What It Does
Box It! generates shape layer boxes that automatically resize to fit your text layers. Change the text, and the box updates instantly. The plugin offers three height measurement modes: Cap Height (measures from baseline to the top of capital letters), x-Height (measures to the top of lowercase letters like ‘x’), and Full Height (includes ascenders and descenders). This precision eliminates the subtle position shifts that occur when text starts with different letter shapes.
The plugin creates boxes by adding effect controls to your text layer and generating a linked shape layer. You can apply multiple boxes to a single text layer, each with individual settings, or adjust all boxes at once using master controls on the text layer.
Key Features
Cap Height, x-Height, and Full Height modes. These measurement options ensure consistent box positioning regardless of which letters appear in your text. Cap Height produces the most visually stable results for mixed-case text, while Full Height accommodates vertical text and paragraph layouts.
Align to Composition or Parent Layer. The plugin offers 25 alignment positions when snapping boxes to parent layers. Alignments update automatically when you change text content, scale, or expansion settings. Calculations use the master controls on the text layer, giving you flexibility to adjust individual boxes without breaking the overall alignment.
Minimum Width and Height controls. Set pixel values to maintain consistent box dimensions across varying text lengths. Useful for lower thirds where you want uniform sizing. You can also reference another layer’s dimensions, making the box match or exceed that layer’s width or height.
Percentage-based offsets. Animate text position independently from the box using percentage values. This creates effects like text sliding outside the box or precise positioning for track mattes. Percentage offsets scale with text changes, so animations adapt when you edit content.
Individual corner controls. Each corner can use a different radius and profile (convex, concave, flat, or step). Choose pixel or percentage units. Pixel mode keeps corners consistent when text reflows across multiple lines, while percentage mode creates proportional shapes. A 100% corner radius on a square box produces a perfect circle.
Trim to Square. Forces the box to maintain square proportions regardless of text length. Combine with 100% corner radius to create circular containers.
Elements system. Add horizontal or vertical lines that fit the bounding box. Since these are shape layers, you can apply tapers, dashes, waves, repeaters, and trim paths. Corner Brackets provide L-shaped accents at box corners, with controls for length, tapering, and individual visibility. Boundary Nulls create nine null objects at the corners, sides, and center of the box, letting you parent other layers that track with text changes.
Size At Time options. By default, boxes measure text at the current frame. When using text animators that change character spacing or scale over time, you can lock the box size to the text’s dimensions at the layer in-point, mid-point, out-point, or a custom time.
Who It’s For
Box It! works for motion designers building lower thirds, title cards, chat bubble interfaces, or any template where text length varies. The included After Effects project templates (1080p/30fps) demonstrate setups for flat lower thirds, text boxes, and chat bubbles, all ready for commercial use.
The plugin creates shape-layer-based setups that don’t require Box It! to be installed for rendering or sharing. You can build Motion Graphics Templates for Premiere Pro or send projects to clients without licensing concerns. Essential Graphics integration lets you expose alignment and width properties, creating reusable templates where only one composition needs updating when design changes occur.
Pricing
Box It! uses a pay-what-you-want model with a $49.99 regular price listed. The trial version works for 7 days but disables the Elements system and excludes templates.