Offer Inclusive Training Materials with Camtasia Captions

By: Verbit Editorial

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Camtasia is an all-in-one screen recording and video editing software platform popular with HR professionals and others. Those creating and providing comprehensive training materials for employees or clients appreciate the software’s real-time screen capture of communications that take place on virtual platforms. Additionally, Camtasia offers a wide range of video editing tools and functionalities like interactive quizzes.  

Studies suggest that employee retention rates rise 30-50% for companies that invest in a strong learning culture. Using video content as a tool for education and training is a great way to support employees’ career development and has proven particularly valuable due to recent increases in virtual and hybrid work arrangements. Business leaders looking to offer more inclusive training materials may want to consider adding closed captions to the video content they create in Camtasia.

Table of Contents:

Understanding the Role of Closed Captions

Captioning refers to the process of converting audio to on-screen text. Generally speaking, captions convey the spoken dialogue of a video as well as additional audio elements like sound effects, pauses, crosstalk and more. Closed captions, specifically, are a style of captioning that viewers can turn on and off. Captions typically appear as white text encased in a black box. Turning closed captions on and off is simple with a remote control or an on-screen [cc] button.

Television and streaming platforms must offer captions to their viewers, and increasingly, other video producers are adding them as well. Captions are an accessibility tool, but also help video producers increase engagement with their content.

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Does Camtasia Do Closed Captioning?

As with some similar video platforms like Panopto, Camtasia offers a basic form of auto-captioning for Windows users only. While many users enjoy the convenience of automatic captions, they may be surprised to learn that this functionality doesn’t always save them time or money in the long run. Unfortunately, the relatively low accuracy rates achieved by speech-to-text software can create problems and even render the captions useless. Instead of risking complications related to inaccessibility, users can take advantage of the other available Camtasia closed captioning workflows.

How to Set Up Closed Captioning in Camtasia

There are a few different options available to users interested in using closed captioning on Camtasia projects. The first option is to manually add your captions within the platform via the following steps:

  1. In the Camtasia side panel, select Audio EffectsCaptions
  2. Click and drag the captioning track to the audio track of your video. The track will then automatically split into four-second increments.
  3. Select each caption frame and manually input text that corresponds to the audio of the video. Manually adjust the time frame for each caption.
  4. Repeat this process for the entirety of your video project.

This process can be extremely laborious as it requires that a video editor accurately transcribe each and every audio component of the video. The platform does have a slightly less tedious Camtasia closed caption option that allows Windows users to copy and paste the text from an existing video transcript. However, this workflow still requires users to manually sync their captions with the audio track word by word. For this reason, it’s advisable that Camtasia users opt to import caption files that already contain accurate timings.

How to Import a Caption File in Camtasia

Creators can partner with professional closed captioning services like Verbit to generate SRT captions for their content. When users upload a recording to Verbit’s platform, an advanced form of artificial intelligence immediately creates a draft transcript. This initial transcript is then reviewed and edited by a professionally trained human transcriber. With the added edits of that transcriber, Verbit can get closer to targeted accuracy rates of up to 99%. This transcript allows Verbit to efficiently create closed captions that users can download. Final caption files are available in a wide range of popular formats like SRT and VTT files

Once users receive the SRT file, they can upload the Camtasia captions by selecting File Import Captions. From there, simply select the intended SRT file, and the captions will be imported into the project and synced with the video according to the included timecodes.  

How to Export Camtasia Video with Captions

Once your video project is complete, you can choose to export your video with the captions “baked in” or to export the captions as a separate sidecar file. Burned-in captions are ones that users can’t turn off. Instead, the captions will always appear as a part of the video. To export your video with burned-in captions:  

  1. Select Export Local FileCustom Production Settings
  2. Click Next
  3. Select MP4 SmartPlayer (HTML 5)
  4. Click Next 
  5. Under the Controller tab, select Produce with Controller 
  6. Under Options, select Captions Caption TypeBurned in captions
  7. Click Next and complete the remaining steps to export your video as normal

Keep in mind that viewers may want the option to disable captions at their own discretion. For this reason, those looking to provide closed captioning of their content will want to consider exporting their Camtasia caption file separately. Offering closed captions will allow viewers the flexibility to view with or without captions within their intended media hosting platform.  

Verbit: Streamlining the Captioning Process for All

Captioning video content is a great way of improving accessibility while also boosting viewer engagement. Making training materials in particular more compelling and dynamic can contribute to increased employee retention and help to foster more inclusive work environments.  

Verbit is proud to offer a full suite of assistive technology solutions like captioning, transcription, translation and audio description that can help business leaders offer more efficient and inclusive resources and communications. Reach out today to learn more and discover all the ways accessibility technology can support the changing needs of today’s workforce.