captiontekst

Captiontekst is the Dutch term for the text that accompanies an image, video or other media element and explains, elaborates or provides context for the visual content. The word is a combination of the English word caption and the Dutch suffix –tekst, meaning “text”. In everyday Dutch it is often shortened to simply caption, but in formal documentation and web design guidelines the full term is preferred.

On websites, news articles, social media posts and photo galleries the captiontekst is normally displayed directly beneath or beside the visual element. It may be a short descriptive line, a quote, a source citation, or a more elaborate explanatory paragraph. Good captiontekst improves accessibility, as screen readers read the text to users with visual impairments. It also helps search engines index the content, contributing to better discoverability.

In design guidelines captiontekst is often specified in terms of font size, line spacing and contrast relative to the background. Designers are advised to keep it legible and to avoid long blocks of text that could distract from the main image. Captiontekst is also used in educational materials, medical imaging, and scientific publications, where concise and accurate descriptions are essential.