How to add text in davinci resolve

Overview

Adding text to your video projects is a fundamental aspect of video editing, used for titles, subtitles, lower thirds, and conveying information. DaVinci Resolve, a powerful professional editing software, offers robust tools for text manipulation. This guide will walk you through the process of adding and customizing text elements within the DaVinci Resolve interface, ensuring your videos are informative and visually engaging.

Accessing the Text Tool

DaVinci Resolve organizes its editing tools within different pages. For adding text, you'll primarily work on the 'Edit' page. To begin, ensure you are on the Edit page, typically accessed by clicking the 'Edit' icon (a film strip) at the bottom of the Resolve window.

Adding a Basic Text Element

1. Open the Effects Library: On the Edit page, look for the 'Effects Library' panel, usually located in the top-left corner. If it's not visible, click the 'Effects' button (often represented by a magic wand icon) at the top of the panel.

2. Locate the Text+ Effect: Within the Effects Library, navigate to 'Toolbox' > 'OpenFX' > 'Text+'. Note: In older versions or certain configurations, it might be under 'Edit Effects' or a similar category. The 'Text+' effect is the modern and recommended tool for most text needs.

3. Drag to Timeline: Click and drag the 'Text+' effect from the Effects Library and drop it onto the video clip in your timeline where you want the text to appear. Alternatively, you can drop it onto an empty track above your video clip to create a standalone text layer.

Customizing Your Text in the Inspector

Once the 'Text+' effect is applied to your clip, the 'Inspector' panel will appear, typically in the top-right section of the Edit page. This is where all the magic happens for text customization.

1. Accessing Text Controls: In the Inspector, ensure the 'Video' tab is selected (it usually is by default). You should see a section for the 'Text+' effect with various sub-tabs like 'Styled Text', 'Text Properties', 'Transform', and 'Shading'.

2. Entering Your Text: Click into the text field within the 'Styled Text' tab. You can now type your desired text directly into this field. This is where you'll input titles, captions, or any other text content.

3. Font and Style: Below the text input area, you'll find options to change the font family, font size, font weight (bold, italic, etc.), and alignment (left, center, right, justified).

4. Color: The 'Color' swatch allows you to select the color of your text. Clicking it opens a color picker tool, enabling you to choose any hue, saturation, and brightness.

5. Positioning: The 'Transform' tab provides controls for positioning your text on the screen. You can adjust the 'X' and 'Y' coordinates to move the text horizontally and vertically. 'Zoom' controls the scale, and 'Rotation' allows you to tilt the text.

Advanced Text Features

DaVinci Resolve's 'Text+' effect goes beyond basic text entry. Here are some advanced features:

1. Animations and Keyframing: The 'Text Properties' tab offers parameters like 'Scale', 'Rotation', 'Position', and 'Opacity'. By clicking the small diamond icon next to these parameters, you can set keyframes. This allows you to animate text over time, making elements appear, move, or fade in and out dynamically.

2. Shading and Outlines: The 'Shading' tab allows you to add outlines (strokes) to your text, controlling their color, thickness, and alignment. You can also add multiple layers of shading for complex effects.

3. Background and Drop Shadow: Within the 'Shading' tab, you can also add a background to your text, essentially creating a colored box behind it. A 'Drop Shadow' option is also available for adding depth.

4. Templates and Presets: DaVinci Resolve comes with a variety of built-in text templates (often found in the 'Effects Library' under 'Titles') that offer pre-designed animations and styles. These can be a great starting point or used directly for quick titling.

Working with Subtitles

For subtitling, DaVinci Resolve has a dedicated 'Subtitle' track. You can add subtitles by right-clicking in the timeline and selecting 'Add Subtitle Track'. Then, you can import subtitle files (like .srt) or manually add text clips to this track, which function similarly to regular text clips but are designed for dialogue.

Tips for Effective Text Usage

• Readability: Always choose fonts and sizes that are easy to read on screen. Contrast between text color and background is crucial.
• Consistency: Maintain a consistent style for all text elements throughout your video.
• Timing: Ensure text appears and disappears at appropriate moments, not too early or too late.
• Animation Sparingly: While animation is powerful, overusing it can distract from your content.

By mastering the 'Text+' effect and its associated controls in the Inspector, you can significantly enhance the professional quality and clarity of your video projects in DaVinci Resolve.