Video text overlay refers to placing text over the main video frame. To help you easily accomplish this, this post provides three professional and easy-to-use video editors: MiniTool MovieMaker (best video editing software), Microsoft Clipchamp, and CapCut.

In this internet era, video has taken on a pivotal role in the media industry. Numerous internet celebrities are exploring various methods to make their videos more distinctive and entertaining, thereby capturing viewers’ attention and going viral.

To create a professional and attractive video, video text overlay is indispensable. In this article, I’ll introduce what video text overlay is, why people should overlay text on videos, and how to perform video text overlay with 3 perfect tools.

What Is Video Text Overlay

Video text overlay means adding a text layer over a video, usually on top, enabling viewers to see the displayed text on the screen while watching the video. It is used to provide viewers with additional information, emphasis, context, or any other necessary details.

In addition, text overlay on video can be customized with multiple colors, sizes, fonts, and even animations to match the video style, which typically enhances video engagements and views.

What’s the difference between video subtitles and video text overlay? Subtitles are mainly used to translate dialogue word-for-word for viewers who do not understand the language, but text overlays typically focus only on key information—similar to using bold text to highlight important phrases in a blog post.

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Why Overlay Text on Videos

Text overlay is a key component of social video, which is becoming increasingly popular on social media platforms. Generally speaking, video text overlay offers an immersive and pleasant watching experience. Here’s the breakdown:

  • Enhance Understanding: As mentioned above, video text overlays are typically used to display background information or key points, which helps audiences understand the video content better.
  • Boost Engagements: Video text overlays clearly convey brand messages and effectively capture audience attention. By enhancing the depth and dimensionality of video content through visual effects, text overlays sustain viewer interest, thereby increasing interactive engagement.
  • Increase Accessibility: When the sound is turned off, key information and messages can still be clearly transmitted to viewers.
  • Brand Promotion: Brand names, logos, etc., can be shown using text overlays to improve brand recognition.

Tips on Overlaying Text on a Video

Performing video text overlay doesn’t mean simply piling large chunks of text on top of it. To better guide viewers in understanding your work, convey information, and enhance comprehension, here are some tips I want to share:

  • Use eye-catching text: Use bold, uppercase text in vibrant colors, or opt for text bubbles or artistic lettering.
  • Keep the word count concise: Too much text can easily cause audiences to lose interest. Keep the word count as low as possible to highlight the key points.
  • The text remains visible long enough: Allow the audience sufficient time to read the text without rushing, clearly conveying the intended message.
  • Consistent text style: Keep the text style roughly consistent and in line with the theme of the video.

How to Overlay Text on a Video

How do you overlay text on a video? In the content below, I’d like to recommend three outstanding and robust video editors that I’ve used many times. They are excellent at overlaying text on a video. Read on for more.

Method 1. Use MiniTool MovieMaker

MiniTool MovieMaker is a powerful and free video editor that allows you to overlay text on videos effortlessly. For beginners, this application is a perfect choice, as it features an intuitive layout that enables you to navigate without difficulty.

MiniTool MovieMaker supports adding text to a video and adjusting font, size, alignment, color, bold, etc. In addition, its text resource library offers three types of templates: caption, credits, and title. With them, you can create a video text overlay easily.

More than that, MiniTool MovieMaker comes with basic and advanced editing functions. For basic editing, it can trim, crop, split, reverse, and rotate videos. As for advanced editing, this application supports multi-track editing, photo collage, high-resolution editing, and more.

Now, you can follow the step-by-step instructions below to perform video text overlay using MiniTool MovieMaker.

1. Download and Install the Video Text Overlay Software

Click the download button below to download MiniTool MovieMaker and then follow the setup instructions to install it on the PC.

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

2. Import the Target Video

Launch MiniTool MovieMaker and click New Project to enter the editing page. Click the Import Media Files option to add the video you want to add text overlay to.

Click the Import Media Files option to add the target video to MiniTool MovieMaker

3. Edit the Video (Optional)

Drag the added video to the timeline.

Trim the video: Click on the video on the timeline, move the mouse cursor to one of the two edges of the video track until you see the Trim icon; drag and move it inwards to remove the unwanted part.

Split the video: Drag the red playhead to where you want to split and click the Scissors icon to cut the video into two segments. Delete the unwanted part if needed.

Trim or split the video in MiniTool MovieMaker

4. Overlay Text on the Video

Move the red playhead to where you wish the text to start. Then, go to the Text section in the media library, select and download the desired caption template, and add it to the timeline by clicking the + icon (for example, Trending, Caption 1).

Choose the preferred text style and add it to the video in MiniTool MovieMaker

5. Edit the Text Overlay

In the right Text Property section, input the target text in the Text Editor box. According to your needs, adjust the font, size, color, etc. Also, you can drag the text layer in the Player window to set the caption’s position and drag the start/end of the text track on the timeline to adjust the caption’s duration.

Specify the text in MiniTool MovieMaker

Furthermore, add audio, transitions, effects, filters, elements, and motions to the video based on your needs.

6. Export the Video.

Click the Export icon at the top right to access the Export window. Then, rename the output video file, choose an output folder, and set the output format, resolution, and frame rate. Then, click the Export button to save the video to the local folder.

Configure the output settings and click on the Export button in MiniTool MovieMaker to save the video

7. Locate the Video

When the video exporting process completes, click the Find Target button to locate the video in the local folder.

Click the Find Target button in MiniTool MovieMaker to locate the video with text overlay

So easy! MiniTool MovieMaker can also serve as a media player, video converter, audio remover, and video bitrate compressor. Click the download button below to explore more!

MiniTool MovieMakerClick to Download100%Clean & Safe

Method 2. Use Microsoft Clipchamp

Microsoft Clipchamp is a professional video editor. It provides multiple text styles, allowing you to add them to your video for free. Plus, Clipchamp supports configuring text font, size, color, letter spacing, and more.

Moreover, Clipchamp can split, crop, reverse, rotate, and trim videos, as well as provide a bunch of video templates, transitions, stickers, music, annotations, etc., creating more possibilities for videos. It supports high-resolution outputs, like 1080P and 4K, delighting me every time I obtain a crystal-clear video. To overlay text on a video, you can follow the guides below.

1. Make Sure Microsoft Clipchamp Is Installed

Check if your computer has Microsoft Clipchamp installed. If not, go to the Microsoft Store to download and install it.

2. Import the Target Video

Launch Clipchamp and click on Create a new video to enter the editing interface. Click the Import media option to add the video you want to add text overlay to.

Click Import media to add the target video to Clipchamp

3. Add Text Overlay to the Video

Drag the imported video to the timeline. Click the Text tab in the left menu, move the mouse cursor on the desired text style until the + icon appears; click the icon to add the text to the video.

Choose and add the desired text style from the Text section to the video in Clipchamp

4. Edit the Text Overlay

Double-click the text layer in the preview window to rewrite the text. Click the Text option in the right menu. There, you can change the text font, colors, etc.

Adjust the text font, colors, etc., in Clipchamp

5. Export the Video

Click the Export icon at the top right and choose an output resolution (1080p is recommended here). After that, click the Save to your computer option.

Choose an output resolution in Clipchamp and export the video

That’s it! Microsoft Clipchamp enables you to overlay text on a video with no effort.

Method 3. Use CapCut

CapCut is a well-known video editing program that offers a range of editing functions. It enables you to overlay text on videos. With CapCut’s rich resource library, you can choose from various text effects and text templates. Additionally, this free download video editor offers AI-powered tools, enabling you to process videos, images, and audio with ease.

More than that, CapCut is capable of removing the background from a video, generating portraits, upscaling images and videos, etc. Its resource library includes a variety of transitions, stickers, music, effects, filters, etc. You can add them to your videos according to your needs.

Now, you can follow the detailed tutorials below to overlay text on videos:

1. Download and Install CapCut

Visit CapCut’s official website to download this program and install it on your computer.

2. Import Video to CapCut

Launch CapCut and click the Create project to enter the editing page. Then, click the Drag and drop videos, photos, and audio files here area to add the video you want to overlay text.

Click the Drag and drop videos, photos, and audio files here area to add the target video to CapCut

3. Overlay Text on the Video

Drag and drop the added video to the timeline. Then, click the Text option on the top menu. You can add text in a default style. Or, you can choose a text style from the Text effects or Text template section. Next, pick the preferred style, download it, and then add it to the video by clicking the + icon.

Overlay text on the video in CapCut

4. Edit the Text

Click the text layer on the timeline. Then, in the top right section, input into the text box, adjust the font, font size, pattern, color, etc., based on your needs.

Specify the text in CapCut

5. Export the Video

Click the Export button at the top right to access the Export window. There, you can rename the output video, choose an output destination, configure the resolution, bitrate, codec, format, and frame rate. After that, click the Export button to save the video.

Configure the settings for the video and export it in CapCut

With CapCut, you can overlay text on videos quickly and easily!

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In Summary

Overlaying text on videos makes your video more interesting and eye-catching. This post explains what video text overlay is and the benefits of video text overlay. Then, to help you perform video text overlay on Windows PCs, I recommend three powerful and user-friendly video editors: MiniTool MovieMaker, Microsoft ClipChamp, and CapCut.

By following the step-by-step instructions above, overlaying text on a video is a breeze. Feel free to choose the one you prefer. I hope this article can do you a big favor!

You can contact us via [email protected] if you have any questions about using MiniTool MovieMaker. Or, you can send me messages directly on Twitter, and I’ll help you as soon as I can.

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