How to add text animation to a video online 

Enhance your storytelling with stylish text animations. Add emphasis to important talking points, provide context to your viewers, and increase your video's accessibility with unique animated text overlays.

Create memorable mobile-friendly social media ads, slideshow videos, and work videos using versatile animated fonts to make your content stand out on the feed. Choose from a wide range of creative and professional animated text like typewriter, groovy, multi line, ready-to-use quotes, and effortlessly customize them to suit your video look and feel.

Explore text options and learn how to add text to a video easily in Clipchamp video editor.

Types of text options in Clipchamp

• Plain text: this classic text option can be customized easily. Change the font, size, color and alignment while adding fading animation and effects to suit your video needs. You can also use this option and upload your brand font.

• Text styles: these text options feature a range of designer-like fonts like creator, neon, vintage and bubble font. You can customize all the essential text properties as well as adjust the line height and letter spacing to match your creative vision.

• Animated titles: these text options have eye-catching animations that will make any video stand out. Explore titles like typewriter, glitch, bouncing, and funky title to add personality to your video.

• Special text: these are featured animated text options like meme text, quotes, testimonial star ratings, countdowns, can help you create your social media and marketing videos fast.

• Brand kit font: this text option is highly customizable and allows you to upload your custom brand font so you can create branded video content easily.

• AI-powered captions: these moving text options enable video creators to make accessible content. Quickly generate AI subtitles in Clipchamp, then change the caption font, colors, text size, and alignment to match your video aesthetic.

How to add text to videos for free

Step 1. Import videos or select stock footage

To import your own videos, photos, and GIFs, click on the import media button in the your media tab on the toolbar to browse your computer files, or connect your OneDrive.  

You can also use free stock media like video clips, photos, video backgrounds, and GIFs. Click on the content library tab on the toolbar and click on the visuals drop down arrow, then videos, photos, or backgrounds. Search through the different stock categories using the search bar as well. 

Drag and drop your media onto the timeline to start editing.

Step 2. Add a title to your video

Navigate to the text tab on the toolbar to find all available text styles you can overlay onto your video. Scroll through the title options and hover over a title to preview the text. Note that some text options will have animations automatically while some others will need additional effects. Some popular animated text options are circular, groovy, clean title, glitch, and bouncing title.

Click on the add to timeline button to use the title. You can also add a title by dragging and dropping it onto the timeline.

Change your text selection by dragging and dropping a different title on top of your existing title in the timeline.

Step 3. Edit the text, font, color, style, and position of your title

Edit what your title reads by selecting your title in the timeline and clicking on the pencil icon in the text menu inside the stage, or by clicking on the text tab on the property panel. Just highlight the default title and type over with your desired text.

Next, click on the text tab on the property panel. Here, you can update your font, style, size and color. You can also try advanced text editing options like adding line height, spacing, or shadows.

Click on the font drop down arrow to open all of the different font options and choose your desired new font. You can change your font as many times as you like. You can find your custom brand font in this list if you have added a font using the brand kit tool.

Use the size dropdown menu to set a numeric value for your font size in the text menu on the stage or in the text tab in the property panel. You can also adjust the size of some titles by dragging the corners of the text style on the stage.

Adjust your text further by using the left, middle, or right alignment options. You can also make your text bold or italics with the style options in the text tab. You can also edit the rotation of your text using the rotate feature.

To edit the color of your text, click on the color picker and select a new color. Here, you can type in a specific color hex code, select the transparency percentage, select no color, or choose a color from the extended palette. Alternatively, you can adjust the colors from the text menu on the stage. You can also add personalized colors using the using the brand kit tool.

There are three ways to edit the position of your text. Simply drag your title around freely on the stage, or use the position presets available in the text menu on the stage and text tab in the property panel.

To edit via the text menu, click on the three dots to reveal a dropdown menu. Select position and choose from a range of options, including left, center and right as well as top, middle and bottom.

Step 4. Trim or extend your text duration

Extend the length of the text by dragging the text handles left and right of the timeline. Dragging to the left will shorten the length, and dragging to the right will extend the length.

Step 5. Preview and save your video with text

Make sure to preview your video before saving by clicking on the play button. When you’re ready to save, click on the export button and select a video resolution.

For more help, check out adding titles and text to your video or watch this helpful YouTube video.

How to add special effects to text on videos

Fading in and out titles

1. Select the text option on the timeline.

2. Click on the fade tab on the property panel.

3. Adjust the fade in and fade out sliders to set the number of seconds for the text fade.

Adding text effects and animations to titles

1. Select the text option on the timeline.

2. Click on the effects tab on the property panel.

3. Hover over the different text effects to preview, such as flash, slow zoom and VHS effect.

4. Click on your desired effect to apply.

How to use text stickers to videos

1. Navigate to the content library tab on the toolbar to browse use ready-made animated text stickers.

2. Click on the drop down arrow on the visuals button, then select stickers.

3. Scroll through the curated folders, or search for a specific animated text sticker using a keyword in the search bar like follow, subscribe, or hello.

4. Drag and drop the sticker onto the timeline and place it above any existing video footage to make an overlay.

With animated titles mastered, take a look at the best fonts for social media and learn how to add scene transitions to your videos.

Edit today with Clipchamp for free or download the Clipchamp Windows app to get started.