The Ultimate Guide to Adding Text in DaVinci Resolve

As a video editor, adding text to your projects is a skill you‘ll use constantly. Whether you‘re creating titles, captions, lower thirds, or stylistic elements, text helps you communicate information and enhance your storytelling. In fact, a study by Verizon Media and Publicis Media found that 69% of people view video with the sound off in public places, making captions and text overlays more important than ever.

Thankfully, DaVinci Resolve makes it very easy to add text right in the program. With a wide selection of title presets and intuitive customization tools, you can quickly create professional-looking text elements that elevate your videos.

In this expert guide, we‘ll show you two methods for adding text in DaVinci Resolve:

1. Using the Edit page for maximum control and customization
2. Using the Cut page for speed and efficiency

By the end, you‘ll know exactly how to add high-quality text to your projects, no matter your workflow. Let‘s get started!

Why Mastering Text Is a Must-Have Skill

First, let‘s look at some compelling reasons to level up your text game:

• Accessibility: Captions make your videos watchable for the 466 million people worldwide with hearing loss. They also help viewers understand speakers with accents or videos with poor audio quality.

• Engagement: Text can reinforce your message and make videos more memorable. One study found that 80% of people are more likely to watch an entire video when captions are available.

• Professionalism: Thoughtfully designed text adds polish and credibility to your videos. Consistent, stylish titles and lower thirds make your content look high-end.

• Storytelling: Text can convey information not obvious from the visuals alone, provide helpful context, or even add humor and personality to your videos.

• Flexibility: Being able to create your own titles and captions within DaVinci Resolve saves you from having to outsource the work or use separate graphics programs.

Adding text is clearly an essential part of video post-production. A 2022 survey of video editors found that 78% need to create titles or captions for almost every project they work on.

Whether you‘re editing YouTube videos, social media content, documentaries, commercials, or films, mastering the art of text will serve you well. Luckily, DaVinci Resolve offers everything you need to add text quickly and professionally.

Method 1: Customizing Titles on the Edit Page

The Edit page is the core editing workspace in DaVinci Resolve. It‘s where you construct your edit, layer footage, and graphics, and fine-tune your sound, colors, and effects.

For adding text and titles, the Edit page gives you the most precise control and creative flexibility. With a library of pre-built templates, plus detailed customization options, you can design titles to perfectly match your video‘s style.

Here‘s a step-by-step walkthrough of adding text on the Edit page:

Step 1: Open your project in DaVinci Resolve and click the Edit button at the bottom of the screen to enter the Edit page.

Step 2: In the top left corner, locate the Effects Library. It features 8 categories of video and audio effects you can add to your edit.

Step 3: Click on the Toolbox category, then select the Titles group. This will display a variety of professionally designed title and text templates you can choose from.

Step 4: Browse the presets to find a style that suits your project. For a simple text overlay, you can use the basic "Text" preset. For a lower third, try a preset like "Bottom thirds line single."

Step 5: To add a title to your video, simply drag and drop it from the Effects Library onto your timeline, positioned above the video clip where you want the text to appear.

Pro Tip: If you want to use the same title preset multiple times in your edit, you can drag it into the Effects area above your timeline for quick access later.

Step 6: Double click the title clip on your timeline to select it and open the text for editing in the viewer.

Step 7: Click on the text in the viewer window and type to customize the words. You can also drag the text box to reposition it or drag the corners to resize it.

Step 8: To access more detailed text customization options, make sure your title clip is selected on the timeline, then click the Inspector button in the top right corner.

Step 9: In the Inspector panel on the right, you‘ll see a Title tab where you can fine-tune every aspect of your text‘s appearance:

• Under the Text section, you can edit the content, font, size, and spacing of your text
• In the Appearance section, you can change the fill and outline colors to make your text pop against your video footage
• With the Shadow and Background options, you can add extra visual dimension to your titles
• The Layout tools let you set precise size, position, and rotation values

Spend some time experimenting with the different settings to create a unique look for your titles. The Inspector puts an impressive amount of control at your fingertips.

Step 10: Finally, you can change how long your text appears on screen by dragging the edges of the title clip in your timeline. Aim for a duration that allows the text to be read comfortably – usually around 3 to 5 seconds.

And that‘s the process of adding and customizing titles on the Edit page! It‘s ideal for when you want to fully style your text or build titles from the ground up to match your creative vision.

While the Edit page is perfect for fine-tuning, sometimes you need to work fast. That‘s where the Cut page comes in handy.

Method 2: Adding Text in a Flash on the Cut Page

Introduced in DaVinci Resolve 16, the Cut page is built for speed. It‘s an optimized interface designed to help you assemble edits as quickly as possible, with fewer clicks and keystrokes.

One of its most convenient features is the Quick Titles tool, which allows you to add text to your edit with just a few clicks. It may not have quite as many customization options as the Edit page, but it‘s lightning fast and perfect for punching in titles or captions on the fly.

Here‘s how to add text using the Cut page:

Step 1: Switch to the Cut page by clicking the Cut button at the bottom of the DaVinci Resolve window.

Step 2: On the left side of the screen, locate the Titles tray. It contains a small selection of common title presets you can add to your video.

Step 3: Click and drag the "Text" preset from the Titles tray onto your timeline, placing it above the clip where you want the text to appear. You‘ll see the text box pop up in the viewer.

Step 4: Click on the text box in the viewer and type to change the words to your desired title or caption.

Step 5: You can reposition the text by dragging the text box around the frame. To resize it, drag any of the red handles on the corners or edges of the box.

Step 6: If you want to customize the font, color, or style of your text, make sure the title clip is selected on your timeline and click the Inspector button on the right side of the screen.

Step 7: In the Inspector panel, you can change the appearance of your text using the options in the Text and Appearance sections. The controls are more simplified than the Edit page Inspector but still give you flexibility over the look of your titles.

Step 8: Drag the ends of the title clip on your timeline to change its duration. Make sure it‘s long enough to read but doesn‘t linger on screen too long.

The simplicity and speed of the Cut page make it a go-to for editors who need to crank out content quickly. A 2021 survey by Postlab found that short-form video editors, who often deal with tight turnarounds, use the Cut page 35% more often than long-form editors.

While the Cut page is stellar for fast text, the Edit page is still the most powerful option for detailed title design. The best approach is to use a combination of both methods depending on your project needs.

Tips for Keeping Your Text On-Point

Now that you know the mechanics of adding text in DaVinci Resolve, let‘s dive into some expert tips for making your titles look sleek and professional:

1. Prioritize legibility. Make sure your font is crisp and sized large enough to read easily. A good rule of thumb is to keep titles around 20-70 pixels tall.

2. Check your contrast. Light text on a dark background or vice versa is usually a safe bet for keeping your words visible. Use the Video Preview option in the Inspector to see how your text looks against your footage.

3. Stick to simple fonts. Overly elaborate or decorative typefaces can be hard to read, especially at smaller sizes. When in doubt, tried-and-true fonts like Arial, Helvetica, or Open Sans are great options.

4. Avoid overloading the screen. Too much text at once can overwhelm viewers and detract from your visuals. Aim for short, punchy titles or break longer text into multiple screens.

5. Give text room to breathe. Resist the urge to cram your titles into the corners. Keeping some negative space around your text makes it easier to read and helps it stand out.

6. Match your style to your content. Choose fonts, colors, and text animations that fit the tone of your video. For example, a serious documentary warrants more restrained text treatment than a fast-paced YouTuber vlog.

7. Stay on-brand. Develop a consistent text style using brand fonts and colors to give your videos a recognizable look. You can save custom titles as presets in the Effects Library for quick reuse.

By combining thoughtful design with efficient techniques, your text should both look great and communicate effectively to your audience.

Troubleshooting Text Issues

Adding text in DaVinci Resolve is usually straightforward, but you may occasionally run into issues. Here are some common text troubles and how to solve them:

• Problem: My text is fuzzy or pixelated

• Solution: Make sure your project is set to a high enough resolution in Project Settings. Also, try increasing the size and font weight in the Inspector.

• Problem: My title preset looks different in the viewer than the Effects Library thumbnail

• Solution: Some presets are designed with placeholder text. Double-click the title clip to edit and replace the default text.

• Problem: I can‘t find the Titles group in the Effects Library

• Solution: Make sure you have the Effects tab selected, not the Cut or Audio tabs. If you still don‘t see Titles, click the Toolbox dropdown and select Titles from the list.

• Problem: The text doesn‘t show up against my footage

• Solution: Adjust the color, outline, and shadow of your text to create more contrast with your video. You can also try adding a semi-transparent background shape behind your text.

If you get stuck, DaVinci Resolve‘s official training website offers a wealth of free tutorials and resources to help you master the software.

Conclusion

Text is a critical tool in any video editor‘s arsenal. With DaVinci Resolve‘s Edit and Cut pages, adding polished, professional titles is faster and easier than ever.

To become a text aficionado, keep practicing and don‘t be afraid to experiment. Try out different templates, customize your heart out in the Inspector, and continually refine your designs. Over time, your titles and captions will become a seamless part of your editing style.

We covered a lot of ground in this guide, but there‘s still much more to explore when it comes to text in DaVinci Resolve. Animated titles, 3D text, and even the Fusion page‘s advanced text tools are all worth diving into as you level up your skills.

No matter your project, thoughtful use of on-screen text will help you inform, entertain, and engage your viewers on a whole new level. So get in there and start designing – your next masterpiece awaits!