Best Text Match Cut Settings for TikTok, Reels and Shorts
The same text match cut can look great on one app and awkward on another. Each platform puts buttons and captions in different places, and viewers behave a little differently. Here are settings that work well on each one.
TikTok
- Size: 9:16.
- Length: 2 to 3 seconds.
- Speed: 10 to 14 changes per second.
- Sound: on. TikTok viewers often watch with sound.
TikTok places the caption and buttons along the bottom and right side. Our maker keeps the highlighted word in the centre, which stays clear of both. Avoid very long phrases, because the edges of the text may sit under the buttons.
Instagram Reels
- Size: 9:16.
- Length: 2 to 4 seconds.
- Speed: 8 to 12 changes per second.
- Style: Paper or Mixed for a clean, polished look.
Reels also appear in a square crop on your profile grid, so the centre of the frame matters most. Because the highlighted word sits in the middle, it still shows on the grid.
YouTube Shorts
- Size: 9:16.
- Length: 2 to 3 seconds.
- Speed: 10 to 12 changes per second.
Shorts viewers swipe fast. Keep the phrase very short and use a bold highlight colour so the topic is clear in the first second.
YouTube videos and presentations
- Size: 16:9.
- Length: 3 to 5 seconds.
- Speed: 6 to 10 changes per second.
Longer videos can afford a slightly slower, longer match cut. It works well as a chapter title between sections. In slides, export a 16:9 clip and insert it like any other video.
Instagram and Facebook feed posts
- Size: 1:1.
- Length: 3 to 5 seconds, set to loop.
Feed videos often play without sound, so the visual effect must carry the message by itself. Pick a strong colour and a large zoom.
Colour choices that read well
Yellow on paper is the most familiar look and is easy to read on any screen. On dark styles, a bright green or pink stands out more. Avoid very pale colours on white pages, because the marker disappears on small phone screens.
Zoom and blur
For phones, a zoom between 1.4 and 1.8 keeps the word large without cutting it off. Blur between 0.5 and 1.5 gives a soft camera focus look. Too much blur turns the background into a smudge and loses the “printed page” feel.
Exporting and uploading
Most apps compress uploads, so start from the best quality you can. Our maker records at full HD. If your browser saves a WebM file, TikTok and YouTube accept it directly. For Instagram, upload through your video editor and export the final video as MP4.