Lower thirds that read on any footage: 6 broadcast rules
By Spencer Tetik.
Lower thirds fail in predictable ways: cut off on a TV, lost against a bright sky, or gone before anyone finishes reading. These rules come from broadcast practice and hold up on YouTube and social too.
1. Stay inside title safe
Keep text inside the title-safe area. For HD work the current SMPTE recommendation is 90% of the frame, a 5% margin on each side; many broadcasters still use the older, tighter 80% area. Some TVs and projectors crop the edges, and phone UI covers the bottom of vertical video.
2. Guarantee contrast
Footage changes under your graphic. Put text on a panel, or use a soft shadow if the design is panel-free. Test it over the brightest and busiest shot in the program, not the one you designed on.
3. Hold it long enough to read twice
Four seconds is a sensible minimum for a name and title. Longer titles need longer holds. If you have to rush it, the text is too long.
4. Two lines, no more
Name on top, role underneath. Anything else belongs in a full-screen card or the description.
5. Same spot, every time
Pick one position and one style per program. Viewers learn where to look, and your edit looks deliberate.
6. Animate in under a second
The motion should announce the graphic, not perform. Half a second to a second in, a little quicker out.
LaunchFrame lower thirds size themselves to your text and animate in and out automatically, so rules 3 to 6 mostly take care of themselves.
