{"id":524,"date":"2024-11-25T13:39:22","date_gmt":"2024-11-25T20:39:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/idwerkz.com\/blog\/?p=524"},"modified":"2024-11-25T15:14:17","modified_gmt":"2024-11-25T22:14:17","slug":"editing-subtitles-with-aegisub","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/idwerkz.com\/blog\/accessibility\/editing-subtitles-with-aegisub\/","title":{"rendered":"Editing Subtitles with Aegisub"},"content":{"rendered":"

Aegisub Subtitle Editor Workflow<\/h1>\n

\"Aegisub<\/a><\/p>\n

You start with a transcript of the audio. Always. If you do not have a transcript of the audio, read this quick article on how to get a transcript<\/a>, and then come back and join the party.<\/p>\n

BASIC Aegisub Workflow<\/h2>\n

Begin with your transcript saved in plain text file (.txt), or in subtitle file (.srt) format:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. \n
      \n
    1. \n
        \n
      1. Open Aegisub.
        \n        \"Aegisub<\/a><\/li>\n
      2. With the Aegisub editor open, select \u201cFile\\Open Subtitle\u201d to import a subtitle file or plain text file.<\/li>\n
      3. Navigate to the location your transcript is saved, select the file and click \u201cOpen\u201d.<\/li>\n
      4. The Text Import Options window prompts you for characters to separate different actors, and a character to denote comments in the subtitle file (comments do not appear onscreen). Enter characters if your transcript is formatted with them, otherwise ignore.
        \n        \"Aegisub<\/a><\/li>\n
      5. Click \u201cOK\u201d and the file loads.<\/li>\n
      6. The text grid populates with the contents of your subtitle\/text file.
        \n        \"Aegisub<\/a><\/li>\n
      7. Select the first row, and that subtitle will appear in the Subtitle Edit window.<\/li>\n
      8. Edit the subtitle as appropriate for grammar and line length.<\/li>\n
      9. Adjust the timing for the subtitle by moving the blue and red lines within the Audio editing window. Blue is the beginning, red is the ending. Other subtitles are represented with gray lines.
        \n        \"Aegisub<\/a><\/li>\n
      10. Press ENTER when the subtitle is formatted and the timing is set. Aegisub will register the timing for your subtitle and move to the next subtitle line in the Text Grid.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

        Repeat this process until all of the subtitles have been formatted and properly timed to appear on screen.<\/p>\n

        That\u2019s the essential workflow, continue reading to learn about optimizing your workflow, setting preferences, and how to format your subtitles so they are easier to read and understand.<\/p>\n

        Set Your Aegisub Options<\/h2>\n

        \"Aegisub<\/a><\/p>\n

        Goto \u201cView\\Options\u2026\u201d and select the \u201cInterface\u201d option to set the preferences for how many characters per line, characters per second warning threshold, and characters per second error threshold.<\/p>\n

        I set my preferences to 42 characters per line, 15 characters per second warning threshold, and 30 characters per second error threshold.<\/p>\n

        Click \u201cApply\u201d when you are finished.<\/p>\n

        Colors<\/h3>\n

        From the Options menu, click the \u201cColors\u201d option under \u201cInterface\u201d and adjust the different colors used within the Aegisub interface.<\/p>\n

        \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

        When finished adjusting your preferences, click \u201cApply\u201d to activate your settings.<\/p>\n

        Click \u201cOK\u201d to close the Options panel.<\/p>\n

        Video Window<\/h2>\n

        Go to the \u201cVideo\u201d menu to open the video you are subtitling.<\/p>\n

        \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

        You can enlarge or reduce the size of the video window by hovering the mouse over the video and using the mouse scroll wheel.<\/p>\n

        There are multiple playback modes. Playback can be limited to the current subtitle line, or playback can proceed through the remainder of the video from the current subtitle line forward.<\/p>\n

        Audio Window<\/h2>\n

        The Audio window displays the waveform for the audio. The area of the waveform between the red and the blue lines is the audio content corresponding to the current line of subtitles.<\/p>\n

        \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

        You can easily adjust the timing of each subtitle line by dragging the start or end lines within the audio window.<\/p>\n

        Editing Audio Timing<\/h3>\n

        Within the Audio Window:<\/p>\n

          \n
        1. \n
            \n
          1. \n
              \n
            1. Move the BLUE line to the beginning of your subtitle audio.<\/li>\n
            2. Move the RED line to the end of your subtitle audio.<\/li>\n
            3. Press SPACEBAR to play the audio for the current subtitle.<\/li>\n
            4. Ensure the display time for the current subtitle corresponds with the selected audio.<\/li>\n
            5. Press ENTER when you are satisfied with the timing.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

              Text Editing Window<\/h2>\n

              Immediately beneath the Audio Window is the Text Editing window.<\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

              When you select a line of subtitles in the Text Grid, that subtitle will be displayed in the Text Editing window for editing.<\/p>\n

              Right click within the Text Editing window to access options for adjusting line length and splitting subtitles.<\/p>\n

              \"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

              Use NUMPAD 5 to play the audio currently associated with the subtitle being edited.<\/p>\n

              Editing the Captions<\/h2>\n

              Edit the subtitles according to the rules for editing captions, as described in the \u201cCaptioning Key\u201d resource from the Described Media and Caption Program (DCMP).<\/p>\n

              Use the Captioning Key for full details of how to format different types of information, as well as how to style your captions for maximum readability.<\/p>\n

              Captioning Key: https:\/\/dcmp.org\/learn\/captioningkey<\/a><\/p>\n

              Formatting Language<\/h3>\n

              There are many considerations for formatting subtitles to enhance their readability and understandability. Check out the Captioning Key for a complete explanation of how to format different types of information. In general, the following guidelines should always be followed:<\/p>\n