Captions for Reels: Styles That Keep People Watching
Captions for reels work best when they show two to four words at a time, highlight the word being spoken, sit in the lower middle of the frame away from the app’s buttons, and use a heavy font with an outline so they read over any footage. Most people watch with the sound off, so the captions carry the story; their job is to be read in one glance.
Why do captions matter so much on short video?
Short video is watched on a phone, often muted, while scrolling. A viewer decides in a second or two whether to stay. Captions make the first line land without sound and keep the eye moving with the speech.
Which caption style should I pick?
Cut Express has six presets your AI can start from and change in any detail:
| Preset | Looks like | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Pop | Heavy white words, the spoken word in yellow and slightly bigger | Talking heads, energetic reels |
| Karaoke | The line fills in as it’s spoken | Music, storytelling |
| Boxed | Each line on a solid plate | Busy or bright footage |
| Bold | Large uppercase, few words at a time | Hooks and punchlines |
| Clean | Plain sentence case with an outline | Tutorials, calm voice-overs |
| Minimal | Small and quiet | Cinematic edits where captions shouldn’t compete |
The features section shows where captions fit with the rest of the edit.
How many words per line?
Two to four for reels, one or two lines at most. Fewer words means bigger type and faster reading. For a slower voice-over, four to six words in one line reads naturally.
Where should captions sit?
In the lower middle, around 70 to 80 percent down the frame, above the area where the platform shows the caption and buttons. For a talking head, keep them below the chin. Ask: “captions at 72% height, never over the face.”
Which font, size and colors?
A heavy sans serif (black or extra-bold weight), 56 to 72 px on a 1080-wide frame, white with a black outline, and one highlight color for the spoken word. Yellow reads on almost anything; brand colors work if they are bright enough.
How do captions follow the speech?
Claude asks Cut Express for a transcript of the clip with word timings, or uses the timings that come with a generated voice-over, and Cut Express maps every word onto the edited timeline, through cuts and speed changes. You never type a timestamp. The how-to guide shows the whole workflow.
What prompt gets good captions?
“Word-by-word captions in the pop style, three words per line, uppercase, yellow highlight, at 72% height.” Then give notes: “bigger”, “no highlight”, “move them up”. Each note renders a new version.
FAQ
Do captions cost credits? No. The transcript spends a few credits once per clip; captions themselves are free. See pricing.
Can I write the captions myself? Yes. Give Claude the lines and it places them where you say.
Which languages? Transcripts detect the language, and captions use any font that has its letters. More answers in the FAQ.
Caption your next reel with Cut Express
Cut Express is the video editor you drive from Claude, captions included. Connect it or see the plans. More guides on the blog and the home page.