Caption Templates

Palmier Pro caption templates

Caption styling is where an agent most easily produces something ugly: it pairs a font with a size that doesn't suit it, picks a neon color that fights the footage, or stacks an outline + background + shadow that no editor would ship. This skill replaces that guesswork with a default. Every value below was read out of a real Palmier project and confirmed against rendered frames.

Hard rules

1. Pick exactly one template. Paste its config verbatim. Do not blend two templates, do not "improve" a color, do not add an outline or background a template doesn't have.
2. No style at all is a valid answer. If the user just says "add captions" with no aesthetic intent, call add_captions with no style / animation / transform — the app's own default is clean and correct. Reach for a template only when the user signals a look ("bold", "podcast", "TikTok", "make them pop", "match my brand", names a vibe).
3. Match orientation. Vertical templates are authored for 1080×1920, horizontal for 1920×1080. Using the wrong set gives text that is comically large or unreadably small — see Porting across canvas sizes.
4. Fonts outside this catalog are fair game — but verify them. Palmier's font list is far larger than the 13 families used here; this catalog is a curated slice, not the available set. Set whatever font the user asks for. What doesn't change: after setting an unfamiliar font, render a frame with inspect_timeline and confirm it actually resolved instead of silently falling back to a default.
5. Always verify. After add_captions or update_text, run inspect_timeline on a frame inside the caption range and actually look at it.

Workflow

- [ ] 1. get_timeline — canvas width/height, fps, which track has speech
- [ ] 2. Pick ONE template from the picker below (or none — see rule 2)
- [ ] 3. add_captions with that template's exact block
- [ ] 4. inspect_timeline mid-caption — confirm it renders as described
- [ ] 5. Report the template name you used

Restyling captions that already exist? Skip to Switching a template on existing captions — it is not just passing the new style.

Picker

Ask what the video is, not what color the user likes. The left column is the answer to "what is this?"

Vertical (1080×1920 — Reels / TikTok / Shorts)

Horizontal (1920×1080 — YouTube / web / landscape)

The catalog

Every block below is a complete add_captions payload. Copy it whole. Add trackIndex only if auto-detection picks the wrong speech track.

Colors follow Palmier's defaults: text color omitted = white; outline.color / background.color / shadow.color omitted = black.

Vertical — 1080×1920

Clean Creator

White Inter bold in the vertical safe zone. The default for any short-form talking head.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "animation": "fadeIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 64, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 8, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.5 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Keyword Yellow

Same body as Clean Creator, one size up, active word pops yellow. Retention edits.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "animation": "popIn",
  "highlightColor": "#FFD900",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 70, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 8, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.45 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Karaoke Fill

Words fill in white left-to-right as spoken. Music, lyrics, high tempo.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "animation": "wordReveal",
  "highlightColor": "#FFFFFF",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Poppins", "fontSize": 66, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.55 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Phrase Pop

Biggest of the vertical body styles, gold word pop. Maximum energy.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "animation": "popIn",
  "highlightColor": "#FACC15",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Manrope", "fontSize": 72, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 10, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 4 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.55 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Minimal Podcast

Non-bold Inter on a rounded translucent black pill, sitting low. Understated podcast clips.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 54,
    "background": {
      "enabled": true, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.65,
      "cornerRadius": 16, "padding": { "x": 24, "y": 14 }
    },
    "shadow": { "enabled": true }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.85 }
}

Modern Podcast

DM Sans bold with a sky-blue active word. Cleaner and cooler than Keyword Yellow.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "animation": "fadeIn",
  "highlightColor": "#5CC8FF",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "DM Sans", "fontSize": 62, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 2 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.4 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Bounce

Large Poppins with a per-word bounce. Playful, no color accent.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "animation": "wordPop",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Poppins", "fontSize": 76, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Punch Zoom

Anton 100 ALL CAPS, dead center, two words at a time, no animation. Cold opens and hooks.

{
  "maxWords": 2,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Anton", "fontSize": 100, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase",
    "shadow": { "enabled": true }
  }
}

Meme Classic

Impact CAPS with a thick black outline, hard against the bottom. Shadow is deliberately off.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Impact", "fontSize": 72, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase",
    "outline": { "enabled": true, "width": 9, "color": "#000000" },
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.88 }
}

One Word

One word at a time, centered. Hypnotic pacing; produces ~3.5× as many caption clips.

{
  "maxWords": 1,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 52, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 8, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.5 }
  }
}

Horizontal — 1920×1080

Podcast Clean Captions

Plain white Helvetica Neue at the bottom, no animation. The horizontal default.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Helvetica Neue", "fontSize": 40,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 4, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.5 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.9 }
}

Documentary

Arial on a translucent black bar, full sentences, hard bottom. Broadcast and accessibility.

{
  "maxWords": 8,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Arial", "fontSize": 42,
    "background": { "enabled": true, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.45 },
    "shadow": { "enabled": true }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.9 }
}

Number Callout

White Inter bold; the active word recolors orange and scales. Emphasis that stays readable.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "highlightPop",
  "highlightColor": "#FF6B00",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 54, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 8, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.5 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.8 }
}

Marker Highlight

Dark text with a yellow block sweeping across the active word. ⚠️ Un-highlighted words are #111111 with no outline — they wash out over light footage. Use Number Callout instead if the plate is bright.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "highlightBlock",
  "highlightColor": "#FFD23F",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 52, "bold": true, "color": "#111111",
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.85 }
}

Floating Pill

Near-black text on an opaque white rounded pill. Brand-safe and designed-looking. Shadow off.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "popIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 46, "bold": true, "color": "#1A1A1A",
    "background": {
      "enabled": true, "color": "#FFFFFF", "opacity": 1,
      "cornerRadius": 40, "padding": { "x": 28, "y": 16 }
    },
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.82 }
}

Shake Emphasis

Anton CAPS with a red word pop. The loudest horizontal option.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "wordPop",
  "highlightColor": "#FF2A2A",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Anton", "fontSize": 62, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase",
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 8, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.5 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.78 }
}

Editorial Serif

Georgia, not bold, no accent color. Essays, interviews, anything that shouldn't shout.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "fadeIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Georgia", "fontSize": 50,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 2 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.4 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.82 }
}

Cinematic Title

Avenir CAPS with wide tracking, centered, static. Reads as a title card rather than a caption.

{
  "maxWords": 3,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Avenir", "fontSize": 48, "fontCase": "uppercase", "tracking": 8,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true }
  }
}

Bilingual Stack

Plain Inter bold sitting higher than a normal lower-third, leaving room for a translation line beneath.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "fadeIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 54, "bold": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 8, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.5 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.74 }
}

Footage Stencil Bold

120pt CAPS knocked out of the layers below. ⚠️ Requires a distinct backdrop under the caption track — over the same footage it renders invisible. get_timeline does not report fillMode, so it reads back looking like an ordinary group.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "wordPop",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 120, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase", "tracking": -2,
    "outline": { "enabled": true, "width": 10, "color": "#000000" },
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  }
}

Then, in a second call, switch the group to stencil fill:

{ "captionGroupId": "<from add_captions>", "fillMode": "footage" }

Typewriter Terminal

Terminal green Courier, lowercase, typing out on a near-black bar. Tech and dev content.

{
  "maxWords": 8,
  "animation": "typewriter",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Courier New", "fontSize": 42, "fontCase": "lowercase", "color": "#33FF66",
    "background": {
      "enabled": true, "color": "#0A0A0A", "opacity": 0.85,
      "cornerRadius": 0, "padding": { "x": 32, "y": 18 }
    }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.85 }
}

Comic Book POW

Yellow Impact CAPS, heavy black outline, hard offset drop shadow, tilted 4° and sitting high. Gaming and comedy.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "wordPop",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Impact", "fontSize": 96, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase", "color": "#FFDE00",
    "outline": { "enabled": true, "width": 12, "color": "#111111" },
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": 6, "y": 6 }, "color": "#111111", "opacity": 1 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.45, "rotation": -4 }
}

fontSize reads back near 95.98 — Palmier auto-fits long captions. Author 96.

Minimalist Whisper

Tiny lowercase grey at 80% opacity, parked at the top of frame. Ambient; not for accessibility.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "fadeIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Inter", "fontSize": 30, "fontCase": "lowercase", "tracking": 3,
    "color": "#EAEAEACC",
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.1 }
}

Retro VHS

Cream Courier CAPS with a cyan chromatic fringe offset left, over- and underlined, top of frame.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Courier New", "fontSize": 44, "fontCase": "uppercase", "tracking": 4,
    "color": "#FFF8E7", "underline": true, "overline": true,
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": -3, "y": 0 }, "color": "#00E5FF", "opacity": 0.8 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.12 }
}

Elegant Wedding Serif

Times New Roman in warm cream with light tracking, low in frame. Weddings, luxury, lifestyle.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "fadeIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Times New Roman", "fontSize": 44, "tracking": 2, "color": "#F5EFE0",
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": 0, "y": 3 }, "color": "#000000", "opacity": 0.4 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.88 }
}

Kids Cartoon Bubbly

Pink Comic Sans with a white outline and a purple hard shadow; active word goes orange.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "wordPop",
  "highlightColor": "#FF7A00",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Comic Sans MS", "fontSize": 66, "bold": true, "color": "#FF5FA2",
    "outline": { "enabled": true, "width": 8, "color": "#FFFFFF" },
    "shadow": { "enabled": true, "blur": 0, "offset": { "x": 4, "y": 4 }, "color": "#7A2E8C", "opacity": 1 }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.72 }
}

Instagram Reel Bold Yellow

Yellow Helvetica CAPS with a thin black outline, centered. Reel energy on a landscape canvas. Shadow off.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "animation": "popIn",
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Helvetica Neue", "fontSize": 72, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase",
    "tracking": -1, "color": "#FFE600",
    "outline": { "enabled": true, "width": 5, "color": "#000000" },
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  }
}

TikTok Meme Bottom Bar

Black CAPS on a solid white bar pinned to the very bottom. Hard-cut meme humor.

{
  "maxWords": 5,
  "style": {
    "fontName": "Helvetica Neue", "fontSize": 46, "bold": true, "fontCase": "uppercase",
    "color": "#000000",
    "background": {
      "enabled": true, "color": "#FFFFFF", "opacity": 1,
      "cornerRadius": 0, "padding": { "x": 16, "y": 6 }
    },
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  },
  "transform": { "centerY": 0.95 }
}

Parameter reference

maxWords is the density dial and the single biggest driver of feel. Palmier still breaks on natural pauses, so it is a cap, not a quota.

animation — fadeIn (safe, default), popIn, slideUp, typewriter, wordReveal (karaoke fill), wordSlide, wordPop (per-word bounce), wordCycle, highlightPop (active word recolors + scales), highlightBlock (active word gets a colored block behind it), off. Word-timed presets read the transcript, so they cost nothing extra. highlightColor only does anything with wordReveal, wordPop, highlightPop, highlightBlock, and the popIn/fadeIn variants that carry one.

transform.centerY — 0 = top, 1 = bottom. Omitting it centers at 0.5. The catalog's positions:

Color defaults, so you know what "omitted" means: text color defaults to white, outline.color and background.color and shadow.color default to black. shadow.enabled defaults to false — a shadow block with blur and offset but no enabled: true renders nothing.

Sizes are canvas points, where the canvas equals the project's pixel dimensions. Every number in this catalog is authored for a 1080-line canvas.

Porting across canvas sizes

• Same orientation, different resolution (4K, 720p): multiply fontSize, outline.width, shadow.blur, shadow.offset, background.padding, and background.cornerRadius by targetHeight / 1080. centerY, tracking, and opacities are already normalized — leave them.
• Vertical template on a horizontal project (or vice versa): don't. Pick the equivalent from the other table. The two sets are tuned differently on purpose — vertical runs 54–100pt on a 1080-wide canvas, horizontal runs 30–72pt on a 1920-wide one.

Switching a template on existing captions

update_text is a partial patch — omitted properties keep their old values. Switching from a template with an outline to one without leaves the outline on. Always explicitly clear what the outgoing template set:

{
  "captionGroupId": "<from get_timeline>",
  "animation": "off",
  "fillMode": "color",
  "style": {
    "color": "#FFFFFF", "tracking": 0, "fontCase": "mixed",
    "bold": false, "italic": false, "underline": false, "overline": false,
    "outline": { "enabled": false },
    "background": { "enabled": false },
    "shadow": { "enabled": false }
  }
}

Send that reset first, then the new template's style / animation / transform in a second call. Two calls, reliably correct, beats one call that half-applies.

maxWords cannot be changed by update_text — it decides how the transcript was split. To change caption density you must delete the caption clips and re-run add_captions.

Gotchas

• Footage Stencil Bold renders invisible over a single video layer. It uses fillMode: "footage", which knocks the letters out of whatever is below — with the same footage below, the result is pixel-identical to the footage. It needs a distinct backdrop (a color matte, a blurred copy, a b-roll layer) beneath the caption track. Also note get_timeline does not report fillMode, so a stencil group looks like an ordinary one when you read it back.
• Marker Highlight only reads on the highlighted word. Its base text is #111111 with no outline; over light footage the un-highlighted words nearly disappear. That is the intended effect, but confirm the footage is dark enough — otherwise use Number Callout, which keeps the base text white.
• shadow.enabled is easy to lose. Several catalog templates carry shadow blur/offset values with the shadow switched off (Meme Classic, Floating Pill, Marker Highlight, Footage Stencil Bold, Minimalist Whisper, Instagram Reel Bold Yellow, TikTok Meme Bottom Bar). Copy enabled exactly; don't assume a shadow block means a visible shadow.
• get_timeline omits anything at its default. Reading a group back and seeing no color means white, not "unset". Don't round-trip a read into a write and expect fidelity — write from this catalog.
• fontSize may come back fractional (e.g. 95.977 instead of 96). Palmier auto-fits the box for long captions. Author the round number; ignore the drift on read.

Expanding beyond the catalog

When the user wants something not in the catalog, start from the nearest template and change one axis, keeping everything else:

| User asks | Change | |---|---|---| | "brand colors" | style.color and/or highlightColor only | | "bigger" / "smaller" | fontSize only, ±20% steps | | a specific font | style.fontName only — then inspect_timeline to confirm it resolved, and re-tune fontSize if the new face runs wider or narrower | | "higher" / "lower" | transform.centerY only, ±0.05 steps | | "more/less energy" | swap animation within the same family (fadeIn ↔ popIn ↔ wordPop) | | "tighter" / "looser" captions | maxWords, and re-run add_captions | | "add a background" | copy the background block from Minimal Podcast, Documentary, Floating Pill, Typewriter Terminal, or TikTok Meme Bottom Bar wholesale |

Changing two or more axes at once is how captions get ugly. If the user's request genuinely needs a new look, build it, then inspect_timeline and show them the frame before moving on.