Caption Typography for 9:16: Font, Stroke, and Safe Areas That Do Not Kill Reach
Why thick outlines still win, how many words per line to burn in, and how to avoid the "TikTok font" fatigue signal on brand channels.
Most viewers watch on mute. Captions are not accessibility extras — they are the primary text layer. The common mistake is treating them like subtitles: full sentences, small type, and grey-on-grey that fails on sunlit screens.
The readable stack
- Max two lines, max ~6–8 words per line for hooks; slightly more for voiceover
- High-contrast fill plus outer stroke; avoid pure white on pastels
- Keep action above lower-third UI: likes, share, progress indicators
Brand without novelty fatigue
Pick one family and two weights. Swap colours by scene temperature (warm/cool) so every clip in a series feels related, not copy-paste.