Captions / 5 min read

How to make captions people can read

Before size, think about sentence length, display time, and contrast with the background.

How to make captions people can read guide illustration
01

Break it into short, complete ideas

Reading text and listening to speech take different amounts of time. Split long sentences at natural breaks in meaning instead of placing everything on one screen. Leave viewers time to watch the video too.

02

Use auto captions as a draft

Check names, brands and numbers in AI-generated captions. Replay the original audio where noise or overlapping voices make the words uncertain, and correct the draft.

03

Keep it readable as the background changes

Check captions over both light and dark scenes. Outlines or a background can help maintain contrast. Make sure the position does not cover faces or important actions.

04

Check the display time

Read each caption yourself to see whether it stays on screen long enough. Adjust captions on the timeline if they appear too early or too late relative to the speech.

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