Caption editing is the process of adjusting the visual appearance of captions.
The following information has been adapted from the Described and Captioned Media Program's Captioning Key.
Example:
This guide contains example captions in gold boxes.
Caption Duration
A caption should last at least one second. It should first appear when the contained words are first heard and disappear after the last word is heard.
If there is significant time between captions (over 5 seconds), make sure there is a break between captions.
Caption & Line Length
A caption cell refers to each individual block of text that appears on the screen.
Each caption cell should contain up to two lines of text. Three lines are acceptable in rare circumstances.
Each line within the caption cell should contain no more than 32-36 characters, including spaces.
Line Division
When a sentence is broken into two or more lines of captions, it should be broken at a logical point where speech normally pauses.
Do not break a modifier from the word it modifies.
Incorrect:
>> The penguin had a happy
face.
Correct:
>> The penguin
had a happy face.
Do not break a prepositional phrase.
Incorrect:
>> The painting hung in the
Louvre.
Correct:
>> The painting
hung in the Louvre.
Do not break a person's name or a title from the name with which it is associated.
Incorrect:
>> Alex and Rai
Sanchez accepted the award.
Correct:
>> Alex and Rai Sanchez
accepted the award.
Do not break a line after a conjunction.
Incorrect:
>> The table was set and
we ate all night.
Correct:
>> The table was set
and we ate all night.
Do not break an auxiliary verb or adverb from the word it modifies.
Incorrect:
>> They might
have been in the wrong place.
Correct:
>> They might have been
in the wrong place.
Never end a sentence and begin a new sentence on the same line unless they are short, related sentences containing one or two words.
Incorrect:
>> I am hungry. Let's go
to Subway.
Correct:
>> I am hungry.
Let's go to Subway.
A good place to break lines is right after a comma, colon, or semicolon:
Example:
>> There were three colors:
red, blue, and green.
