Get 100 free creditsSubtitle Style Editor
Default white captions disappear against bright frames and clutter dark ones. The Recapo subtitle style editor gives you control over everything that determines whether subtitles read well: font and size, fill and outline colors, background, and where on the frame the text sits — all previewed on your actual footage.
It's ASS-level styling without hand-editing tags in a text file. Start from a preset built for short-form or commentary video, adjust what you need, and the style applies when you burn the subtitles into the export.
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Every property that affects readability
Subtitle legibility is the sum of small decisions. The editor exposes each one directly instead of hiding them behind a single 'theme' switch:
Preview on your real footage, not a mockup
A style that looks clean on a gray test card can fail on your actual video — white text over a sky, thin strokes over motion. The live preview renders your style on real frames, so you can scrub to the brightest and busiest moments and confirm the text holds up before committing to a render. When the lower third carries on-screen graphics or hardcoded text, move the subtitles to the top and check again.
How to use the Recapo subtitle style editor
Three steps, fully in the cloud — nothing to install.
Step 1: Open a captioned video
Import a video and generate captions, or continue from a subtitle track you've already edited in Recapo.
Step 2: Tune the look
Pick a preset, then adjust font, size, fill and outline colors, background, and screen position with a live preview.
Step 3: Export with the style applied
Burn the styled subtitles into the video for publishing, or keep the track for translation and later renders.
Frequently asked questions about the subtitle style editor
Are my styles saved into the SRT file?
No — SRT is a plain-text format that carries no styling. Your style is applied when subtitles are burned into the video. Export SRT alongside the render if you also need a plain subtitle file.
Can I move subtitles to the top of the frame?
Yes. Repositioning is built in, and it's the standard fix when the bottom of the frame is occupied by on-screen text, graphics, or another language's hardcoded subtitles.
What style settings work best for phone screens?
Larger sizes, a strong outline, and short lines. Start from the short-form preset, then check the preview at the busiest moment of your clip — if it reads there, it reads everywhere.
Does the Subtitle Style Editor change the wording or timing of my captions?
No. It only changes how captions look — font, size, color, outline, background, and position. The text content and timecodes stay exactly as they came in, so you can restyle without re-checking the transcript.
What styling options can I adjust?
You can set font size and color, add an outline or shadow for contrast, place a solid or semi-transparent background box behind the lines, adjust line spacing, and move the captions higher or lower in the frame. These controls are aimed at keeping captions legible on small phone screens.
Can I use this on captions I generated elsewhere in Recapo?
Yes. It's built to take a caption track or subtitle file from your workflow — such as one produced by the caption generator — and restyle it before you burn it in or export. It's part of the Recapo pipeline rather than a standalone transcriber.
Ready to try Subtitle Style Editor?
Style video subtitles online: font, size, color, outline, background, and position with live preview on your actual footage — then burn the styled captions in.
Use it free