro -
Hi Jaab!
Thank you very much for answering.
I´ve re read the whole cow´s stuck about text thinking that the lack of answer to my post was something like “read more, twit!”. So, it´s great to have you here!
No, the texts are full rendered.
I´ve been reading about pixel aspect ratio but since I´m working HDV 1280 x 720 this doesn´t seem to be the problem either.
I checked the text with a canvas 100% and it still shows jaggy.
I burned a DVD to check on TV, using the best walkaround I could find (ProRes to SD DVD) and they look kind of blury…
I´m wondering if all the problems I find with tex are related to my expectations. I mean, I worked with HDV to get the best quality possible and now this texts?
Still reading and looking for an answer.
Thanks again.
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Thanks Kevin,
Yes, I had checked that one; same problem though.
I´m going to check the whole material with the perspective that this is not graphic… maybe the problem is me but, honestly, after so much work and fights with the director who considers that I am too picky and “raise the standards to the infinite” I feel disappointed with my freaking texts.
I appreatiate the advice. Thanks again.
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What are your sequence settings? Make sure your compressor is set at ProRes not HDV. This might have an effect.
With the graphics you created in Photoshop, was your pixel apect ratio correct in that? (i.e. the same as in you FCP sequence) If you’re using square pixels in Photoshop then I’ve found there can be problems with quality when bringing into FCP.
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Thanks Alex
My sequence settings are HDV 1280 720p 23,986 fps.
I kind of understood there were no problems with the pixel aspect in Photoshop for these settings, but yes I used “square” in PS. So, will have to check this one.
However, what would be the problem with the texts done in FCP itself?
Thanks again.
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Ok, since English is not my mother tongue (as you probably realized already) I´m going to try to explain exactly what I´m getting and I hope I won´t make it worst with my Spanglish 🙂
The Photoshop processed texts (.psd) look “rhombusal” (does this word even exist?) I mean, they have l lose their “roundness”. So, more than looking blur or having lost their quality they actually look more like”squary”…
Does this make sense?
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Omar,
I cannot figure out how there can be a difference since you wrote that your trailer is OK with the same sequence settings & media, so let me ask one more maybe-too-obvious question: Is the playback setting of your sequence set to High? (in the RT pop-up menu, upper left corner of the timeline window)
You never know…Jaap
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[Omar Estrada] “However, what would be the problem with the texts done in FCP itself?”
Not sure, other than as I said, changing your compressor from HDV to ProRes. The reason for this is that editing and rendering projects as HDV is a good way of losing quality, and you’ll really notice it with text. Working with ProRes will mean that your sequence isn’t going through a phase of quality loss each time you render.
You could also try using the Boris text generator rather than the standard FCP one, particularly if any of your text is scrolling. I used to have endless problems with jerky scrolling text until I turned my brain on and started using the Boris plug in.
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Hi again!
Alex,
I used Boris generator for the text in FCP.
Now I´m erasing all the renders and will re render everything in ProRes to see what happen.
However I noticed that the FCP text looks better after I trashed preferences and Troubleshooted the system… I really don´t know anymore.
The Photoshop texts look the same (the squary look I mentioned before) after changing/testing the pixel aspect. So, I´m kind of lost here and the worst, I did all the subtetling to Spanish in PS, my God!
I had read before that it gave better quality to process text in PS than in FCP and never went back to this topic till now… I hope I won´t have to re subtttle everything 🙁
As Jaab suggests, it doesn´t make sense, because I have the same preferences and also the same playback in the TL (High).
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