Captions for vertical, square and 16:9 videos in Premiere Pro (Reels, Shorts, YouTube)

Step by step

1. Open your sequence — Make the sequence in its final format (for example 1080×1920 for Reels and Shorts) the active one in Premiere Pro: Subkick Caption reads its size by itself.

2. Turn on a guide — In ⚙ › Settings › Display › Alignment guides, choose Light guide or the guide of a vertical-video app, such as Instagram guide.

3. Adjust the layout — In step 3 Layout, set Height, Margins and Global size so captions stay clear of faces and of the app's interface.

4. Save the preset for this format — Save these settings as a preset named after the format, for example “Client – Vertical”, with 💾.

5. Generate — Click ⚡ Generate: the template matching your sequence size is chosen for you.

Which video formats does Subkick Caption support?

All of them: Subkick Caption reads the size of your active sequence and adapts. There’s no format to pick in the plugin.

At generation, it chooses the smallest caption template that covers your sequence. Templates exist in eight sizes:

Shape	Template sizes	Typical use
Vertical 9:16	1080×1920, 2160×3840	Reels, Shorts and other short-form vertical videos
Square 1:1	1080×1080, 1920×1920, 2160×2160, 3840×3840	Feed posts
Horizontal 16:9	1920×1080, 3840×2160	YouTube, presentations, interviews

Any other size uses the next template up — a 4:5 sequence (1080×1350) uses the 1080×1920 one, for example. Choosing the smallest template that covers the frame keeps the text sharp, with fewer pixels to render on HD sequences.

Text sizes are calibrated on the height of the frame: the same preset keeps the same proportions in 1080×1920 and in 2160×3840. Animation durations are in seconds, so they don’t depend on the frame rate.

Why it matters: you don’t keep one caption template per resolution or rebuild a style when a client asks for a 16:9 cut of a vertical video. You open the other sequence, check the layout, and generate.

What changes between a vertical and a horizontal video?

• The preview takes the shape of your sequence: vertical, square or horizontal. In step 3 Layout, the settings sit on the right of the preview or below it, depending on the space — often below for a horizontal video.
• Sizes follow the height of the frame. In 16:9, the same text takes a much smaller share of the width than in 9:16: there’s more room on each line.
• Positions are relative to the frame. If you change the size of a sequence after laying it out, the preview is redrawn in the new shape and word positions are reinterpreted in it: check the layout before generating again.
• The video background (orange Create background button) is rendered in the shape of your sequence, reduced, since it’s only a preview — see Layout and word placement.

Which settings help for vertical videos (Reels, Shorts)?

On a vertical video, the app’s interface covers part of the frame: buttons on the right, the description and the account name at the bottom, a bar at the top.

Option	Where	What it does	When to use it
Alignment guides	⚙ › Settings › Display	Light guide (default) draws the rule of thirds and a center cross. An app guide, such as Instagram guide, also draws the app’s interface lightly, with the zones to avoid in red and the safe area in green dashes.	Before placing anything on a Reel or a Short.
Height (−100 to 100)	Step 3 Layout	Moves all the text up or down.	Keep captions above the bottom zone.
Margins (0 to 100)	Step 3 Layout	Pulls the words toward the center.	Keep words away from the buttons on the right.
Global size (0 to 200)	Step 3 Layout	Enlarges or shrinks every word at once.	Big, readable words on a phone screen.
Below the face (beta)	Step 3 Layout, under Height	Places each block with a face on screen just under that face.	Talking heads — see Below the face.

Tip: the guides are only drawn behind the preview, never in your video. Pick the guide of the app you publish to; the same list offers another short-form app’s guide too.

Which settings help for square and 16:9 videos (YouTube)?

Option	Where	What it does	When to use it
Global size	Step 3 Layout	Same look, bigger or smaller.	When a vertical preset looks small across a wide frame.
Characters per block (2 to 200)	1 Style › ✏️ Customize › 🔧 Layout › ✂ Subtitle splitting	Maximum length of a block; ✂ Re-split applies it to your text.	More room per line in 16:9: longer blocks read better.
Line spacing, Word spacing	Step 3 Layout	Space between lines and between words.	Fine-tune the density of a wider block.
Below the face (beta)	Step 3 Layout	Also works on horizontal footage, including wide shots and two-person podcasts.	Interviews and podcasts.

Warning: ✂ Re-split resets placement and per-word tweaks. Re-split first, then lay out.

How do I keep one preset per format?

The values of the All blocks tab in step 3 Layout (Margins, Height, Line spacing, Word spacing, Global size) are saved in your preset, along with the splitting settings and the Compo Auto intensities. So a preset per format gives you the right layout in one click:

1. Open a vertical sequence, choose your client’s preset and adjust the layout for vertical.
2. Save it with 💾 (Save as… if you started from a Subkick preset), with a clear name: “Client – Vertical”.
3. Open a 16:9 sequence, start from the same preset, adjust, and save it as “Client – 16:9”.
4. Next time, pick the preset that matches the format in the gallery.

What isn’t in a preset: Block N settings, words placed by hand and Below the face, which belong to each sequence. Everything about saving is in Save and reuse your presets.

Does generation work the same in every format?

Yes. The bottom bar of step 3 Layout, the track, the scope and ⚡ Generate / ⚡ Update work identically; the template matching your sequence size is chosen automatically. Your captions arrive as a sequence named <your sequence> Subtitles, placed on the track you chose — see Generate your captions on the timeline.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make captions for Instagram Reels or YouTube Shorts in Premiere Pro?

Open a vertical 9:16 sequence (such as 1080×1920) in Premiere Pro, then use Subkick Caption as usual: the preview takes the vertical shape, and the alignment guides in ⚙ › Settings › Display show the app's interface zones so you can keep captions clear of them before clicking ⚡ Generate.

Does Subkick Caption work with 16:9 YouTube videos?

Yes. Subkick Caption supports vertical, square and horizontal 16:9 sequences, up to 4K. In 16:9, the settings column often moves below the preview, and the same preset takes a smaller share of the width, so check Global size.

Do I need a different preset for each format?

It's not required, but it helps. The Layout values of Subkick Caption (Margins, Height, spacing, Global size) are saved in the preset, so one preset per format, such as “Client – Vertical” and “Client – 16:9”, gives you the right layout in one click.

Will my captions be sharp in 4K?

Yes. At generation, Subkick Caption picks the smallest caption template that covers your sequence, up to 3840 pixels, so a 4K sequence (2160×3840 or 3840×2160) gets a 4K template.

What happens if I change the size of my sequence after laying out the captions?

Subkick Caption reads the new size and redraws the preview in the new shape; word positions are relative to the frame, so they are reinterpreted in it. Check your layout in step 3 Layout before generating again.