How to edit subtitle styles
Load an SRT, WebVTT, ASS, or SSA file, adjust its display settings, and download the result. One Global style can apply to every cue, while a selected cue can use its own override. Preview shows the sample or selected cue over a placeholder frame, and the limitations panel lists what the chosen export format can keep.
How to use the Subtitle Style Editor
- Drop a subtitle file here or activate
browse files. - Check that parsed entries appear under
Cues. - Set
Global style, or select a cue and enableOverride global style for this cue. - Review
PreviewandFormat limitations for export. - Choose an
Export format, then activateDownload styled subtitle file.
What subtitle style controls change
Global style applies to every cue until a cue has its own override. Its controls include Font family, Font size, Bold, Text color, Outline, Drop shadow, Background box, Alignment, Margins (% of frame), and Custom position. Font size is 12 to 72px, outline width is 0 to 6px, shadow blur is 0 to 12px, and each margin is 0 to 40%.
The alignment grid has Alignment 1 through Alignment 9. Enable Custom position to enter X% and Y%, or drag the text in Preview. Custom position takes precedence over alignment and margins.
Input cue: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog.
Global style: Font size 32px, Bold off, Alignment 2
SRT output: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. (style omitted)Select a row in Cues to edit its cue text. A row without an override uses the global settings. Enable Override global style for this cue to give that cue separate settings and a separate preview style.
What SRT, WebVTT, and ASS/SSA export keep
Choose SRT (timing & text only) when the export needs SRT cue timing and text. SRT has no native styling syntax, so font, color, outline, shadow, background, alignment, margins, position, and per-cue overrides are left out.
WebVTT (.vtt) writes alignment and position as cue settings. It puts font, color, outline, shadow, and background in a CSS-based STYLE block, which some players ignore. ASS/SSA (full styling) writes the selected settings into new style definitions, takes the first font in the fallback list, maps shadow blur to a shadow distance, and converts custom position to a generated \pos tag. Imported ASS style definitions and inline tags are not preserved.
After changing Export format, read the Format limitations for export panel. Preview uses sample or cue text over a placeholder frame, so it does not show your video.
When the Subtitle Style Editor is useful
Use the editor when one subtitle file needs a shared style, or when one cue needs a separate position or background. Select the export format after checking which settings it can write.
For a frame-rate change, use Subtitle FPS Converter, which retimes SRT or WebVTT timestamps. For a fixed offset or start-to-end drift correction, use Subtitle Timestamp Shifter. Subtitle Edit Tools contains these timing tools alongside style editing.
How the subtitle file is read
Reading, parsing, styling, and export happen in the browser. The code makes no request containing the subtitle content. Parsed timing and cue text are rebuilt for export, so numbering, whitespace, formatting, and some markup can change. ASS/SSA inline tags are stripped, and \N line-break tags become new lines.
If the file cannot be read or no cues are parsed, Cues stays empty and a validation message appears. Download styled subtitle file does nothing until at least one cue is available. The editor changes the subtitle file, not video pixels, and it does not translate the text.
Frequently asked questions
How do I edit subtitle styles for every cue?
Set the controls under Global style to apply one style to every cue. Select a cue and enable Override global style for this cue when that cue needs separate settings.
Can I style an SRT file?
SRT export keeps cue timing and text, while its native syntax has no styling fields. Choose WebVTT (.vtt) or ASS/SSA (full styling) when the exported file needs the editor's style settings.
Does the Subtitle Style Editor burn captions into a video?
No. It downloads a subtitle file, and the representative Preview uses a placeholder frame rather than video pixels.
Why did my subtitle formatting change after export?
Export rebuilds the file from parsed timing and cue text, so numbering, whitespace, formatting, and some markup can change. The selected format also controls which style settings can be written.