Studio 21.1.1
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TITLES & SUBTITLES

How to add a simple text title

DaVinci Resolve Studio 21.1 · Original practical guide

A basic Text title is the quickest way to add readable words. Keep styling modest while you solve wording, placement, and timing.

Before you begin

Have a timeline ready and decide where the text should begin and end.

ACTUAL RESOLVE INTERFACEView full size ↗
Title positioning in the viewer
Title positioning in the viewer Reference example from the DaVinci Resolve 21.1 manual, page 1183. Software screenshot © Blackmagic Design. The demonstration media and selected settings may differ from your project.

Step by step

  1. Open Effects > Toolbox > Titles on Edit and drag a Text title onto a video track above the footage.
  2. Trim the title clip to the intended duration and select it. Enter the words in the Inspector.
  3. Choose the font, size, color, and alignment. Position the title within a comfortable safe area and check it against both bright and dark frames.
  4. Play the title at normal speed and review it at the size viewers will actually see. Correct spelling before adding animation.

Check your result

The title appears over the intended footage and can be read comfortably before it disappears.

If it doesn’t work as expected

If the words are hidden, check that the title is on an enabled track above the picture and that its opacity has not been reduced.

BUILD THE UNDERLYING SKILL

Edit with precision

Go deeper with the course’s explanations, exercises, and knowledge checks.

Open module 04 →
← PREVIOUS GUIDEReframe a landscape video for vertical deliveryNEXT GUIDE →Use Text+ for a more flexible title

Technical reference: DaVinci Resolve 21.1 Reference Manual, Blackmagic Design, September 2026. Screenshot page numbers refer to that manual. Independently written guidance; specific controls may vary by platform and build. Authorship & image credits.