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Adjust Caption Timing

Perfect your caption timing for optimal synchronization and readability.

Timing Basics​

Start Time​

When caption should appear:

  • Usually 0-0.25s before speech begins
  • Never before previous caption ends

End Time​

When caption should disappear:

  • Usually when speech ends
  • Allow reading time if short duration
  • Minimum 0.5s gap before next caption

Duration​

Calculation: End Time - Start Time

Guidelines:

  • Minimum: 1 second
  • Maximum: 7 seconds
  • Optimal: 2-4 seconds

Adjustment Methods​

Method 1: Drag Timeline​

  1. View waveform timeline
  2. Locate caption segment
  3. Drag edges to adjust:
    • Left edge = start time
    • Right edge = end time

Method 2: Manual Input​

  1. Select caption
  2. Enter time in format: 00:01:23.456
  3. Press Enter

Method 3: Set from Playhead​

  1. Play video to desired point
  2. Press [ for start time
  3. Press ] for end time

Method 4: Nudge​

Use arrow keys for fine adjustments:

  • ←/→: ±0.1 seconds
  • Shift+←/→: ±0.01 seconds
  • Ctrl+←/→: ±1 second

Reading Speed​

Target: 15-20 characters per second (CPS)

Calculate reading time:

Caption: "Welcome to our tutorial video" (30 chars)
Minimum duration: 30 / 20 = 1.5 seconds
Recommended: 2.0 seconds

Common Timing Issues​

Caption Too Fast​

Problem: Not enough time to read

Solutions:

  • Increase duration
  • Split into 2 captions
  • Reduce text length

Caption Too Slow​

Problem: Caption stays too long after speech

Solutions:

  • Reduce end time
  • Merge with next caption

Gaps Too Large​

Problem: Long pauses between captions

Solutions:

  • Extend previous caption
  • Start next caption earlier
  • Add transitional caption

Overlapping Captions​

Problem: Captions overlap in time

Solutions:

  • Adjust end time of first caption
  • Adjust start time of second caption
  • Use auto-fix feature

Auto-Timing Features​

Auto-Snap​

Automatically snap caption boundaries:

  • To speech boundaries
  • To grid intervals (0.5s, 1s)
  • To nearby captions

Auto-Gap​

Ensure minimum gaps between captions:

  • Default: 0.5 seconds
  • Adjustable in settings

Reading Speed Optimization​

Adjust durations based on:

  • Text length
  • Target reading speed
  • Speech rate

Batch Timing Operations​

Shift All Captions​

Move all captions by offset:

  1. Select all captions
  2. Enter time offset (+/-).
  3. Apply to all

Scale Timing​

Adjust for tempo changes:

  1. Select range
  2. Enter scale factor (0.9x, 1.1x)
  3. All times adjusted proportionally

Next Steps​