Visual Style

Pure White
Don't Use #FFFFFF

Causes "halos" & eye strain in dark rooms.

Off-White
Use #E5E5E5

Easier on the eyes. Dull grey/white.

Robust Sans-Serif: Use Arial or Helvetica. Thin fonts dissolve against complex backgrounds.

Outline/Shadow: Mandatory 2–3 pixel black outline or drop shadow to ensure readability on bright scenes.

Size & Scaling

42pt
Reference Size (11" Height)
  • Use Relative Sizing Define size as a percentage of screen height (e.g., 4%) rather than fixed pixels. This ensures the text looks the same in 2K and 4K projection.
  • Recommended Target Aim for roughly 3.5% to 5% of active image height. Large enough to read from the back row, small enough to ignore.

Layout

This is a perfectly acceptable line length.
It has roughly 40 characters per line.
Max Lines 2 Lines
Max Length 42 Characters

Exceeding 42 characters forces the viewer's eye to scan horizontally too much, missing on-screen action.

Positioning Warning

CRITICAL
CURTAIN (MASKING)
CURTAIN (MASKING)
MOVIE
✅ Inside Active Picture
❌ In Black Bar

Bottom 10-15%: Standard placement for vertical position.

The Scope-in-Flat Trap

If delivering a Scope film (2.39) inside a Flat container (1.85 letterbox), never place subs in the black bars. Theaters use physical curtains (masking) to cover those bars, which will block your subtitles completely.

Timing & Synchronization

SUB 1
GAP (2-4f)
SUB 2
SHOT CHANGE
Min Duration 1 Sec (24 Frames)
Min Gap 2-4 Frames

Pro Tip: Avoid bridging hard cuts. If a shot changes, the subtitle should ideally change or end to maintain visual rhythm.