Title: [Update] How To Change Subtitle Font Size in VLC (Increase or Decrease)
Learn how to quickly and easily increase or decrease the subtitle font size in VLC using a keyboard shortcut and VLC settings.
VLC is one of the most popular video players for Windows. A couple of main reasons why it is so popular are its wide compatibility, simple user interface, and a ton of options to customize the application and playback. Like any other video player, VLC can show subtitles when they are available. By default, the font size depends on its settings and aspect ratio. However, what if the default font size is too big or too small? For example, I like my subtitles to be a bit smaller than the default size so they don’t obstruct the video. On the other hand, you might want to increase their size to make them easier to read.
Whatever your preference is, in VLC, you have three ways to change the subtitle font size. In this quick and straightforward guide, let me show you the steps to change the text size of subtitles in VLC. Let’s get started.
Change VLC Subtitles Font Size Using Keyboard Shortcuts
While the video is playing in VLC, use the keyboard shortcuts below to change the subtitles font size. The lower limit is 25% of the default size, and the upper limit is 500%.
- Increase subtitles font size: Ctrl + Mouse wheel up
- Decrease the subtitles font size: Ctrl + Mouse wheel down
The best thing about this method is that you are not permanently changing the default size. You are only modifying it for this specific video playback session.
Change VLC Subtitles Font Size Using Preferences
If you want to change the default text size of the subtitles, you can do so using VLC’s preferences. Here’s how.
- Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows key”.
- Search for “VLC” in the Start menu and click “Open“.
- Click the “Tools” option on the top bar.
- Select the “Preferences” option.
- Go to the “Subtitles / OSD” tab on the top bar.
- Under the “Subtitle effects” section, choose a text size from the “Font size” dropdown menu.
- Click “Save“.
- With that, you’ve changed the subtitles font size in VLC.
Change VLC Subtitles Font Size Using Advanced Preferences
If you want to set your subtitles font size to a specific pixel size instead of the predefined smaller, small, normal, large, and larger, you can do so using advanced preferences. Here’s how.
- Open the Start menu by pressing the “Windows key”.
- Search for “VLC” in the Start menu and click “Open“.
- Select the “Tools” > “Preferences” option on the top navigation bar.
- Select the “All” option in the bottom left corner.
- Scroll down on the left panel and expand the “Subtitles/OSD” option.
- Select the “Text renderer” tab from the expanded menu.
- On the right page, set the subtitle font size in pixels in the “Font size in pixels” field.
- Click the “Save” button to save the change.
- Close and reopen the VLC media player to see the changes.
That is all. It is that simple to set the VLC subtitle font size in pixels.
Note: To reset the subtitle font size, type ‘0’ in the “Font size in pixels” field.
Wrapping Up
As you can see, you have three simple ways to change the text size of subtitles in VLC. The first method is useful if you want to modify the subtitles’ size temporarily. The second and third methods are useful if you want to permanently change the subtitles size so that their setting is persistent in your next sessions. Keep in mind that the third method allows you to set the font size in pixels, giving you greater control.
For further customization, you can also modify additional settings such as font family, background color, outline color & size, shadow, etc. All these options are available in the “Subtitles / OSD” > “Text Renderer” page of the Advanced Preferences window.
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If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist.
Good to know: How to backup all VLC settings and keyboard shortcuts
