Subtitle outline and shadow
An outline gives every letter its own edge; a shadow lifts the line off the picture. Together they are the cheapest way to keep white captions readable on footage you do not control. Switch the footage below and watch where plain text gives up.
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The same caption, outline and shadow off and on
White text with nothing behind it is fine on the dark interior and disappears into the bright sky. The right-hand caption adds a 6 px black outline and a soft shadow 4 px below, measured on a 1080 × 1920 export.
Outline and shadow settings in the editor
| Setting | Editor range | Start with | Why |
|---|---|---|---|
| Outline thickness | 0–20 px | 4–6 px | Thick enough to show on bright footage at phone size. Past about 10 px the counters of letters like a, e and o start to fill in. |
| Outline colour | Any solid colour | Black | The outline's job is contrast with the text, so pick the colour furthest from the text colour, not one that matches the brand. |
| Shadow blur | 0–40 px | 4–8 px | A little blur reads as depth. A large blur spreads into a haze that does nothing for contrast. |
| Shadow offset across | −30 to 30 px | 0 px | A sideways offset makes the caption look doubled on small screens. Keep it centred unless the style calls for a hard drop shadow. |
| Shadow offset down | −30 to 30 px | 2–4 px | A small downward offset reads as light from above, which is what viewers expect. |
| Shadow colour | Any solid colour | Black | The default caption uses translucent black, which softens the footage instead of blocking it. The colour picker sets a solid colour, so keep the blur gentle if you change it. |
Use it when
The footage changes under the caption
Handheld clips, outdoor shots and cuts between bright and dark scenes need an edge that works on all of them. An outline is that edge.
You want the picture to stay visible
Unlike a box, an outline and shadow cover almost none of the frame, so faces and products behind the caption stay in view.
Text is bold and fairly large
Heavy weights have room for an outline inside each stroke. The [font guide](/guides/best-fonts-for-subtitles) covers which faces hold up.
Skip it when
The font is thin or small
A thick outline on a light weight swallows the letter shapes. Use a heavier weight first, or switch to a [background box](/subtitle-effects/background-box).
The scene is busy with fine detail
Crowds, foliage and text in the background compete with an outline's edge. A box gives the eye a calm area to read in.
The shadow is doing the outline's job
A heavy, offset shadow without an outline smears on bright footage. Add the outline and keep the shadow subtle.
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How the export draws an outline
The renderer draws an outline as four hard copies of the text pushed out to each corner, the same in the preview and the export. At normal widths it reads as a clean stroke; at the top of the range, sharp corners on letters can look slightly stepped, so check the preview at the size you will publish.
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Pixels follow the export, not the text
Outline and shadow are set in pixels of the exported video, while text size is a share of the frame height. The same 4 px outline therefore looks heavier on a landscape export, where the default text is smaller, than on a vertical one. Recheck after changing the text size or the video's shape.
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Outline first, shadow second
If you only add one, add the outline: it guarantees an edge between text and picture. A shadow then adds depth, and a gentle one does not need to be strong to work.
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Check the result, not the setting
Values that look right on a dark test clip can fail on the brightest shot in the video. Scrub through the whole clip in the editor, or test your colours in the subtitle contrast checker.
Questions about this effect
How thick should a subtitle outline be?+
For bold captions on a 1080 × 1920 export, 4 to 6 px is a good start. Go thicker on bright footage, thinner on small or light text, and check the preview at phone size.
Should I use an outline or a shadow?+
An outline, if you pick one. It gives every letter an edge on any background. A shadow alone softens text against the picture but can smear on bright scenes.
Can I turn the outline off completely?+
Yes. Outline and Shadow each have their own On/Off switch in the editor sidebar, so either can be used without the other. Switching the outline back on restores a 4 px width.
Does the outline appear in the SRT or VTT download?+
No. Outline and shadow are drawn into the video when you export an MP4. Subtitle files carry text and timing; the player decides how they look.