# Caption style guide template

> A one-page caption style guide template for video ads: font, colour, position, emphasis and language, with menu paths to save the style in common editors.
- **Author**: Marxx
- **Published**: 2026-11-06
- **Category**: Video editing
- **URL**: https://marxx.ai/library-templates/caption-style-guide-template

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A caption style guide is one page that fixes the font, size, colour, position, line length and emphasis for every ad. Fill in the template below once, and every editor makes captions that match.

## The template

```
CAPTION STYLE GUIDE: [Brand]    Updated: [date]

LOOK
Style: [word by word / phrase / sentence]
Words per caption: [3]
Lines: [max 2]    Characters per line: [max 32]

FONT AND COLOUR
Font: [name]    Size: [__ px on a 1080 x 1920 frame]
Text colour: [#FFFFFF]    Outline or box: [black outline]
Highlight colour: [#FFD400], used on [the word being said / the price]
Case: [Sentence case / UPPERCASE]

POSITION
Keep out of: [top 14%, bottom 35%, sides 6%]
Placement: [centre of the safe box]
Never cover: [the product, the face]

EMPHASIS
Highlight: [prices, numbers, offer words]
Emoji: [yes, max 1 per caption / no]
Sound on key words: [yes / no]

LANGUAGE
Languages: [English / Hindi / Hinglish in Roman script]
Brand words to spell exactly: [list]
Prices and numbers: [INR 549, not Rs 549]
Words to leave out: [competitor names]

DELIVERY
Burned in (open captions): [yes / no]
Caption file (SRT): [yes, if the platform takes one]
```

## Pick a caption look

| Look | What shows | Fits |
|---|---|---|
| Word by word | One word at a time | Fast talk and short hooks |
| Phrase | Two to four words | Most spoken ads |
| Sentence | A full line | Calm voice-over and longer ads |
| Key-word highlight | A colour on the word that matters | Prices, numbers and offers |

## Set it in your editor

Menu names come from each vendor's help pages (checked 3 Nov 2026), including those for Premiere Pro (now called Adobe Premiere).

| Editor | How to save the look |
|---|---|
| Premiere Pro | Select the caption text and set the look in the Properties panel. Select the plus icon on the Track style menu, then Create style. For one word at a time, open Captioning Preferences in the Create captions dialog and set Layout to Single Word. |
| Final Cut Pro | Select the subtitle clips, open the inspector and click Title. Set Animation Style and Animate By. Tick Vertical Social Media Safe for 9:16. |
| Canva | Select a caption, choose Captions in the toolbar and open the Styles tab. Pick a style pack. Under Animate, choose Reveal, Highlight or Snake. |
| Instagram Edits | Tap Captions, set the caption style, then tap Generate captions. |

## A worked example

Say you show 3 words at a time and the speaker says 2.5 words a second.

- Time on screen: 3 / 2.5 = 1.2 seconds per caption.
- At 2 words: 2 / 2.5 = 0.8 seconds per caption.

Pick words per caption by how fast the speaker talks, then play the edit on a phone to check it reads easily.

For position, Meta asks you to keep the bottom 35% of a Reels or Stories ad clear (checked 3 Nov 2026). On a 1080 x 1920 frame, 35% is 672 px. So the captions' bottom edge should sit no lower than 1,248 px from the top. That figure is our arithmetic (1,920 - 672), not Meta's.

## Save it once in Marxx

Marxx's [AI video editor](/features/ai-video-editor) makes captions at word, phrase or sentence level, in styles trending on Reels and Shorts. You can restyle or retime each word and save a client's caption theme. We make Marxx.

Read [how to add captions to video ads](/guides/how-to-add-captions-to-video-ads) for the full steps. To compare apps, see the [best caption apps for Reels](/best/best-caption-apps-for-reels). To burn captions in or send a file, read [open vs closed captions](/compare/open-captions-vs-closed-captions) and use the [SRT file template](/templates/srt-file-template).

## FAQ

### How many words should a caption hold?

Two to four words suits most spoken ads. Match the number to how fast the speaker talks, and test it on a phone.

### Should every brand use the same caption style?

Keep one style per brand, so ads look like they come from one place. Test a second style only when you want to learn something.

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