These Side-by-Side Videos Will Make You Rethink Your Captioned Videos

With the growing number of tools for captioning videos making do-it-yourself captions possible, so is the growing number of captioned videos with crappy captions. Sometimes people don’t realize the importance of something until they see a good and bad example side-by-side.

This series of side-by-side videos tell the story of why each rule of awesome captions matter.

Readability: The No. 1 Rule of Great Captioned Videos

If you follow only one rule when captioning videos, make it this one:

Captions are readable.

If it’s too hard to read, then none of the other rules matter.

Some people with color blindness struggle to see some colors. Some folks with dyslexia also struggle with some colors. After reading a study, I use the following colors in captions that are supposed to work well for all differences:

  • Background: off-black #242424
  • Font color: off-white #fffffd (or #fffff0)

That cute font? It makes reading harder than it needs to be. Changing colors, font size, all that. It adds friction to the viewing experience.

Here are the keys to readable captions:

  • Contains a readable font: sans serif works best
  • Uses colors with strong contrast
  • Avoids harsh colors
  • Blocks distractions behind the text
  • Remains readable with light and dark scenes
  • Appears in the right size: larger is better

There’s a reason why the best captions look boring. They make it effortless to read. They don’t distract from the video. Great captions allow you to quickly glance at them rather than forcing you to read them closely. When you work harder to read, you miss the action on the screen. And that means simple sans serif fonts and simple colors.

Some video creators think it’s cool and creative to use different colors or nontraditional fonts in their captions. Well … let the video show you the difference.

And that’s why readability is the first rule of great captions.

What About Outlined Captions?

Outlined captions refer to white captions with a black outline. Some captions use this outline instead of a black box behind the text. A lot of open caption movies tend to be white or yellow without a background. It can strain people’s eyes because the film’s scenes constantly change and the captions get lost. We have to work harder to see them.

Some videos prevent this by having a black outline around the white letters. It’s still a strain and not as good as captions with a dark background. It’s hard to explain why. Instead, this video will show you. The outline can blend the text to make it harder to quickly identify the words. (It’s not as big a problem in this video as I couldn’t reproduce the ones that looked like the letters were running over each other.)

The dark background keeps the captions consistent without anything behind the captions disrupting the experience. Some think see-through or no background makes it easier to see what’s behind the captions. But it doesn’t matter. Anything that is behind it is not likely to be viewable.

This Captioning Trend Needs to Stop

There’s a bad trend happening in captions / subtitles.

It’s not progress over perfection.

It’s a step backward.

When I first discovered captions, they were in UPPERCASE. They also had a black background with white text.

The black and white captions are going strong today. That’s because they work. At one point, the captioners experimented with other colors, but that didn’t last long.

Subtitles are meant to be plain and readable. They’re not for branding or getting creative.

Anyway, one thing changed from the early days of captioning. The captioners switched to mixed case or sentence case. That’s because they’re far more readable than uppercase.

Let’s look at an example with my name. (FYI: I’m not related to Meryl Streep.)

MERYL 

Meryl

All caps show zero shape variation. MERYL has a flat top edge and a flat bottom edge. That’s it. No change in shape. It’s like a rectangle block.

Meryl shows three variations on the top:

  • Once for the M
  • Once for e, r, y,
  • Once for the l (little L).

Meryl also has three variations on the bottom:

  • Once before the y
  • Once for the y itself
  • Once after the y

Visual differences in mixed case captions boost readability. The lack of visual differences in UPPERCASE adds friction to the reading experience.

People with disabilities and even no disabilities struggle with uppercase captions.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows mixed case captions and right shows uppercase captions

Some live shows resort to uppercase captions to increase speed. The purpose is to increase delays between when the words are spoken and when they appear in the captions. So with live programs, the choices are speed vs. delay, which affects synchronization.

Personally, I try to avoid live captions and catch the recording. But that’s not always possible. Sometimes the recorded version isn’t cleaned up, so it’s the same captions as the live version.

It’d be great if the networks would re-air live shows with cleaned-up captions. Or at least, post it on their streaming networks with cleaned-up captions and free access.

Uppercase captions are also a problem in recordings as I see more and more recorded shows using uppercase captions.

Some captioners use uppercase letters for speaker identification like this:

MERYL: Please use mixed case captions.

Here’s a better way that improves readability:

[Meryl] Please use mixed case captions.

Subtitle viewers know that words in brackets aren’t spoken or represent sound. The brackets are a better differentiator than all caps.

Please use mixed case captions, including on Instagram and other social media networks. One of the options there is all caps and it’s animated. This isn’t a good option. Pick one of the latter two options out of the four available.

Hormozi: This Other Captioning Trend Needs to Stop

Influencers promote Hormozi-style captions because they’re full of energy and captivate the audience. They train content creators to do this. There are apps to help them add Hormozi captions. That’s how I made this one. And it took waaayyyy too long.

These captions are not accessible. Here are some of the traits they have:

  • Use caption colors that are not standard. (Affects readability.)
  • Show one or two words at a time. (Not everyone can read that fast and the message is lost.)
  • Contain motion such as seesaw captions. (Affects readability.)
  • Use karaoke-style captions. (Makes it harder for people to read at their own pace and absorb the message.)
  • Emphasize words in different colors. (Takes away from the message.)
  • Use ALL CAPS. (Affects readability.)

From personal experience, whenever I see karaoke-style captions, I can’t watch them because I won’t get the message. It causes my eyes to play a game of “follow that color.” Instead of scanning the captions, my eyes get a workout that can cause them to ache.

There is a small population that benefits from karaoke-style captions. Know your audience. A friend knows his audience and got feedback from them that they like karaoke-style captions.

What about highlighting words in a different color for emphasis without motion? Still a problem. My eyes go straight to the differently-colored captions and ignore the rest. I don’t get the message.

Isn’t the message the most important thing? Let the video and its content be the star.

If a creator wants flash and pizzazz, then they can add onscreen text outside of the captions. Heck, pump up the presentation itself.

This is why closed captions are the best option. They let the viewer be in control of the captions.

When you use open captions, the user can’t change the size or color. Captions stay the same size even if the user expands the video to full screen. Closed captions are flexible and change size based on the screen size. Also, if you work with the player controls, the captions move up a little so they’re still in full view.

Captioning best practice is to use plain captions, typically off-white on off-black background. (I use FFFFF0 and 242424 with a plain sans serif font.) Use sentence case and skip the motion. (Live captions are different).

Unfortunately, it’s going to be hard to convince creators to change. Influencers are saying these captions are getting results. Hard to argue against it when they showed them the money! Sigh.

Autocraptions: How Automatic Captions Earned Their Nickname

The No. 2 rule of great captions is accuracy. It’s not No. 1 because accuracy won’t matter if you can’t read it.

The best captions correctly capture everything said and heard word-for-word. Yes, that includes swear words.

Here’s how autocraptions earned their nickname.

The only things I did with the autocraptions were even out the two lines and tweaked the timing. The original timing of the captions was a gosh-awful mess.

You’ll see why I can’t use apps that automatically caption a video. It requires a lot of text editing and timing fixes.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows accurate and right shows bungled captions

Not all automatic caption apps allow you to adjust the timing especially the free Clips app for iOS. I only use it when I make a short video that I want to share straight from the phone.

That’s why I use YouTube to create my captions or upload a script and let it set the timings. I export the caption file as WebVTT (VTT) and .SRT. Most services use .SRT.

Then, I import the caption .VTT text file into Headliner.app to convert the closed-captions to open captions. This way, if someone does not have captions set on their phone, they can see it. And I’ve seen my caption SRT file disappear a few times. One is too many! Horrifying!

Autocraptions are good for one thing … and one thing only: a good laugh!

Even 80 percent accurate autocraptions aren’t good enough. Here’s what it looks like:

“That’s two out of every ten _____ that are _____.”

Autocraptions frustrate the viewers that many stop watching. It’s like doing a jigsaw puzzle with a handful of missing pieces.

And that’s why autocraptions are not better than no captions. Just say no to autocraptions.

Breaking This Captioned Video Rule Makes Viewers Dizzy

People can tell when the captions are not in sync with what’s being said. Yes, even with the sound off.

Here are the clues of an out-of-sync video:

  • Your eyes see one thing, but the captions say something else.
  • The captions don’t match what’s happening on the screen.
  • The speaker’s lips show something different than what the captions say.

I tell ya, when the captions and the video are not in sync, it causes vertigo … whether or not you can hear it. Is the room spinning? It was for me when I worked on this captioned video!

Before you watch this, cover the video on the left. Watch what happens.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows captions in sync with audio while the right shows out of sync captions

You want to ensure the timing of the captions follows the action as closely as possible. YouTube makes it easy to set the timings with its drag-n-drop slider. That’s how I created the out-of-sync video.

And that’s why awesome captioned videos are synchronized.

Why Size Matters in Captioned Videos

Yes. Size matters.

Really, really matters …

… in great captioned videos!

What did you think I was talking about?

Some captions have shown up one or two words at a time. The fastest readers can’t keep up with these flying captions. And they certainly can’t absorb the information or see what’s happening in the video.

It. Is. Exhausting.

Also, avoid long captions that go from one side of the screen to the other and run for three, four, or five lines.

This causes the viewer to spend too much time reading long lines that they miss the action in the video. They can lose their place in reading these captions.

Talk about bad user experience.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows 1-2 lines of captions up to 32 characters per line while right shows one word at a time or at least three long lines of captions

Goldilocks learned the hard way. The middle wins! It’s just right!

Aim for one or two lines of captions.

As for the length, target about 60 characters per caption. That puts the captions in the middle of the screen with comfortable spacing on both sides. Here’s a quick tip on caption length to make it easier to check the length without counting the characters.

Viewers follow better with shorter captions with one to two lines.

So yes, size matters in fabulous captioned videos.

Which Position Do You Prefer? Top or Bottom?

Like size … position matters … in great captions!

Most people prefer the captions on the bottom of a video. They can follow the action on the screen better than when the captions sit on top.

You won’t find scientific research that proves this. When the captions are up top, we catch less of the action on the screen.

The speaker’s lips tend to be closer to the bottom than the top. Not always. Having captions near the lips makes it easier to follow along when the captions are in sync with the audio.

Our eyes may naturally gravitate up instead of down. Again, no scientific proof.

Or it may be because subtitled movies and captions have put the text at the bottom of the screen for decades. So, it’s a habit for most people to look for the captions at the bottom.

One thing is for sure: don’t put the captions in the middle of the screen! Yes, I’ve seen this!

This video shows both positions. Have a look. You might want to cover half the screen for part of it and then watch the other half for the rest of it.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows captions on the bottom right shows captions on the top

Where the captions appear on the video matters. It needs to be consistent. I’ve seen videos with captions shifting for no reason. This hurts the user experience.

This is why position matters. When there is text on the screen, you want to move the text or the captions to prevent overlap.

And yes, there are exceptions … temporary ones. But that’s another topic for another day. Hint: credits.

Why You Want to Caption Those Sounds

People watching your video may not have the sound on. Or they’re deaf or hard of hearing and can’t hear the sound.

Whichever the case, sound plays a critical role in videos:

  • It foreshadows.
  • It reveals what’s happening.
  • It explains why someone reacts.
  • It makes us dance.
  • … and more.

Captions communicate a lot by capturing all the sounds. An easy way to indicate a sound is to put it in [brackets].

This side-by-side video reveals the importance of sound in captioned videos. The left side captions everything. The right only captions what’s said just like a foreign film with subtitles would. Part of the video has no sound to show you what it’s like when people can’t hear it.

Video description: It’s two of the same videos side-by-side with Meryl. One side captions all sounds. The other does not caption sounds. Meryl is swaying in the video. The good captions have musical notes. She’s obviously listening to a song. The bad captions have no musical notes.

Suddenly, Meryl reacts as if something awful has happened. She takes out her hearing aid and leaves. Good captions: “[Alarm blares]” followed by “[Keypad beeps]” and “[Alarm stops]”. No sound on the bad captions. Screen says: “Why did she react like that?”

Then Meryl gets up. Good captions: [Phone rings.] She gets up again. Good captions: [Doorbell rings]. She comes back with a package. The bad captions wonder why Meryl has a package. Then she turns to the side like she’s comforting someone. Good captions: [Dogs bark]. Bad captions wonder who she’s talking to.

Why captioning sound matters

Would you believe there are times when a song plays with lyrics, but the captions show nothing or just musical notes?

Just caption those sounds and it’ll be music to your viewers’ eyes!

Captions Vs. Credits: No Contest

Time to give credit where credit is due!

It should not be a boxing match between credits and captions in a video.

Viewers want to see both.

And they want to do that without struggling or stopping the video to turn off the captions to see the text behind it.

Just make sure the captions, the text, and the credits don’t overlap each other.

Many captioning apps put captions on the bottom. In this case, put credits or text higher up or somewhere that’s logical without hiding behind the captions or covering someone’s face.

Generally, the credits show up on the bottom and the captions move up top … temporarily. And that’s OK. Long-time caption viewers know to expect it.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows captions and credits and right shows credits in bad places like behind the captions or over Meryl’s face

Captions vs. credits. No contest. The important thing is to let viewers see both the credits and captions.

Thanks for captioning your videos and caring about the quality. When you post your videos, add #Captioned to help people find them.

The reason for #Captioned (past tense) is because #Captions can mean a lot of other things that have nothing to do with text on video.

What You Need to Know About Colors in Captioned Videos

I know people mean well when they use a second color to emphasize words or phrases in a video. This can work in written content. Just not in captions.

The best captions use one color and here’s why. You get so focused on the differently-colored words that you lose the message. I know I do. Everyone reads at a different speed. Let them control their reading speed.

And don’t forget people who are color-blind may not be able to see the different colors. According to the National Institute of Health, about 1 in 12 men are colorblind.

It’s not just red-green color blindness. I learned a friend has problems with pastel colors. Also, some people with dyslexia struggle with certain colors.

The best captions are boring — one color and simple font — because they create an effortless user experience. They let you read fast and catch the action on the screen.

Cover the left video while watching the right. What do you think? Do the colors distract from the message?

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows standard captions and right shows some words in a different color

Karaoke Style: To Highlight or Not to Highlight the Captions in Captioned Videos

Some apps will highlight the word spoken in a different color. It’s like karaoke, which is why I call them karaoke-style captions. This creates friction in the caption experience.

First, it has more movement than pop-in captions, which distracts from the video. It’s harder to get the message or watch the video.

Second, it’s tough to resist following the highlighted text, which also diverts from the action on the screen.

Third, people with color blindness may not see the highlighted text or it’s frustrating.

Everyone reads at a different speed. The best captions let viewers control their reading pace.

Pop-in captions are simple and limit movement. (Just a simple pop-in and pop-out.) That makes them less distracting and gives you more freedom to look at the full video.

Pop-ins allow viewers to read at their own speed. They minimize movement. This lets viewers watch the video without anything pulling away from their focus, which is the action on the screen.

The two videos are not perfectly in sync. The sound comes from the video on the right. Cover the left to see how the captions on the right work.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows standard captions and right shows karaoke-style captions

Scrolling Vs. Pop-in Captions: Who Wins?

Roll-up aka scrolling or moving captions appear on live programs like the news and awards shows. Those can’t be helped. However, I’ve seen some live shows do a great job of keeping the captions and audio in sync. So, it is possible to do it well. Just not lately.

But the problem is that roll-up captions also show up in non-live captioned videos. Most everyone agrees highlighting captions is awful because you can’t help but focus on the highlighted text and lose the message.

But what if it’s scrolling captions without the highlights. Is that better?

No. It still adds friction to the experience. Scrolling has more movement than pop-in captions, which distracts from the video. It’s harder to get the message or watch the video. It also often falls behind the video’s audio. Super frustrating especially with jokes!

Besides, everyone reads at a different speed. The best captioned videos let viewers read at their own pace.

Pop-in captions are simple and limit movement. It gives you time to look at the full video and read at your own speed. And it keeps up with the audio.

The two videos are not perfectly in sync. The sound comes from the video on the right. Cover the left to see how the captions work.

I had to talk a little differently to get the app — which hates my accent — to create the scrolling captions.

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows standard pop-in captions and right shows roll-up captions

Social Media Caption Styles

Most of the captioning styles on Instagram and Facebook mobile aren’t accessible. Only TikTok’s captions are accessible if you use their captions. (It surprised me too!) Some people add open captions. Often, their caption styles aren’t accessible.

Instagram and Facebook mobile offer four different captioning styles. Only one is accessible, but not 100%.

This explains why most of the caption styles are not accessible.

Video demonstrating a popular Instagram and Facebook caption style that’s not accessible.

Quiz: Can You Spot the Problems in the Captioned Video?

Now that you’ve studied and learned about what makes captions good or bad, you’re ready for a pop quiz!

Having flashbacks to grade school when the teacher announced an unplanned quiz?

Don’t sweat it! This is a fun one. Well, maybe a little torturous. That’s only because of the bad captions you’ll see.

Stick with it. The video shows the captions breaking the different rules.

If it makes you cringe as much as it did for me when making the video, pause it. Take a break. It’s not a timed quiz.

Ready for your challenge?

What captioned video problems can you spot on the right?

The right video breaks a lot of captioning rules. How many can you find?

If you want to challenge yourself, cover the video on the left. No peeking!

Side-by-side of the same video. Left shows standard captions and right shows bad caption practices

I created this video ages ago. I cringed while watching the original captions on this video. Since then, I’ve learned so much about creating effective captions.

About this video: We all have assumptions. That’s just human nature.

Like muscle memory, assumptions happen automatically.

A little mindfulness and making assumptions about your own assumptions can help you consider other possibilities for someone’s actions.

Doing this can help you experience fewer frustrating moments and greater understanding.

As a person who is deaf, I’ve run into my share of assumptions. That’s why I welcome questions from people about being deaf.

What caption rules did you see broken? Please post it in the comments!

Congratulations on completing the tour of good and bad captions! Did it change your mind about anything? If so, what?

When you post your captioned videos, please add the #Captioned hashtag to help people find them. See #Captioned in action on LinkedIn.

For more caption tips, see the Guide to Captioned Video.

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