The best fonts for subtitles and captions for videos in 2024

It's 2024, creators, so without further ado, adding subtitles and captions to your video is not just "nice to have" but a must in order to remain relevant to your target audience, making it more accessible, enjoyable, and inclusive. It doesn't matter if you want to reach a broader audience or just transcend language barriers, adding subtitles and captions is a must-have feature.

Is there an easier way to do it? The most effective way to do this is to use an online video editor like Flixier, which features an auto subtitle generator. However, it's important to consider the creative aspects of subtitling, such as choosing the right fonts, size, weight, style, and placement. Standing out from the crowd with a font that is carefully chosen instills the desire to keep watching, and watching, and watching. You get the idea!

But first, let's dive into details on why we cannot stress enough the importance of adding subtitles to videos, how they boost your video engagement, and what are the best fonts for subtitling in 2024. And we're not going to end there! Whether you're just starting out or have years of experience under your belt, we'll also show you how to add subtitles to videos using just your browser and no complicated downloads or installs. So keep on reading!

What is the impact of subtitles on video performance?

It's 2024, and we're consuming more video content than ever, but often without sound. However, more than 70% of video ads still require sound to be fully understood. That said, if you're investing time, money, and resources into creating and delivering video content, adding subtitles is a key element to spread your message. To keep your audience attention from drifting off, you might consider:

• Subtitles provide a more flexible viewing experience and ensure your message is fully communicated, even without sound.
• Including captions or subtitles makes your video content more accessible for hard-of-hearing or non-native speakers who might struggle to understand what's being said.
• In certain areas, particularly within educational segments, including subtitles or captions in videos is mandatory.
• To remain competitive among other players in the industry, grow your business, and tap into new markets, adding captions can increase your chances of getting new viewers.

How to choose the best subtitle font

Video content is the glue that binds the digital world together in 2024. From stories to vlogs to video ads, the impact of font style on the overall performance of videos is often undervalued. Even though fonts are overlooked, they play a major role in keeping your audience hooked. They can complement the tone of your video and even convey emotions when there's no sound.

Choosing the right fonts for your subtitles or captions can be a daunting task given the multitude of options available. To simplify the process for you, we have put together a list of the top fonts for subtitles and best captions, along with some best practices. Moreover, we will show you how to add subtitles to your video and give you all the tools to do so.

Before we go any further, to avoid hitting a dead end in your search for the perfect subtitle font, there are four key features to consider: readability, legibility, visibility, and suitability. These can make or break a video.
 

What are the best fonts for subtitles in 2024?

1. Arial

Does it look familiar? Well, it's the one you find everywhere. It was designed by Robin Nicholas and Patricia Saunders in 1982. Arial is a versatile and uncomplicated sans-serif font that is used worldwide. It is particularly popular for subtitles due to its readability. However, the Arial font family has more than fifteen distinct variations, making it a go-to for many digital and graphic design projects, such as advertising, digital media, and graphic design. Arial has quickly gained favor among designers due to its legibility, readability, and prominent visibility.

2. Helvetica

This elegant sans-serif font style was designed by Mac Meidinger and Eduard Hoffman in Switzerland in 1957. Featuring clear lines, this font looks great on all backgrounds and is an excellent choice for video subtitling. Having its own documentary, it's undoubtedly one of the most famous and used fonts worldwide in advertising and broadcasting companies. Even renowned brands such as Panasonic, Jeep, Target, and Harley-Davidson use Helvetica. It is easy to read and remains bold even in point sizes below 12.

3. Open Sans

One popular typeface that works wonderfully on screens and at lower sizes is Open Sans. Its clear letterforms and style make it suitable for all video formats. Designed for Google in 2011, it's a popular subtitle choice as it offers a positive user experience. However, its lack of expressiveness means that it may not be suitable for all videos, so ensure that it matches the tone of your video.

4. Verdana

This typeface is widely used due to its condensed style, which makes it easier to read text over videos, even in small sizes and on smaller screens. The balanced design, consistent spacing, and proportion make this modern San Serif font style reliable and easy to read, making it a suitable choice for video captions. Because it does not take up much room, Verdana is an excellent choice for video productions that need a lot of text.

5. Roboto

One of the best fonts for YouTube subtitles due to its mechanical structure and for efficiently displaying on all types of devices. After all, it's Android-specific and so ubiquitous that not only Google and YouTube but even the US government use it. The font is highly legible on mobile screens and has a consistent stroke width that keeps viewers engaged. Edit YouTube videos using Roboto for YouTube Thumbnails and Banners to set you apart from competition.

6. Futura

Futura is a tech-oriented font designed by Paul Renner in 1972. Given its legibility on a variety of backgrounds, it continues to see heavy usage in 2024, particularly in viral social media videos that rely heavily on text. The progressive style makes it ideal for subtitling technology-related videos. By using Flixier's online subtitle editor, you can personalize this font to make it even more distinctive.

7. Tahoma

The Sans-serif font is ideal for digital displays since it allows viewers to focus on the content. It has consistent readability on various screen resolutions. Subtitles in videos are often made using Tahoma because of its formal aesthetic and its ability to render nicely on different video frame sizes.

How do you add engaging subtitles or captions?

In an era of short-form content, people tend to get distracted easily, even with subtitles. So, it's important to have eye-catching and trendy captions (just like the ones Alex Hormozi uses!) that will grab their attention and make them focus on your message. 

You can easily master subtitling with an online video editor like Flixier, which features an AI caption generator, among other valuable editing tools. Easily create, edit, and export subtitles and captions for your videos. The best part? You can add subtitles to your videos automatically and make them look top-notch by choosing from various animated shapes, highlighting keywords, and selecting fonts that match the tone of your content. On top of that, Flixier can translate subtitles into more than 50 different languages. You can access it from most commonly used browsers and edit your videos anywhere. 

You've got the tool, so let's work on those skills! 

Level up your subtitles formating

1. Set the right contrast

High-contrast colors help people read subtitles with ease. To convey readability and increase contrast, apply a background to your subtitles. You can do that with an online subtitles editor, and on top of that, you can make adjustments to the text and timings and change the subtitle's font, size, and weight.

2. Look for aesthetically pleasant fonts

The list above includes the most commonly used fonts on the web, whether it's for online ads or video content. It's a good idea to pick a font that is easy to read, suits your tone and style, and aligns with your brand identity. At the end of the day, it's all about engaging your audience and making them come back for more.

3. Ensure optimal placement

Subtitles are usually placed at the bottom of the screen, but sometimes, they can obscure valuable information. Consider using an online video editor tool such as Flixier, which offers a "safe zones" feature for social media. This feature allows you to showcase your content without covering it up with Like, Subscribe, and Comment buttons and ensures your video will display correctly regardless of the platform or device you use.

4. Align the font style with the tone of your video

Choose a typeface that complements the mood of your video. The simplicity and clean lines of Helvetica make it the ideal font for instructional videos. But if you're going for a more whimsical vibe in your Instagram Reel, Open Sans is the way to go! The viewer will be captivated by its vibrant and entertaining appearance. Try using a few different fonts until you discover the one that suits your project the best.

5. Consistent display across different platforms

It goes without saying that properly formatting your videos before sharing them on various social media platforms is, of course, crucial. Sticking to a consistent style when editing captions makes it easier for your viewers to identify your videos or brand.

What are the most common mistakes when adding captions or subtitles?

• Using text that distracts viewers from the visual content
• Having captions that cut into the frame
• Using fashionable, hard-to-read typefaces
• Lack of uniformity in font usage between platforms
• Using social media platforms' limited features to add and customize subtitles
• Not complying with the caption requirements of the platform where you plan to publish your content

In Closing

Adding subtitles or captions is an important step in the video creation process, holding more power than we give it credit for. 

However, subtitling your video is only half the battle. The other half involves editing and choosing the best fonts for closed captions, which can make the subtitles more understandable, less obtrusive, and perfectly timed. 

Generating subtitles automatically and editing are a breeze using web-based tools like Flixier, which don't require advanced editing skills. This ensures that the translations are exact and the timing is on the spot, resulting in an enjoyable viewing experience for a wider audience. Plus, you can stylize the subtitles' font, color, and size. At this point, you have the option to either save the subtitle file alone or publish the video along with the subtitles.

Hopefully, now you have a better understanding of subtitles, fonts, and how they may enhance your content. This will make it easier for you to stylize engaging captions. Consider using a video editing tool to help you along the process. With an intuitive interface and powerful editing tools, Flixier helps you fine-tune your subtitles to take your video content to the next level. Happy subtitling!