Running live presentations with ProPresenter can sometimes feel like juggling invisible balls—especially when you can only see one output preview at a time. Ever found yourself wondering if the lower thirds displayed correctly? Or second-guessing whether the right slide made it to the back screen? Constantly switching between different preview windows for multiple outputs can be stressful and distracting.
Luckily, ProPresenter offers a powerful solution: the multi-view setup. This feature allows you to see all your main outputs—main screen, lower thirds, back screen—as well as your camera input simultaneously in a single preview window. No more guessing. No more flipping between previews. Just smooth, confident control over your entire stage display.
In this guide, we’ll walk you through setting up a multiview display inside ProPresenter that keeps all your outputs visible at once and how to maintain this configuration reliably—even when new volunteers carry the switch.
Why Use a Multi-View Setup in ProPresenter?
In a typical church or event production setup, ProPresenter manages multiple outputs:
- Main Screen (what the congregation/audience sees)
- Lower Thirds (overlays like names or scriptures)
- Back Screen / Stage Display (for on-stage cues)
- Camera Input (live video feed inputs)
Normally, only one preview window can be viewed at a time. Catching errors in one output means toggling through windows, which is time-consuming and can cause mistakes during live services.
The multi-view setup lets you see all these outputs live and side-by-side in one window, streamlining your workflow and giving instant feedback on what your audience is actually seeing.
Step-by-Step: Setting Up Multi-View in ProPresenter
1. Open Screen Configuration
- Press Ctrl + V to close any open media bin.
- Navigate to the Screens menu and select Configure Screens.
2. Create a New Multiview Screen
- Click the Plus (+) button to add a new stage screen.
- Select Placeholder and choose Custom Size.
3. Define Screen Dimensions
- Set the Width to 1920 pixels (standard HD width).
- For the Height, multiply 1080 (standard height per screen) by the number of outputs you want to display. For four outputs, that’s 1080 * 4 = 4320 pixels.
- Name this screen “Multiview” for clarity.
- Click OK to create this oversized canvas which will stack all your outputs vertically.
4. Open Stage Editor
- Go to the More tab.
- Click Stage Editor to start designing your multiview display.
- Click Plus (+) and create a Blank stage screen.
- Set the stage screen size to match your multiview screen: 1920 x 4320 pixels.
5. Design the Layout with Preview Windows
- Change the background to a light gray for clarity.
- Add preview windows by clicking the plus to add elements.
- From the dropdown, select Main Screens preview first.
- Resize it to 1920 x 1080 pixels to fill one quarter of your tall multiview screen.
- Hold down the Shift key to drag and resize proportionally.
6. Duplicate and Position Preview Elements
- Hold the Option key (or Alt) and drag copies of the main screen preview to stack them vertically.
- Evenly space the four preview windows for a clean look.
- Use Command + click on each to select all and center align them in the canvas.
7. Assign Each Preview to Different Outputs
- Click on each preview and from the dropdown menu assign:
- Main Screen
- Lower Thirds
- Back Screen
- Video Input (choose your camera, e.g., Camera 1)
8. Customize Appearance
- Add colored strokes (outlines) around each preview window to differentiate them quickly during use (e.g., blue for main screen, yellow for lower thirds, green for back screen, red for camera input).
- Add text labels to clearly identify each screen:
- Add a text box per output.
- Use bold, all-caps font like Helvetica Bold for readability.
- Position and rotate text labels as desired (rotating the text 90° can save space if needed).
Helpful Tips for Multi-View Setup
- Stacking vs. Quadrants: Your multiview layout doesn’t have to be vertical. You can customize the size and arrangement of each segment to fit quadrant layouts or other shapes depending on your monitor setup.
- Save Your Configuration: Multiple volunteers may use ProPresenter, so saving and locking this multiview setup ensures consistency during live events. Consider educating your team on this setup or restricting changes.
- Media Resources: Look for free media resources to create compelling lower thirds and overlays. There are many online repositories for church-friendly graphics that integrate well into ProPresenter.
Final Thoughts
A multiview setup in ProPresenter is a game-changer for volunteers and operators who want to maintain full control of every output during live events. Setting up this screen arrangement takes a bit of effort initially but dramatically reduces anxiety and errors once you go live.
By having everything visible at once—the main screen, lower thirds, back screen, and camera input—you can focus on creating an engaging worship or event experience without the stress of guessing what’s on display.
Master your screens with this multiview setup and elevate your ProPresenter skills to the next level!
Ready to dive deeper? Check out the free downloadable resource with the 12 best places to find free media for your church productions, linked below the video! It’s the perfect companion to make your ProPresenter presentations shine.
Happy presenting!
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