How to Add Text to a Video

Text overlays on video — titles, captions, callouts, names of speakers — make videos more accessible and informative. Every modern editor supports adding text easily.

Why add text to video

Titles: introduce the content (intro card, section headers).

Captions/Subtitles: dialogue or important audio for accessibility. See our Add Subtitles guide for full-fledged captions.

Lower thirds: speaker name/title in the lower third of frame.

Callouts: emphasizing specific moments or visual elements.

Watermarks: branding visible throughout the video.

Information graphics: stats, facts, supplementary info on screen.

On iPhone (iMovie)

1. Open iMovie, drag in video
2. Tap video on timeline
3. Tap T (Title) icon
4. Choose a title style
5. Edit text
6. Position on timeline (where text appears)
7. Export

On Android (CapCut)

CapCut is the easiest cross-platform option:

1. Import video
2. Tap Text → Add Text
3. Type text
4. Choose font, color, animation
5. Drag to position
6. Adjust timing on timeline
7. Export

On Mac (iMovie)

Same as iPhone iMovie:

1. Add video to new project
2. Click Titles menu (top right)
3. Drag a title style onto the video clip
4. Edit text
5. Position duration on timeline
6. Export

On Windows (Clipchamp)

1. Open Clipchamp
2. Drag in video
3. Click Text in left sidebar
4. Choose text style
5. Drag onto timeline above video
6. Edit
7. Export

Cross-platform: CapCut

CapCut (free):

• Easy text addition with templates
• Animated text (typing effect, fade-in, slide)
• Multiple text tracks
• Stickers and emoji overlay support

Excellent for social media content.

Professional: DaVinci Resolve

For more sophisticated text:

DaVinci Resolve (free):

• Title templates
• Custom keyframe animation
• 3D text
• Complex text-on-path effects

Steeper learning curve but very capable.

Command-line: FFmpeg

For basic text overlay:

ffmpeg -i input.mp4 -vf "drawtext=text='Hello':fontsize=40:fontcolor=white:x=100:y=100" output.mp4

Adds “Hello” in white text at position 100,100. For timing, fonts, animation: more complex FFmpeg syntax.

Text positioning

Common positions:

• Top center: titles, opening text
• Bottom third / lower third: speaker names, captions
• Center: emphatic statements, callouts
• Edges: less common; can feel awkward
• Following the subject: animated text that moves with action

For most use cases, lower third for captions and center for titles.

Font choices

Video text needs to be readable at typical viewing distances:

For clarity at small sizes: Sans-serif fonts (Helvetica, Arial, Roboto, Inter).

For visual style: bolder weights work better than thin/light.

For accessibility: high contrast (white text on black, or vice versa, or with text shadow).

Avoid: decorative fonts that are hard to read at video resolutions; thin weights.

Text styling

To make text stand out from video:

• Shadow: dark shadow behind text for contrast against bright backgrounds
• Outline / Stroke: dark outline around text — universal readability
• Background box: solid color box behind text — most readable but most intrusive
• Bold weights: thicker text is more legible

For best universal readability: white text with dark shadow or outline.

Timing the text

On-screen too briefly: viewers can’t read before it’s gone. Rule of thumb: minimum 1 second per 4 words.

On-screen too long: feels static; the viewer’s eye drifts away.

Animated entrance/exit: fade in, slide in, type-on. Adds visual interest but can feel cheesy if overdone.

Animated text

Most editors offer text animation:

• Fade in/out: smooth, professional
• Slide in: dynamic, modern
• Type-on: characters appear one by one (good for tutorial commentary)
• Pop / zoom in: emphatic for callouts
• Wave / bounce: playful but can feel amateur

Use sparingly; most professional video uses simple cut-in/cut-out or single fade.

Multi-language

For multilingual content:

• Add subtitles per language using subtitle files (.srt) — see Add Subtitles
• Or create separate video versions with burned-in text per language
• Or position both languages on screen simultaneously (e.g., English top, Spanish bottom)

Common scenarios

Title cards: opening title, section transitions, closing credits.

Tutorial annotations: highlighting clicks, naming windows.

Vlog captions: silent-friendly text for social media viewers.

Speaker labels: introducing interviewees by name and title.

Product highlights: callouts showing price, features, or details.

Quote graphics: pull quotes from videos with text on screen.

After adding text

• Trim: see Trim or Cut Video
• Compress: see Compress Video
• Add proper subtitles for accessibility: see Add Subtitles — text overlays for design are separate from accessibility captions

TL;DR

• iPhone/Mac: iMovie (built-in, free)
• Android: CapCut or InShot
• Windows: Clipchamp (built-in to Win 11)
• Cross-platform: CapCut, DaVinci Resolve
• Command-line: FFmpeg drawtext filter
• For readability: white text with dark shadow/outline; sans-serif fonts; bold weights
• For accessibility captions: use Add Subtitles workflow instead