Start by deciding what the words must become at delivery. A title is a video graphic; a subtitle is timed caption data that can be exported, embedded or burned in. Within titles, the simple Text generator and Fusion-based Text+ solve different typography problems.
Resolve 21 gives you four practical routes: Text, Text+, prebuilt Fusion Titles and subtitle tracks. The steps below begin with the fastest title, then show where each route stops being the right tool.
DaVinci Resolve Text Tools: Which One to Use
Choose the tool from the required output, not from whichever thumbnail appears first:
- Text: quick titles, credits and lower thirds; supports rich-text styling within one generator
- Text+: Fusion-based title with advanced shading, path layouts, Write On and deeper animation
- Fusion Titles: prebuilt animated templates whose exposed controls vary by template
- Subtitle track: timed captions for SRT/VTT export, separate delivery, embedding or burn-in
Text+ isn't a strict replacement for Text. The standard Text generator supports rich text, so selected words or lines can use different fonts, sizes and colors in one title. Text+ has far deeper shading, layout and animation controls, but its main Styled Text field shares one base style unless you use Fusion modifiers or additional text elements.
How to Add Text Using the Basic Text Tool
Open the Edit page, then Effects > Toolbox > Titles. Drag Text to a video track above the footage for an overlay, or onto an empty section of the timeline for a title over black.
Select the title clip and open Inspector > Title. Enter the copy in Rich Text, select any words that need separate styling, then set font family, face, color, size, alignment, stroke, drop shadow or background. Title clips default to five seconds unless Standard generator duration has been changed in User Preferences; trim the clip edges to set the actual screen time.
For the original Text generator, park the playhead over the title and click its text in the Timeline Viewer to reveal on-screen transform controls. Drag to position it, use the Inspector for exact values, or double-click the visible text to edit characters directly. OpenFX Overlay is for OpenFX controls, not the Text title's position handle.
Text and Text+ use fonts installed on the workstation. Resolve 21's Font Browser can search, filter and preview available families. If a project opens without the font used by a Text+ title, Resolve displays a missing-font overlay; install a compatible font family and reopen the project or choose a deliberate substitute.
Text remains useful for multi-style lines, fast credits and simple lower thirds. Its Inspector also includes stroke, drop shadow and a flexible rectangle or rounded-rectangle background. Move to Text+ when you need multiple shading layers, Write On animation, path layout or character-, word- and line-level motion.
Text+ Tutorial: More Control, Same Starting Point
Text+ is the stronger starting point for motion graphics, but use Text when the copy needs several base font styles inside one generator.
Drag Effects > Toolbox > Titles > Text+ to the timeline and select it. Its title controls are organized into Text, Layout, Transform and Shading panels, with common clip controls in Settings. Type in Styled Text, then choose the layout and shading before animating.
Text+ is a Fusion title available from the Edit page. Select the title and switch to the Fusion page when you need its node graph. In the Edit-page viewer, choose Fusion Overlay to edit, select and move Text+ on screen. Layout can place text at a point, in a frame or circle, or along a path; there's no need for an undocumented overlay workaround.
Shading is where Text+ separates fill, outline, shadow and glow-like treatments into layers. Each enabled element has its own appearance and transform controls. Build the simplest stack that produces the design, because extra shading elements and blur increase Fusion render work.
When the design needs a reusable rounded panel behind several text elements, build the fill with a Fusion Background node and Rectangle mask instead of forcing every layer into Text+ shading. The rounded-corners guide shows the Corner Radius, border, shadow, and alpha workflow while this page keeps ownership of typography and title animation.
Fusion Titles: Pre-Built Motion Graphics
Fusion Titles are prebuilt Fusion compositions in the Titles browser. Turn Hover Scrub Preview on, move across a thumbnail to inspect its animation, then drag the chosen template to the timeline and open the Inspector.
The Inspector exposes only the controls the template author published. Check the available text fields, colors and timing controls before committing to a look; two templates can expose very different options even when their thumbnails seem similar.
If a required property isn't exposed, select the title and open the Fusion page to inspect the underlying nodes. Duplicate the title before structural changes so the original template remains an easy fallback.
Subtitle Track: Right Tool for Captions
Subtitle tracks store timed caption items. They can be exported as SRT or VTT, delivered as separate files, burned into video, or embedded in supported formats. Text and Text+ titles are video graphics and can't be recovered later as a normal subtitle track.
Right-click any timeline track header and choose Add Subtitle Track. You can also drag a Subtitle generator from Effects > Titles onto the subtitle area. Name the track by language or use because the track name is used during export and encoding.
Select the subtitle destination track, place the playhead, then right-click the track and choose Add Subtitle, or click Create Caption in Inspector > Captions. Enter the line in the Captions panel and trim the item to the spoken phrase.
Select the subtitle track header and use Inspector > Track for its default font, stroke, background, position and QC thresholds. Use Customize Caption only for a line or word that must differ. A track style keeps long programs consistent and remains easier to revise.
Auto Captions: What You Actually Need
Create Subtitles from Audio is Studio-only in Resolve 21. The free version can create, import, edit, style and export subtitle tracks manually, but it does not include Blackmagic's native AI transcription command.
In Studio, open the Edit page and choose Timeline > AI Tools > Create Subtitles from Audio. Select an In/Out range first if only part of the timeline should be transcribed. In the dialog, choose Language, Caption Preset, Max Characters per Line, one or two Lines, and Gap Between Subtitles, then click Create.
Resolve writes to the highest subtitle track, or creates one when none exists. Review every caption for names, punctuation, line breaks and timing before delivery. When dialog overlaps on several audio tracks, the manual recommends muting tracks that should not be analyzed.
Don't change the timeline start timecode solely because an SRT is being exported. Export the subtitle track, open the file in a text editor or the destination platform, and verify the first, middle and last cues against picture. Move the subtitle items only when a real offset is present.
How to Animate Text
For the standard Text generator, keyframe the title clip's Settings controls such as Transform or Composite opacity. Click the diamond beside a parameter, move the playhead, change the value and inspect the motion between keyframes.
A short fade, vertical move or scale change is usually enough. Keep the title inside safe areas, preview at delivery resolution and leave enough time for the viewer to read the full line.
Text+ adds Write On/Write Off, shape-based layout and character-, word- and line-level transforms. For staggered letters or a type-on effect, use the relevant Fusion modifier and its keyframes; the common Settings panel doesn't globally switch keyframing on or off.
For more complex text animation workflows involving Fusion compositing, the node tree gives you full control over timing curves, motion paths, and layered effects that go well beyond what the Inspector exposes.
Text FAQ
Why can't I use my custom font in DaVinci Resolve?
Both tools use fonts installed on the workstation, but a family or face may be missing, unsupported or different on another computer. Use Resolve 21's Font Browser to confirm the exact family and face. When Text+ reports a missing font, install the correct font or choose a documented substitute, then check line wraps and spacing again.
What is the difference between Text and Text+ in DaVinci Resolve?
Text supports rich text, so selected words or lines can have different fonts, sizes and colors inside one generator. Text+ provides advanced shading layers, Write On controls, path layouts and Fusion animation, but its main Styled Text field shares one base style unless you add modifiers or more text elements.
How do I add lower thirds in DaVinci Resolve?
For a fast two-line lower third, try the built-in L, M or R Lower 3rd generator; each provides separate rich-text lines and position controls. Use Text+ or a Fusion Title when the design needs layered shading or animation, and keep the text inside the title-safe area.
Can I export subtitles from DaVinci Resolve as an SRT file?
Yes. Choose File > Export Subtitle, or right-click the subtitle track header and choose Export Subtitle, then select SRT or VTT. Text and Text+ overlays are video graphics, so they can't be exported as a timed subtitle file. Verify several cues after export instead of changing timeline timecode by default.
Is auto captioning in DaVinci Resolve free?
No. Resolve 21's Create Subtitles from Audio command is a Studio feature. The free version can still add captions manually, import supported subtitle files, style subtitle tracks, and export SRT or VTT.
How do I position text precisely in DaVinci Resolve?
For the standard Text generator, click the visible title in the Timeline Viewer to reveal its on-screen transform controls, or enter exact Position values in the Inspector. For Text+, choose Fusion Overlay in the viewer. OpenFX Overlay controls OpenFX filters and isn't the correct overlay for either title workflow.
Related guides
- DaVinci Resolve tutorial for beginners
- How to split a video
- How to mute and split audio
- How to transcribe audio (auto subtitles)
- Fusion tutorial for beginners
- Subtitles and captions
Part of the DRC guide system: Fusion and motion graphics hub
