<p>If you convert the .srt files to .ass, then you can have a lot more control over how the subtitles appear.</p>

<p>To convert use ffmpeg:</p>

<pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.srt output.ass
</code></pre>

<p>This will give you an .ass subtitle file. You'll see in the header of that file that there will be details about font, size, placement colour and so on. Here's an example from Wikipedia: </p>

<blockquote>
  <p>[V4+ Styles]
   Format: Name, Fontname, Fontsize, PrimaryColour, SecondaryColour, OutlineColour, BackColour, Bold, Italic, Underline, StrikeOut, ScaleX, ScaleY, Spacing, Angle, BorderStyle, Outline, Shadow, Alignment, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Encoding</p>
  
  <p>Style: Default,
  Arial,28,&amp;H00B4FCFC,&amp;H00B4FCFC,&amp;H00000008,&amp;H80000008,-1,0,0,0,100,100,0.00,0.00,1,1.00,2.00,2,30,30,30,0</p>
</blockquote>

<p>The first line lists all the settings, and the second lists the values for each style.  </p>

<p>You can edit the header by hand to get the size and placement you want, and then burn it in using ffmpeg again:</p>

<pre><code>ffmpeg -i input.mov -vf ass="output.ass" output.mp4
</code></pre>

<p>You may want to add encoding settings etc, but that's basically it.</p>

CC BY-SA 4.0
2020-04-20T11:50:18.080Z
This worked liked a charm! Thanks.
jgthms
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-12T00:38:57.240Z
2015-06-12T00:38:57.240Z
stib
<p>I've been spending all day trying to achieve everything in my question. </p>

<p>The only solution I've found being to encode the subs onto a green matte and then key out the green in premiere and change the screen position and size.</p>

<p><strong>The tricky part is scale and screen placement issue</strong>, I've tried handbrake, subler and ffmpeg, but without success.</p>

<p>Any free software suggestions are welcome. Thanks.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-06-10T18:08:20.317Z
Welcome Stefan :) Please start with the tour: http://video.stackexchange.com/tour to get your first badge ;) Anyway, enjoy video.se!
p2or
<subtitles>
Mac Hardcode Subtitles from SRT to MP4 & adjust size and screen position
Stefan Editor
# Mac Hardcode Subtitles from SRT to MP4 & adjust size and screen position

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-06-10)

I've been spending all day trying to achieve everything in my question.

The only solution I've found being to encode the subs onto a green matte and then key out the green in premiere and change the screen position and size.

**The tricky part is scale and screen placement issue**, I've tried handbrake, subler and ffmpeg, but without success.

Any free software suggestions are welcome. Thanks.

**Tags:** subtitles

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: Welcome Stefan :) Please start with the tour: http://video.stackexchange.com/tour to get your first badge ;) Anyway, enjoy video.se!  

---

## 1 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-06-12. Score: 2

If you convert the .srt files to .ass, then you can have a lot more control over how the subtitles appear.
To convert use ffmpeg:
ffmpeg -i input.srt output.ass

This will give you an .ass subtitle file. You'll see in the header of that file that there will be details about font, size, placement colour and so on. Here's an example from Wikipedia: 

[V4+ Styles]
   Format: Name, Fontname, Fontsize, PrimaryColour, SecondaryColour, OutlineColour, BackColour, Bold, Italic, Underline, StrikeOut, ScaleX, ScaleY, Spacing, Angle, BorderStyle, Outline, Shadow, Alignment, MarginL, MarginR, MarginV, Encoding
Style: Default,
  Arial,28,&H00B4FCFC,&H00B4FCFC,&H00000008,&H80000008,-1,0,0,0,100,100,0.00,0.00,1,1.00,2.00,2,30,30,30,0

The first line lists all the settings, and the second lists the values for each style.  
You can edit the header by hand to get the size and placement you want, and then burn it in using ffmpeg again:
ffmpeg -i input.mov -vf ass="output.ass" output.mp4

You may want to add encoding settings etc, but that's basically it.

> **Comments:**
> **username_3**: This worked liked a charm! Thanks.  

---

