Titles & Kinetic Text in Zella

Quick answer: Open the Titles tab in Zella’s editor, type your text, and give it one of 12 entrance animations. Add a gradient fill, stroke, shadow, or box so it reads over any footage, then anchor it so it stays put when you reframe to vertical. Titles save with the project (text + style + color) and survive across transitions. Use ready-made templates like Subscribe and Big Statement to start fast.

On this page: add a title · entrance animations · decorations · gradient · templates · anchoring · persistence · impact · FAQ

How to add a title

1. Open the Titles tab (right inspector).
2. Add a title and type your text.
3. Set its start time and duration (when it appears and how long).
4. Position it in the frame.

It renders in the preview and bakes into the export.

Figure: ① type text, ② pick an entrance animation, ③ add gradient/stroke/box, ④ anchor for reframe.

How to add an entrance animation

Give the title a kinetic entrance instead of a static pop-in. Choose from 12 entrance animations (fade, slide, pop, rise, scale-in, typewriter-style reveals, and more). Each plays an animated entrance so the text feels alive — essential for hooks and reels. Pick the energy: snappy pops for social, smooth fades for tutorials.

How to style with stroke, shadow, and box

Make the text readable over any footage:

• Stroke — an outline that keeps letters legible on busy backgrounds.
• Shadow — a drop shadow for depth and separation.
• Box — a filled background behind the text (great for captions-style titles and CTAs).

Combine them as needed; the render is exact in the preview.

How to add a gradient fill title

Fill the title’s text with a top-to-bottom color gradient instead of a flat color — a premium, modern look for big statements and hooks. Enable gradient fill and choose the two colors; the blend is visible in the text.

How to use title templates

Zella includes ready-made title styles/templates for common needs — e.g. a Subscribe reminder pill and a Big Statement layout — so you can drop in a polished, animated title without building it from scratch. Pick a template, then edit the text.

How to anchor a title for reframe

This is the feature that saves you when you publish to multiple aspects:

• Anchor a title to a position so that when you reframe (e.g. 16:9 → 9:16), the title stays anchored — not clipped off-frame or shoved off-center.
• Titles are responsive to the canvas, so the same project exports cleanly to landscape, square, and vertical.

Do titles survive save and reopen?

Yes — your titles’ text, style, and color are saved with the project. Close and reopen and they come back exactly as you set them (chapter 22). Titles also render on both sides of a transition.

What impact titles have

For content creators and video editors, titles do specific conversion jobs:

• Hooks raise retention — a bold kinetic title in the first 2 seconds tells viewers what they’ll get and keeps them watching.
• Lower-thirds build authority — naming yourself/the topic makes content feel produced and credible.
• CTAs drive action — a mid-roll “Try it free” or an end-screen “Subscribe” title is where views turn into clicks and follows.
• Anchoring multiplies reach — anchored titles let one edit ship to every aspect ratio without redoing text placement.

Titles FAQ

How do I add animated text to a video? Open the Titles tab, type your text, and choose one of 12 entrance animations.

How do I make a gradient text title? Enable gradient fill in the Titles tab and pick two colors.

Will my title get cut off when I make the video vertical? Not if you anchor it — anchored titles stay placed through a reframe.

Do titles save when I close the project? Yes — text, style, and color persist on reopen.

Is there a quick way to add a Subscribe or hook title? Use the built-in Subscribe and Big Statement templates, then edit the text.

Pro tips & gotchas

• Pick one of the 12 entrance animations, then decorate with gradient fill, stroke, shadow, or a box for contrast.
• Set the anchor so the title sits responsively for the aspect you’ll export to.
• Title styling persists with the project — reopen later and it’s exactly as you left it.
• Keep titles short and high-contrast; a gradient fill over a dark box reads on any background.

Related: Callouts → · Reframe → · Transitions → · Color & effects →