Readable Captions Without Pretending They Are Automatic

Captions are an accessibility feature, not decoration. They need to convey speech and relevant sound accurately enough that a viewer can follow the content without audio. FreeCut 1.3 publicly documents styled text, but not automatic transcription, SRT import/export or word-level speech timing. This guide therefore uses a manual on-screen text workflow.

Start from a checked transcript

Replay the source and write the words as spoken. Confirm names, dates, figures and specialist terms. If the exact wording matters legally or editorially, have a second person review it against the recording.

• Speech is represented accurately rather than paraphrased without notice.
• Important non-speech audio is described when it affects understanding.
• Speaker changes are clear when more than one person is heard.
• Names, numbers and quotations have been checked manually.

Turn the transcript into readable cards

A transcript may be correct and still be difficult to read. Divide it at natural phrase boundaries, keep one idea on screen at a time and avoid covering the face, product or action. Styled text in FreeCut can provide visual hierarchy, but the words and timing still need human judgement.

1. 01Add a separate text layer for the first short phrase.
2. 02Choose a high-contrast treatment that remains readable over the actual footage.
3. 03Move and trim the text clip to match the spoken passage.
4. 04Repeat with the next phrase while keeping style and placement consistent.
5. 05Watch the whole section muted at normal speed and revise anything that cannot be read comfortably.

Do not confuse burned-in text with a caption file

Text rendered into the video is visible everywhere the video plays, but it cannot be switched off and is not the same as a separate caption track. Because the public FreeCut 1.3 description does not document SRT handling, this site does not promise a separate accessibility file from the app.

Review beyond spelling

Check reading speed, line breaks, contrast, subject coverage and timing. Then ask whether the video remains understandable with sound muted. That final question is more meaningful than the number of caption animations or styles available.