How to Add Text and Titles in DaVinci Resolve

Text is one of the most useful ingredients in a polished video. Whether you are creating a YouTube intro, a documentary lower third, a short social media clip, a tutorial, or a cinematic title sequence, DaVinci Resolve gives you several ways to add words to the screen and make them feel professionally integrated. The good news is that you can start with simple drag-and-drop titles and gradually move into animated text, Fusion titles, subtitles, and custom motion graphics as your confidence grows.

TLDR: To add text in DaVinci Resolve, open the Edit page, go to Effects, choose Titles, and drag a text preset onto your timeline. Select the title clip, then use the Inspector to change the wording, font, size, color, position, and animation settings. For more advanced designs, use Text+ or Fusion titles, and for spoken dialogue, use the dedicated Subtitles track.

Understanding the Different Types of Text in DaVinci Resolve

Before adding your first title, it helps to know that DaVinci Resolve offers more than one kind of text tool. Each type has a slightly different purpose, and choosing the right one can save you time.

• Basic Text: A simple title option for clean, static text. It is great for quick labels, names, captions, and basic title cards.
• Text+: A more powerful title generator built with Fusion. It gives you additional control over animation, shading, layout, tracking, and effects.
• Fusion Titles: Prebuilt animated titles and lower thirds that can be customized in the Inspector and, if needed, opened in Fusion for deeper editing.
• Subtitles: A dedicated system for dialogue captions, accessibility, translations, and timed on-screen speech.

If you are new to the software, start with Text or Text+. Once you understand how the Inspector works, Fusion titles and more advanced animation will feel much easier.

How to Add Basic Text on the Edit Page

The fastest way to add text is from the Edit page. This is where most editors spend the majority of their time arranging clips, trimming footage, adding music, and building the final sequence.

1. Open your project in DaVinci Resolve.
2. Click the Edit page at the bottom of the screen.
3. Open the Effects panel in the upper-left area of the interface.
4. Scroll to the Titles section.
5. Drag Text or Text+ onto a video track above your footage.
6. Place the title clip where you want the text to appear.

Once the title is on the timeline, it behaves like a regular clip. You can trim it shorter, extend it longer, move it to another track, copy and paste it, or add transitions to it. If you want the text to appear over video, make sure it is placed on a video track above your main footage. If it is on the same track and replaces the footage, move it upward to a higher video layer.

Editing Text in the Inspector

After adding a title, click the title clip in the timeline and open the Inspector in the upper-right corner. The Inspector is where you control nearly every visual property of your text.

In the Inspector, you can change:

• Text content: Type the words you want to appear on screen.
• Font: Choose a typeface that matches your video’s tone.
• Font style: Select bold, italic, light, regular, or other available font weights.
• Size: Make the text larger or smaller.
• Color: Pick a color that contrasts clearly with the background.
• Tracking: Adjust the spacing between letters.
• Line spacing: Control the distance between multiple lines of text.
• Alignment: Align text left, center, or right.
• Position: Move the title around the frame.
• Rotation: Tilt or rotate the text for a stylized effect.
• Opacity: Make the text more transparent or fully visible.

For a clean, professional look, avoid using too many fonts in the same project. One or two font families are usually enough. A bold font might work well for headings, while a lighter version of the same font can work for supporting text. This creates consistency without making the design feel repetitive.

Using Text+ for More Creative Control

Text+ is one of the most flexible title tools in DaVinci Resolve. While basic Text is perfect for quick work, Text+ gives you access to more advanced controls, especially if you want animated or stylized titles.

To add it, go to Effects, open Titles, then drag Text+ onto your timeline. Select it and open the Inspector. You will see more options than you get with the basic Text title, including layout controls, shading options, and animation-friendly settings.

Text+ is especially useful for:

• Animated titles that fade, slide, scale, or reveal over time.
• Stylized typography with outlines, shadows, glows, or layered colors.
• Title sequences where text needs to feel more cinematic.
• Motion graphics created or refined inside the Fusion page.

If you want to experiment, select your Text+ clip and click the Fusion page. You will see the title represented as nodes. Fusion can look intimidating at first, but it is incredibly powerful. Even learning just a few basics, such as connecting a Transform node or adding a Merge, can open the door to more original title designs.

Creating Lower Thirds

A lower third is a title placed in the lower portion of the frame, often used to identify a speaker, location, job title, or subject. You have probably seen lower thirds in documentaries, interviews, news videos, and corporate content.

To create a simple lower third:

1. Drag a Text or Text+ title onto a video track above your footage.
2. Type the person’s name or label in the Inspector.
3. Reduce the size so it does not dominate the frame.
4. Move the text to the lower-left or lower-right area.
5. Add a second line with a smaller font for extra information, such as a role or location.
6. Consider adding a subtle background shape for readability.

DaVinci Resolve also includes prebuilt lower third templates. In the Titles section, scroll through the available Fusion titles and look for lower third presets. Drag one onto the timeline, then customize the text, colors, and timing in the Inspector.

Making Text Easier to Read

Beautiful text is useless if viewers cannot read it. Readability should always come before style, especially for information-heavy videos, tutorials, captions, and social media content where people may be watching on small screens.

Here are a few practical readability tips:

• Use contrast: Light text on a dark background or dark text on a light background is usually easiest to read.
• Add a shadow: A subtle drop shadow can separate text from busy footage.
• Use a background box: A semi-transparent rectangle behind your text can help it stand out.
• Keep it short: Avoid filling the screen with too many words at once.
• Respect safe margins: Keep important text away from the very edges of the frame.
• Preview at full size: Text that looks fine in the viewer may be too small on a phone.

In the Inspector, you can add styling such as outlines and shadows depending on the title type you are using. With Text+, you can create more refined shading effects. The goal is not to make every title flashy; it is to ensure that your viewer understands the message instantly.

Animating Text with Keyframes

Text becomes more engaging when it moves with purpose. DaVinci Resolve lets you animate titles using keyframes. A keyframe stores the value of a setting at a specific moment in time. By placing two keyframes with different values, you create animation.

For example, to make text slide into the frame:

1. Select your text clip on the timeline.
2. Open the Inspector.
3. Move the playhead to the start of the title clip.
4. Set the text position off screen.
5. Click the small diamond icon next to Position to add a keyframe.
6. Move the playhead forward about one second.
7. Move the text into its final position.

When you play the timeline, the text will move from the first position to the second. You can use the same technique to animate zoom, rotation, opacity, and other properties. For a simple fade-in, keyframe opacity from 0 to 100. For a gentle pop effect, keyframe the zoom from slightly smaller to full size.

Tip: Subtle animation usually looks more professional than extreme motion. If every title spins, bounces, flashes, and zooms, the video can quickly feel distracting. Let the movement support the message.

Adding Subtitles and Captions

Titles and subtitles are not exactly the same thing. Titles are usually design elements, while subtitles are timed text that follows speech. DaVinci Resolve has a dedicated subtitle workflow that makes it easier to caption dialogue accurately.

To create subtitles manually:

1. Right-click in the timeline track area and choose Add Subtitle Track.
2. Move the playhead to the point where dialogue begins.
3. Right-click on the subtitle track and add a new subtitle caption.
4. Type the spoken words into the subtitle editor.
5. Trim the subtitle clip so it matches the timing of the speech.
6. Repeat the process for the rest of the video.

Depending on your version of DaVinci Resolve, you may also have access to automatic transcription or subtitle generation features. These can save a huge amount of time, but you should always review the results. Names, technical terms, accents, and background noise can lead to mistakes.

Using Transitions with Titles

Transitions can help text appear and disappear smoothly. The easiest option is a basic fade. You can add one by dragging a video transition onto the beginning or end of the title clip, or by using the fade handles directly on the clip in the timeline.

Popular title transitions include:

• Fade in and fade out: Clean, simple, and appropriate for almost any style.
• Slide: Useful for lower thirds and informational graphics.
• Zoom: Good for energetic social media videos or bold title cards.
• Blur dissolve: A softer, more cinematic way to introduce text.

Use transitions consistently. If one lower third slides in from the left, consider using the same motion for all lower thirds in the project. Consistency makes your editing feel intentional.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Even small text decisions can affect the quality of a video. Watch out for these common mistakes:

• Text that is too small: Always consider mobile viewers.
• Poor color contrast: If the background is busy, add a shadow or background shape.
• Too many fonts: Multiple fonts can make a project look messy.
• Overused animation: Motion should guide attention, not steal it.
• Bad timing: Keep text on screen long enough for viewers to read comfortably.
• Ignoring spelling: Typos in titles are highly noticeable, so proofread carefully.

Exporting Videos with Text

When you are finished, go to the Deliver page to export your video. Standard titles and Text+ elements are rendered directly into the final video. Subtitles, however, may give you extra choices. You can often choose to burn subtitles into the video or export them as a separate subtitle file, depending on your delivery needs.

If your video is going to social media, burned-in captions can be useful because they will always appear. If you are preparing content for a platform that supports caption files, exporting subtitles separately may offer more flexibility.

Final Thoughts

Adding text and titles in DaVinci Resolve is simple at the beginner level and surprisingly deep at the advanced level. You can drag in a basic title, type your words, and finish in seconds, or you can build sophisticated animated graphics using Text+ and Fusion. The best approach is to start with clear communication: make the text readable, place it with intention, and animate it only when motion adds value. With a little practice, your titles will do more than display information; they will strengthen the rhythm, style, and professionalism of your entire edit.