3 times when subtitles background boxes are great for localization

One of the greatest challenges in subtitles localization is legibility, or making sure that the subtitle can be read by all users. This basically breaks down into two challenges. First, to make sure that each subtitle text remains on screen long enough to be read. Second, to make sure that the text is legible – that it stands out from the picture, basically. One of the best ways to ensure this is to add a background behind the subs text itself. In fact, in some translation contexts backgrounds can be crucial to ensure text legibility.

This post will list the three situations when having a subtitle background is a life-saver for translation & localization productions.

[Average read time: 4 mins]

What are subtitle backgrounds exactly?

They are, quite literally, backgrounds that get added to the subtitle text. Usually it’s a solid or gray bar that surrounds the subtitle text, effectively creating a canvas on which it’s easier to read. The following graphic show standard subs text on the left, and with a background on the right:

The background can be solid black, or it can also be a gray background with a certain level of opacity (essentially, that allows the viewer to see through it). The example above has a 60% opacity, which lets you see the image behind it (in this case, solid green) somewhat.

The drawbacks to using backgrounds in localization projects

Let’s review the cons first, which have to do mainly with how backgrounds look:

• More screen area blocked. Effectively, backgrounds occlude more of the video image. While the amount is generally negligible (especially if they’re set to a really low opacity), this makes them off-putting for video creators, who want to retain as much of the integrity of their image as possible.
• Aesthetic concerns. They also just don’t look as nice, or can feel more intrusive, and this element can also really put off designers, directors, and marketing content leads – the people from whom localization project managers need to get buy-in for the subtitle visuals.

Ultimately, the drawbacks come from the reaction that most creative professionals have to adding an extra graphic element to their videos. But there are some situations when backgrounds really pay off.

When backgrounds improve readability in a drastic way

As we’ve said, backgrounds improve overall readability, especially for videos with lots of movement or lighter colors. For this reason alone they should be considered when localizing video content and for captions for the hearing-impaired. That said, most subs producers can also outline their fonts (as in the frame on the left in the picture above), or use a color that’s not very prevalent in video images (like yellow), and be readable against most images.

There are, however, three cases in which even this isn’t enough for best subtitle readability.

1. When videos require subtitling into more complex scripts.

Latin-character languages have relatively simple letters, so that adding a font outline doesn’t affect their readability, especially when using sans serif fonts (always recommended for captioning and subs). However, other languages have more complex scripts which don’t outline well.

For example, backgrounds are common for Chinese subtitling projects specifically because the Chinese characters don’t outline particularly well. In the following example, you can compare outlined and backgrounded Simplified Chinese text:

The outlined text doesn’t look terrible, but the backgrounded text is easier to read, and that’s a worthwhile consideration for longer videos with lots of subs text. Similarly, Arabic subtitling really benefits from backgrounds because Arabic letters, while not as complex as double-byte characters, have a lot of orthographic embellishments that “pixel out” when rendered as subtitles, especially when an outline is added. Essentially, just doesn’t look as crisp as it does over a background.

Same is true for many other languages with very graphical or complex scripts, like Japanese, Korean, Thai, Hindi and various others.

2. For more complex fonts.

Sometimes clients want to use designer fonts in their subs, usually to match their overall branding or the existing titles on a video. If these fonts have serifs, or are complex, they may be hard to read against some of the images. If that’s the case, adding a background can ensure legibility.

3. To differentiate subs text from other content.

If the video being translated has a lot of on-screen titles, especially lower-thirds which require moving subs text to the upper third, the viewers may have a hard time differentiating the different kinds of text on the screen. In these cases, adding a background box to captions and subs gives viewers a quick visual cue to differentiate content. Plus, since these videos already have a lot of text to read (especially if you localize the on-screen titles in the video), the added readability from the background can reduce viewer eye-strain substantially.

So what can you do to prepare for multimedia translation?

First, look at your content to determine whether or not it can benefit from backgrounds. Do your videos have a lot of voice-over, or do the narrators and on-screen talents speak quickly? If so, your captions and subs may be generally longer, and backgrounds will help your viewers. If content retention is crucial, for example for e-Learning content, readability will be of paramount importance, and backgrounds will be incredibly useful. Second, always consider backgrounds for projects going into languages with double-byte or other non-Latin scripts – especially if the captions and subs cover a lot of content. Third, if your videos are going to require custom fonts, bring up backgrounds as an option if the font itself don’t “read easily” off the screen.

And finally, if you’re not sure, test the workflow – this means preparing samples for your production and localization team, so they can see the subs in place. Often, this will convince a reticent designer or editor to embrace backgrounds, especially when they see how much more readable they make non-Latin character languages. Remember that this will require a little more of the production timeline and cost up-front, but it will have a big pay-off during production. As with all multimedia localization – from voice-over to dubbing to subtitling – thorough preparation is the key to staying on budget, and delivering on time.