---
title: "Add and style text"
canonical_url: https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/text/
source: docs/editor/text.md
content_revision: 6338386a1dd87e4a
---

# Add and style text

Add editable text elements and style their content, typography, position, and timing.

## When to use it

Use text elements for headings, product descriptions, labels, and end cards. For captions synchronized to speech, use [Subtitles](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/subtitles/). For layered animated titles, use [Design Studio](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/text-and-design/).

## How to add text

**Navigation:** **Editor → Text**.

1. Select the scene and insertion time if you are working on a video.
2. Open **Text**.
3. Choose **Heading**, **Subheading**, **Body**, or **Caption**.
4. Click the inserted text on the canvas, or open **Selected element actions → Edit properties**.
5. In **Design → Content**, choose **Plain text** and replace the sample content.
6. Click outside the field to apply the change.

![Zvid Text tool showing Heading, Subheading, Body, and Caption presets.](https://docs.zvid.io/img/dashboard-guide/editor-text-tools.png)

You can also double-click a text element on the canvas to edit it in place. With text selected, press `Enter` to begin inline editing.

## How to change font, color, and alignment

1. Select the text element and open **Design → Typography**.
2. Search **Font family (Google Fonts)** and select a family. Use **Show more fonts** to expand the results, or enter a family name.
3. Set **Size**, **Weight**, **Color**, and **Align**.
4. Adjust **Letter spacing** and **Line height** if needed.
5. Use **Transform** for case changes and **Decoration** for underline, line-through, or overline.
6. Open **Layout** to position, size, or rotate the element.

Font preview needs access to the font service. Test your longest expected text at the intended output dimensions before rendering a template.

## How to use HTML or a variable

1. To use markup, open **Design → Content → HTML** and edit the HTML field.
2. For changing content, first define a default in **Variables**.
3. In the text or HTML field, use **Insert a variable at the cursor**, or enter a supported placeholder such as `{{title}}`.
4. Enable **Variables → preview** to check the resolved content.

Use [Design Studio](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/text-and-design/) when you want to build layered graphics without editing markup. For advanced HTML behavior, see [Text and HTML elements](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/structure/text-elements/).

## How to set timing and animation

1. In a video project, select the text and open **Timing**.
2. Set **Appears at (enterBegin)** and **Disappears at (exitEnd)**.
3. Open **Effects** to add an **Enter animation** or **Exit animation**.
4. Preview from before the text begins through its exit.

## What happens next

The text stays editable in the project and exports as a text element. [Save](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/projects/) your changes, then [preview](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/preview/) or [render](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/export/).

## Related documentation

- [Design Studio](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/text-and-design/)
- [Positioning](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/canvas/)
- [Animations](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/animations/)
- [Variables](https://docs.zvid.io/docs/editor/templates/)