Unleashing VSDC: Text Objects & Effects Mastery for Your Videos

Most times when you edit a video, you need to add a piece of Text to the scene. VSDC offers a built-in text editor, a tool to add subtitles from an external text file, and a tool to create tooltips. The latter can be useful if you’re working on a video tutorial and need explanation elements for the viewers.

Applying the Text

The Text tool is conveniently located in two places - the left-hand side menu near the preview scene and next to the Editor tab. For the first option, select the “T” icon from the left-side menu and choose Text. For the second option, click at the Add Object menu located at the top, next to the Editor tab and again select “Text”. Another option is to use a hotkey combination Shift+T. You'll find the Text tool available in two convenient spots: on the left-hand side menu near the preview scene and right next to the Editor tab. To access the first option, simply click on the "T" icon in the left-side menu and choose "Text." For the second option, navigate to the Add Object menu situated at the top, beside the Editor tab, and once more select "Text." Alternatively, you can use the shortcut key combination Shift+T for quick access.
Once you select an object, a pop-up window will appear where you can specify when the Text should appear and disappear in the video. If you're happy with the default settings, click Ok, or make changes and then accept them.
As soon as the pop-up window closes, your cursor will change to a cross. You can then position and size the Text on the scene, and it will appear as a new Text block in both the timeline and the scene. You’ll be able to relocate it any time.
Double-click inside the rectangle-shaped frame and you’ll see a cursor.
Type your Text. Note, it may look very small, but you may easily adjust its parameters.

Text Properties

Once the necessary text is typed, you can adjust its parameters according to your needs.This is available in the Properties window or in the Editor tab at the Ribbon.The Editor tab allows you to adjust the following options:

Text color (including opacity level);
Brush color;
Contour color;
Contour thickness;
Contour style;
Dash style;
Font face;
Font style;
Character sets;
Font size;
Font weight;
Font degree angle;
Underline;
Allc aps;
Small caps
Subscript;
Superscript;
Strikethrough;
Wrap;
Set the object size automatically based on the inserted text;
Kerning;
Trimming mode;
Horizontally scale;
Vertically scale;
Tracking;
Baseline shift;
Paragraph setting;
Text orientation.

Object properties:

Changing Text in Video Duration You may want to have the Text object to be displayed throughout the entire video, or to have it appeared once for a particular moment. To do this:

Go to the timeline and find the green Text object there. Place your mouse over it so you can stretch your Text object by the edges and position it easily. Now, if you want the Text to be visible all the time, stretch the Text object to the length of your video file on the timeline.
If you need the text to be shown at a particular moment for a selected period of time, use the same stretching and dragging mouse movement to place it on the timeline.
If you need higher precision when it comes to the duration time, click on the text object and the Properties window appears on the right. There you’ll find Object creation time and Object drawing duration parameters. The former defines the moment Text appears in the scene. You can fine-tune its appearance up to milliseconds. The latter defines the exact period your Text in a video will be seen.

Wrapping Text Around a Curve Line If you want to wrap your text around a curve line, use the ‘Binding to path’ option. You can do it the following way:

Add a Curve line on the scene;
Сlick on the Text on the Timeline and go to the Properties window;
Find Binding to path option, click it and select the curve line you created earlier in the drop-down menu;
Your text will adjust accordingly. Note that the original text object is only visible in the editing mode. As soon as you activate the playback, it will disappear;
New parameters appear afterwards. You can use them to adjust the appearance of the wrapped text:
- Mode enables you to position the text above, in the center, or below the curve line, or attach it to an additional curve line. Please note that if you choose the last option, you must add a second line to the scene beforehand for the editor to display it in the additional Stretch to path menu. Depending on the chosen mode for the first line, ‘From first curve path’ or ‘From second curve path’, the second line will serve as either the bottom or top of the text.
- Stretch to length allows you to stretch the text to the length of the line or keep the original length.
- Clipping allows you to create a clipping mask using the original text object frame.
- Approximation allows you to smooth text curves.
If you want to make your text invisible or make it move along the line, watch our video tutorial for more details (part “Text Wrapping”).

Brush tool

Brush tool is used to adjust the color of the text frame. Solid and transparent options are available to choose from. Further, you can adjust your text within the size of the text frame, using one of the following options:

Set the optimal object size;
Fit to width;
Fit to height;
Fit to size.

Text Effects

VSDC includes several animated text effects that can help you get full control of how text symbols appear in the scene or to add some creativity to your video. To apply an effect, go to Text effects menu in the Editor tab and select the effect you like. The selected effect will appear on the timeline area as an object. It represents a colored block that occupies a single line and is located on a separate tab on the Timeline.

Available Build-in Effects:

Recoloring is used to change the color or the level of opacity of text symbols.
Shift position is used to make text symbols move from one location to another on the screen.
GlyphFX is used to change the appearance attributes of text symbols, such as their size, skew angle, or rotation.
Scrolling text is used to add a scroll effect to the text, set the movement direction, adjust the angle and speed.