Titles and Simple Graphics: Readable Text That Supports the Video

1) Title purpose: orient, label, emphasize, and guide

Titles and simple graphics should serve the video, not compete with it. Before designing anything, decide which job the text is doing. One graphic can do multiple jobs, but it should have one primary purpose.

• Orient: tell viewers where they are in the story (chapter cards, location/time, topic shifts). Example: “Day 2 — Assembly” at the start of a new segment.
• Label: identify people, places, or objects (lower-thirds, callouts). Example: “Mina Patel — Project Lead”.
• Emphasize: highlight a key phrase or number without forcing viewers to pause. Example: “3 steps” or “$49/month”.
• Guide: direct attention to what to watch next (end screens, prompts like “Next: Lighting Setup”).

A useful test: if you mute the video and watch for 10 seconds, do the titles help you understand what’s happening, or do they feel like decoration?

Choose the right type of graphic

• Title card (full-screen or mostly full-screen): best for orientation and major section breaks.
• Lower-third (small overlay): best for labeling without interrupting action.
• On-screen callout (small label near an object): best for guiding attention.
• End screen: best for guiding next steps and reinforcing brand.

2) Typography basics: font choice, size, weight, contrast, and line length

Font choice: prioritize clarity over personality

Pick one primary typeface for most titles and one optional secondary typeface for emphasis (or skip the secondary entirely). For universal readability:

• Sans-serif fonts are usually safest on small screens and busy backgrounds.
• Avoid ultra-thin styles, overly condensed fonts, and novelty fonts for essential information.
• Use consistent casing (Title Case or Sentence case). ALL CAPS can work for short labels, but reduces readability for longer lines.

Size and hierarchy: design for the smallest screen first

Text that looks fine on a desktop preview can become unreadable on a phone. Build a clear hierarchy:

• Primary title: the main message (largest).
• Secondary line: supporting context (smaller).
• Metadata: optional details (smallest), used sparingly.

Practical sizing approach (adjust to your style and platform):

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Rule of thumb: if you have to squint at 25% zoom, it’s too small.

Weight and stroke: make it survive compression

Online video compression softens edges and reduces fine detail. To keep text crisp:

• Use regular, medium, or semibold weights for most overlays.
• If your font is thin, increase weight or add a subtle stroke/outline (1–3 px at 1080p) rather than a heavy drop shadow.
• Avoid delicate hairlines and very tight letter spacing.

Contrast: separate text from the background reliably

Readable text needs consistent separation from whatever is behind it. Three dependable methods:

• Solid or semi-transparent backing (a rectangle behind the text). Most reliable for documentary and event footage.
• Shadow (soft, subtle). Good when the background is not too busy.
• Stroke/outline. Good for bright scenes and quick overlays.

Keep contrast consistent across shots. If the background changes from dark to bright, a backing plate prevents constant tweaking.

Line length and layout: fewer words, stronger structure

• Keep titles short: aim for 3–7 words for a main title when possible.
• Break long phrases into two lines rather than shrinking the font.
• Avoid wide lines that stretch across the frame; they become harder to scan.
• Use consistent alignment (left-aligned is often easiest to read for multi-line text).

Example of a clean two-line title:

BUILD A CLEAN CUT  (primary line, larger)  WITHOUT JUMPY AUDIO (secondary line, smaller)

3) Safe margins and placement for different aspect ratios

Titles must remain readable when the video is viewed on different devices, cropped for different platforms, or partially covered by UI elements (captions, platform buttons, progress bars).

Use safe margins (and be stricter than the minimum)

Many editors use “title safe” overlays, but modern delivery adds extra risks (mobile UI, auto-captions, vertical crops). Use these practical margins as a starting point:

• Keep essential text at least 10% in from each edge (left/right/top/bottom).
• For end screens and anything near the bottom, consider 12–15% to avoid UI overlap.

Plan for multiple aspect ratios

If you deliver in more than one format (16:9, 1:1, 9:16), design within a “core safe zone” that survives cropping.

• 16:9 to 1:1: keep key text closer to the center horizontally; avoid placing names at extreme left/right.
• 16:9 to 9:16: avoid wide lower-thirds that rely on horizontal space; use stacked layouts.
• 9:16: keep text away from the very top (status bars) and bottom (UI/captions).

Placement patterns that work

• Lower-left or lower-right for lower-thirds, leaving room for faces and action. Choose one side and stick to it.
• Upper-left for location/time labels (often less conflict with captions).
• Center for title cards, but avoid placing the baseline exactly mid-frame if there’s a face; adjust to keep the subject unobstructed.

Practical check: scrub through shots where the lower-third appears and ensure it never covers a mouth, eyes, or the object being demonstrated.

4) Timing and animation principles: simple fades/moves, easing, and avoiding distracting motion

Timing: match reading speed and speech

Text needs enough time to be read comfortably. Use these baseline durations and adjust for complexity:

• Lower-third: 3–5 seconds on screen for a name/title; longer if the person keeps speaking and the graphic is unobtrusive.
• Title card: 2–4 seconds for a short title; longer if there’s a subtitle.
• Callout label: keep it up as long as the viewer needs it to identify the object (often 2–6 seconds).

Sync rule: for a lower-third introducing a speaker, bring it in 0.2–0.8 seconds after they start talking (or as they appear), and remove it once the viewer has had time to read it—don’t wait until it feels stale.

Animation: simple moves beat complex motion

Good title animation is felt more than noticed. Prefer:

• Fade in/out (opacity only)
• Short slide (10–40 px at 1080p) combined with a fade
• Scale (very subtle, e.g., 98% to 100%) for title cards

Avoid: bouncing, spinning, long travel distances, or multiple elements moving in different directions unless the video style demands it and it remains easy to read.

Easing: make motion look natural

Linear motion can feel robotic. Use easing so the graphic accelerates and decelerates smoothly.

• For most titles, use ease out on entrance and ease in on exit.
• Keep animation short: typically 8–16 frames at 24–30 fps (about 0.25–0.5 seconds).

Practical recipe (works in most editors):

• Entrance: slide up 20 px + fade from 0% to 100% over 10 frames with ease out.
• Exit: fade to 0% over 8 frames with ease in (optional slight slide down 10 px).

Prevent distraction: reduce visual noise

• Don’t animate every line separately unless necessary; group elements.
• Keep background plates static; animate the whole block as one unit.
• If the video already has fast motion, keep titles calmer (fade only).

5) Branding consistency: color palette and recurring templates

Consistency makes your work look professional and reduces decision fatigue. Build a small system and reuse it.

Create a mini style guide

Define these items once and apply them everywhere:

• Typeface: primary (and optional secondary).
• Weights: e.g., Semibold for names, Regular for roles.
• Colors: 1 primary brand color, 1 accent, neutrals (white/black/gray).
• Backing plate: opacity (e.g., 70–85%), corner radius, padding.
• Shadow/stroke: one consistent setting.
• Animation preset: one entrance/exit behavior.

Use recurring templates

Create templates for:

• Title card: main title + optional subtitle.
• Lower-third: name + role, with safe margins and consistent alignment.
• End screen: space for next video suggestion, subscribe prompt, or call-to-action (even if you later swap elements per platform).

Template tip: build with generous padding and a flexible text box so longer names don’t break the layout. If a name is too long, reduce font size slightly within a defined limit rather than redesigning each time.

6) Exercise: create a title card, a lower-third, and an end screen with consistent styling and correct timing relative to speech

Project setup (design constraints)

Use these constraints to force good habits:

• Deliverable: one sequence in your main format (e.g., 1920×1080) and optionally a second version (e.g., 1080×1920) to test adaptability.
• Typeface: choose one readable sans-serif.
• Palette: choose 1 brand color + white + black.
• Motion: only fade and a small slide; no extra effects.

Step A — Build a title card (orientation)

1. Write the title in 3–7 words. Add an optional subtitle that clarifies what the viewer will learn.
2. Layout: center or left-align within the safe margins. Keep the title on one or two lines.
3. Contrast: if using video behind the title, add a subtle dark overlay or a backing plate so the title remains readable on bright frames.
4. Animation: fade in + slight slide (10–20 px). Duration on screen: 2–4 seconds.
5. Check: view at 100% and at a small preview size. If it’s not instantly readable, increase size or contrast.

Step B — Build a lower-third (label)

1. Create a two-line lower-third: Line 1 = name (larger, semibold). Line 2 = role (smaller, regular).
2. Place it in the lower-left or lower-right within safe margins. Avoid the bottom-most area where captions/UI may appear.
3. Add a backing plate (semi-transparent) sized to the text with consistent padding (e.g., 24 px horizontal, 16 px vertical at 1080p).
4. Set timing to speech: bring it in shortly after the person begins speaking (0.2–0.8 seconds). Keep it up 3–5 seconds, then remove it even if they continue talking.
5. Animation: same as title card but shorter (faster entrance). Use easing.
6. Stress test: try a long name (e.g., “Alexandria Montgomery”) and ensure it still fits without touching edges.

Step C — Build an end screen (guide)

1. Decide the goal: next video, subscribe, website, or a simple “Thanks for watching” plus one action.
2. Design a clean layout with clear zones: one area for the main prompt, one area reserved for a thumbnail or next-step element. Keep everything inside safe margins.
3. Keep text minimal: one short line is often enough (e.g., “Next: Color Correction Basics”).
4. Timing: hold the end screen long enough for action (commonly 5–10 seconds). If there is voiceover, bring the end screen in as the voiceover transitions to the call-to-action.
5. Motion: gentle fade in; avoid continuous movement that competes with the decision moment.

Consistency checklist (apply to all three)

• Same font family and consistent weights.
• Same brand color used in the same role (e.g., accent bar, key word, or icon shape).
• Same backing plate style (opacity, corner radius, padding).
• Same animation behavior and duration range.
• All text stays within safe margins and avoids faces/important action.
• Readable at small preview size and against bright/dark backgrounds.