textning

Textning, or subtitling, is the practice of displaying written text on screen to represent spoken dialogue and other audio information in film, television, and online video. Subtitles may translate dialogue for audiences who do not speak the original language, or transcribe it for viewers who are deaf or hard of hearing, including description of sound cues and speaker changes.

Subtitles can be open (always visible) or closed (viewers can turn them on or off). They may be prepared in advance (offline subtitling) or produced in real time during broadcasts or streaming (live subtitling). Subtitles may also include non-speech information such as sound effects, music cues, and speaker labels.

Common technical formats include SRT, WebVTT, and TTML, with more styling options in advanced formats such as SSA/ASS. The subtitling workflow usually involves transcription or translation, time-coding to match dialogue, and typesetting for legibility, followed by quality review. Readability guidelines emphasize short lines, limited characters per line, two lines per subtitle, and display times appropriate to the reader’s pace.

Automation and AI are increasingly used to generate captions, especially for live or large volumes of content, but human review remains common to correct errors and ensure accuracy. Subtitling supports accessibility, language learning, and global distribution, and is subject to regional regulations and platform policies.