Selecting a Closed Captioning Font: How it can Improve Your Content

Looking for ways to make your video content truly shine?

In today’s digital landscape, an unprecedented amount of content is readily available to audiences worldwide. This abundance of content is fantastic for viewers, but it poses a challenge for video creators striving to differentiate themselves from the competition. To make an impact, every aspect of the production process, from filming to editing to presentation, must be impeccable—including closed captioning and subtitles.

Selecting the right closed captioning font is now more crucial than ever for video producers in the social media era. Not only does it give your content a competitive edge, but it also helps expand your viewer base.

So, “what font is used for closed captions or subtitles?” Keep reading to find out and learn how to captivate and grow your audience. 

The Importance of Closed Captioning

Closed captioning is critical to making your video content stand out and reach a broader audience. Accomplishing this goal offers numerous benefits, including:

Improving SEO

One of the primary reasons to add closed captioning to your videos is to enhance search engine optimization (SEO). Captions provide a text-based version of the video’s audio, making it easier for search engines to index and understand the content. As a result, videos with captions are more likely to rank higher in search results, leading to increased visibility and engagement.

Broadening Accessibility

Closed captioning also plays a vital role in making your video content accessible to a broader audience. By including captions, you cater to various needs and situations, such as:

• Language barriers: Captions can be provided in multiple languages, allowing viewers who speak different languages to understand and enjoy your content.
• Hearing disabilities: People with hearing impairments can access your content more efficiently, as closed captions visually represent the audio.
• No-sound environments: Many viewers watch videos in settings where they can’t use sound, such as public transport or noisy public places. Closed captions enable these viewers to consume your content without relying on audio.

By addressing these diverse needs, closed captioning ensures that a larger audience can enjoy your videos, regardless of their language, hearing abilities, or viewing environment.

However, manually adding subtitles and captions to each of your videos can be a time-consuming and labor-intensive process. Thankfully, tools like Sonix make creating closed captions easy and efficient, allowing you to focus on creating compelling content that resonates with your audience.

How To Pick The Best Closed Captioning Font

While there are many reasons to include subtitles, choosing which closed captioning font will enhance your video content can be an obstacle. Before we dive into specific fonts, keep these core principles in mind:

Readability 

When it comes to closed captioning, readability is key. You want your viewers to easily read and understand the captions without straining their eyes. To ensure readability, consider the following factors:

• Size: The closed caption font size should be large enough to read comfortably but not so big that it takes up too much space on the screen.
• Color: Choose a font color that contrasts nicely with the background of the video. This will make the captions stand out and be easier to read.
• Font: Stick to simple, sans-serif fonts that are easy to read. Avoid decorative or script fonts that can be hard to read, especially at smaller sizes.
• Placement: The captions should be placed in a position that doesn’t obstruct important visual information in the video.

Consider Outlines or Letterboxing

Outlines and letterboxing are two techniques that can make closed captions more readable. Outlines add a border around the text, making it stand out against the background. Letterboxing adds black bars above and below the text, creating a clear space for the captions to be displayed. These techniques can be beneficial when the video has a busy or complex background.

Match the Video

The font and captioning style you choose should complement the video rather than distract from it. Consider the tone and style of the video when selecting a font. For example, a simple, straightforward font may be most appropriate if the video is a serious news piece. A more playful font may fit if the video is a fun, lighthearted vlog. 

Additionally, ensure the font and captioning style are consistent throughout the video to avoid any jarring changes that could distract the viewer. By choosing a font that matches the tone and style of the video, you can enhance the viewer’s experience and make the closed captions a seamless part of the overall video content.

In addition to readability and matching the video, it’s important to consider accessibility guidelines when choosing a closed captioning font. The Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) provides guidelines for captioning font size, style, and color contrast to ensure that individuals with visual or hearing impairments can access the content. For example, captions should have a minimum font size of 18 points and a high enough color contrast ratio between the text and background. By following these guidelines, you can ensure that your closed captions are accessible to all viewers.

Best Fonts for Closed Captions

Adding closed captions to videos is becoming increasingly widespread to communicate additional information and offer relevant translations. Subtitles serve not just to improve your material but also to make it more understandable and accessible to a broader audience.

Yet, it might be challenging to find the best font for your captions and subtitles, both in terms of branding and accessibility, because so many stylistic possibilities are available.

Fortunately, we’ve compiled a list of closed captions font styles to help you find the perfect match for your next project.

Helvetica

Choosing the right closed captioning font is essential to ensure your video content is accessible and easy to understand for all viewers. Helvetica is a widely recognized, easy-to-read, and the most frequently used closed caption font used for subtitles. Its simplicity and clarity make it a good choice for informational or educational videos. However, some viewers may see it as too generic or overused.

Izmir

Izmir is a modern and sleek font that is an excellent option for closed captioning in video content. Its contemporary design features thin lines and rounded edges, giving it a clean and sophisticated look. The font’s legibility is also relatively high, making it a suitable choice for video content where the captioning needs to be easily understood. 

Izmir is particularly well-suited to technology-related videos, such as product demos or software tutorials, where viewers expect modern design and aesthetics. It’s also a good choice for fashion or beauty-related content, where the font’s sleek design can complement the video’s visual style. 

Arial

Simple and clean, Arial is one of the best editing closed caption fonts. It is a popular choice for video content because of its readability and straightforward design. However, some viewers may perceive it as too basic or unoriginal.

Times New Roman

If you’re looking for a classic font familiar to many viewers, Times New Roman is a good option. This vintage subtitle closed caption font is often associated with print media and is popular for academic or professional content. However, it may be less readable at smaller sizes, making it less suitable for mobile devices or smaller screens.

Gilmer

Gilmer is a unique, stylish font that can add visual interest to captions. It is a good choice for creative or artistic video content where you want the captions to add to the overall aesthetic. However, it may not be as universally recognizable or readable as more traditional fonts.

Tiresias

Tiresias is widely regarded as the best TV closed caption font. It’s specifically designed to be highly legible for all viewers, including those with visual impairments or other accessibility needs. Its clean and straightforward design is excellent for any screen, and its high contrast levels ensure that the text stands out clearly. This font is an excellent choice for closed captioning in video content, as it ensures that all viewers can easily follow along with the audio. 

Tiresias seems tailor-made for educational videos, where it’s important that viewers can understand the content being presented. It’s also a good choice for marketing videos, where the goal is to communicate a clear message to the viewer. 

STIXGeneral

When it comes to closed captioning fonts for video content, there are several options to choose from that can improve readability and accessibility. One suitable font is STIXGeneral, a serif font that offers a sophisticated look and is widely available. 

STIXGeneral is a good choice for educational or professional videos with a more serious tone. The font is especially suitable for visually impaired viewers. 

Verdana

Verdana is often considered the best space-saving closed caption font. It’s a good choice for videos with a lot of text, as it offers excellent legibility and readability. This font is also a great option for videos intended for younger audiences, as it has a friendly and approachable appearance. 

Roboto

Roboto is another popular sans-serif font widely used for closed captioning. It offers clean lines and a modern appearance, making it a good choice for videos with a contemporary feel. Roboto is also a versatile font that can be used for various video types and audiences. It is a popular choice for videos intended for mobile devices, as it has been optimized for small screens. 

Futura

Futura is a classic font often used for closed captioning in videos. This font has a timeless look and is both simple and elegant. Futura is a good choice for videos that aim to convey a sense of sophistication or elegance. It is also a good option for videos intended for older audiences, as it is a well-known and respected font.

Tahoma

Tahoma is a popular sans-serif font widely used in digital media, making it a reliable choice for closed captioning in video content. Its clean and simple design ensures that the text is easily readable on any screen, and its high contrast levels make it stand out clearly. 

Tahoma is an excellent option for various video types, including educational, marketing, and entertainment videos. It is perfect for videos with a professional or business-oriented tone, as it has a clean and polished appearance that can lend credibility to the content. It’s also a good choice for videos with a lot of text, such as instructional or tutorial videos, where the font’s clarity is essential. 

Greycliff

Greycliff is a modern font that is pleasing to the eye, making it an excellent choice for closed captioning in video content. Its contemporary design features a unique blend of sans-serif and serif styles, giving it a distinctive and stylish appearance.  

Greycliff is great for videos with a creative or artistic tone, as it can complement the video’s visual style and enhance its overall feel. It’s also an excellent option for videos with a lot of text or data, such as research or news-related videos, as the font’s clean and simple design ensures the text is easily readable. 

Whether creating educational content or marketing videos, Greycliff is a versatile and visually appealing font that can help elevate your video content to the next level.

Jeko

Jeko is a font that embodies simplicity and minimalism, making it an ideal choice for those seeking a clean, uncluttered look in their closed captioning font. Its straightforward design features clean lines and simple shapes, giving it a modern and sleek appearance. 

The font’s legibility is also relatively high, making it a suitable choice for video content where clarity is essential. Jeko is fantastic for videos with a minimalist and understated tone, such as those that feature a lot of white space or muted colors. 

It’s also an excellent option for videos focusing on sustainability or eco-friendliness, as the font’s minimalist aesthetic can reflect these values. Whether you’re creating instructional videos or artistic content, Jeko is a font that can add a touch of elegance and simplicity to your closed captioning, ensuring that your message is communicated clearly and effectively to your audience.

Elevate Your Videos with Sonix

Choosing the right closed captioning font for your video is crucial for ensuring your message is communicated clearly and effectively to your audience. 

As you create your video content, consider the message you want to share and choose a font that compliments that message. Whether you’re looking for a highly legible, visually appealing, or modern and sleek font, many options can meet your needs. From the reliable Tahoma to the contemporary and stylish Izmir, there is a font for every video style and tone.

At Sonix, we offer a cutting-edge AI tool that can help you generate closed captioning for all your videos quickly and easily. With our advanced technology and audio transcription service, you can ensure that your video content is accessible to all viewers, including those with hearing impairments or other accessibility needs. 

Contact us today to learn how our AI tool can help you create high-quality closed captioning for all your video content.