Glossary · Updated
What is burned-in captions?
Short answer
Burned-in captions, also called open captions, are drawn into the video image so every viewer sees them and cannot turn them off. Closed captions are a separate text track that viewers can switch on or off. Burned-in suits short social video, while closed captions suit long or accessibility-critical content.
How is burned-in captions used in editing?
SkilledCut's skills render captions into the video, which keeps the style consistent on every platform.
What mistakes do people make?
- Typos that cannot be fixed without a re-render
- Placing them under platform overlays
- Using only burned-in captions for accessibility
Which skills burn captions in?
Explainer and Bold render word-by-word captions into the picture.
Frequently asked questions
Are burned-in captions accessible?
Partly, since screen readers cannot read them.
What are open captions?
Another name for burned-in captions.
Can I switch them off?
No. Burned-in captions are part of the picture, so viewers cannot switch them off the way they can with closed captions.
Should I also add a subtitle file?
For long videos, yes.
Skills mentioned on this page
Explainer
Turns a talking clip into a clear lesson with gold word-by-word captions and points on screen.
Bold
A 10-second reel where giant words slam in behind you and captions pop word by word.
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Keep reading
Glossary
What is closed captions?
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