Text layers
A text layer sits on top of the image rather than being generated into it. You add one, drag it where you want, and set its content, size, colour, weight, rotation and outline directly. Nothing about a text layer costs credits, and every change is instant — there is no model involved.
Layers are the right tool whenever you need exact type: an episode number, a series label, a price, a brand line that must sit in the same place on every video.
Adding and positioning
- Open the thumbnail in the editor and select the Text tab.
- Click Add text layer. It appears on the stage and in the layer list.
- Drag it on the image to position it. Click-to-edit is suspended while you are in this tab, so clicking the stage selects and moves layers instead of targeting an edit.
- With the layer selected, set its properties in the panel below the list.
- Add more layers as needed; select any of them from the list, or delete with the bin icon.
What you can control
| Property | Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Content | Any text | Edited live on the stage |
| Position | Anywhere | Stored as a percentage of the frame, so it holds across aspect ratios |
| Size | Slider | Also a percentage of frame height — scales correctly at export |
| Colour | Seven presets | White, black, yellow, red, green, blue, pink |
| Weight | 400 / 700 / 900 | 900 for headlines; 400 rarely survives downscaling |
| Outline | On / off | A stroke that keeps text readable over busy areas |
| Rotation | Free | Small angles only — 3–5° reads as intentional, 30° reads as broken |
Turn the outline on
A stroke is the difference between a headline that reads over a busy background and one that disappears into it. Unless your text sits on flat colour, keep it on — it is doing more for legibility than any font choice would.
Layers vs. generated text
Both have a place, and good thumbnails often use both:
- Generated text (from the dashboard's text fields) looks painted into the scene — lit and shadowed with everything else. Best for the main headline.
- Text layers look like a clean overlay. Best for anything that must be pixel-consistent across videos: episode numbers, series labels, a corner badge, a price.
A common pattern: generate with the headline in the image, then add a small layer in a fixed corner for the episode number. The artwork carries the drama; the layer carries the system.
Making text read at 168 pixels
- Three to five words. A layer does not change the physics of a sidebar thumbnail.
- Weight 900. Thin type at small sizes turns to mush.
- Size it generously. If it looks slightly too big on the editor stage, it is probably right in the feed.
- One colour, plus white. Two accent colours in one headline halves the impact of both.
- Keep it off the face. Text on one side, subject on the other.
- Preview it small. Download and check it in the free thumbnail preview tool before you upload.
Layers are saved with your draft
Text layers, their positions and their styling autosave to your account along with the rest of the edit — close the tab and they are still there tomorrow. See autosave and drafts. At download they are flattened into the exported image at full resolution.
Locking a text treatment for your channel
If you want a consistent look, fix these four things and never vary them: position, weight, colour and outline. Write them into your brand kit and apply them identically every video. A viewer will recognise a text treatment they have seen ten times faster than they will read a new one.