Forum Discussion
font size of closed captions (SL360)
Hi,
is there a way to increase the font size of closed captions? The import went well, the timing is perfect and the position of closed captions box works just fine, but the font size seems pretty small. Changing or creating theme font doesn't effect the closed captions. So... I am stuck (for the moment)
Hermann Plasa
Hi folks,
Thanks for the open and honest conversation about this feature. We agree that it should be possible to adjust the font size of closed captions independently, for all the reasons you've mentioned above.
This is on our list, alongside a number of other planned accessibility improvements in the near future. I don't have a firm release date as of now, but I'll make sure this thread gets an update once we're ready to share more.
- ChrisBurnsCommunity Member
Thank you Simon, I hope this is done soon. Unfortunately it will be too late for my client's deadline - I only realised the subtitles were so small after I had told the client it was possible to add them. The irony is that I'm creating a module on Accessibility - with captions so tiny that I can't read them.
- ClintClarkson-cCommunity Member
9 months later...
Hi Hermann! Just to circle back... the Player font size window will also control the captions font size. In this way, the caption text is like an extension of the rest of the Player text.
I'm thinking you were hoping to modify the caption font size independently of the rest of the Player text. The range of size for the captions font was limited as an effort to stay within accessibility standards.
But let us know if you think we can improve or if your learners have different needs! Thanks for reaching out.
- HermannPlasaCommunity Member
Thank you Crystal,
that's of course a good point: "to stay within accessibility standards". That's what we are looking at right now in case there might be differences between countries. Here (Germany) we were asked by a customer if we can increase the font size dramatically... and that triggered my post. If the accessability standards are met everything is ok - and I think you know what you do :)
Hermann
- S-JBirchCommunity Member
Unfair? We've paid 7200$ for this software so far. And we're going to pay another 3600$ end of year. I am excited for new features, but I want the existing ones to work properly.
Ive lived with Adobes Creative Cloud subscription hell for 5 years now and I am not at all happy with where it has taken their development focus. This recurring revenue thing puts a lot of focus on new stuff, having the proper tick boxes ticked so you come up great in the comparison charts. Existing features linger, because they are not "important" (but why did you then make them in the first place?)
I don't know who decides what is important development (and not important) in the Articulate company, but why is it important to introduce a feature, but not do it properly?
We need subtitles in our projects. Our users want them and they are unhappy with the small size of it. We do spend a lot of time on it, and anyone who uses or works with subtitles professionally know that the size of the letters on screen matters quite a lot. What works fine on a 32 incher might not be working well on a 14 incher. And if the only way to remedy this oversight is to hack with javascript, I don't think the feature is well done, or finished.
Though I do sound like sour grapes right now, and it is, I want to thank you for that tip, mr. Bibby. Your posts on how to hack courses with javascript are great and I just now realised it was you who responded
Anyways, when implementing a feature, do it right. Or wait until you can. Or live with the moaning from customers users that find it unsatisfactory.
- HermannPlasaCommunity Member
Thank you very much, Matthew! Obvisously I need to visit an ophthalmologist, because I took a close look at the player options but simply overlooked the second font list for captions. There is no font size percentage as with the player font size, but my question is answered and 51% of the problem is solved... Hermann
- S-JBirchCommunity Member
Hermann, I am glad you brought this up, but I think that the implementation of CC in storyline 360 is not that good. I can't tell how the american standards are, but where I am from, the nordic countries, there is a long running tradition of subtitling foreign films and television shows (not by voice dubbing like is common in Germany). Subtitles are rather large, taking up the lower third of the screen (not entirely blocking it out) but we're more like a size 24-to 28 font.
It was invented also to aid the hearing impaired, not just to allow danes to watch films in foreign languages.
Crystal, we have the same request. Open Captions, or as we europeans call them: subtitles. Like you'll see in a film if you go to fancy cinema that shows foreign films that aren't dubbed. These letters are MUCH larger than the tiny, player based Storyline 360 captions .
Accessibility standards for subtitles in this part of the world dictates that text should be legible on screen. I have a hard time understanding how these tiny-font sized captions Articulate have decided to go with can be within standards. I think they are very small even with normal vision. If the person has to squint to read the tiny-fonts, isn't that the exact opposite you're achieving than make it accessible?
Can we have adjustable Captions font size on the player menu, allow to independently specify Captions font size so it is not tied to player font size in general?
Hi Soren!
I see that you submitted this as a feature request as well, so thank you. That's the best way to share your ideas and concerns with our team.
- EdSteedsCommunity Member
Hi I would like to add my voice to the requests. Our clients are amazed that we cannot easily increase the size of the closed captions. Please make this a feature as soon as you can.
- S-JBirchCommunity Member
We now sit at the end of 2019, and Close Captions / Subtitle fonts are still locked at Ludicrously Small in the player. I still get complaints from course takers that the subtitles are uncomfortably small and that is a shame, but overall Articulate Storyline 360 feels more robust than it did a year ago.
Thanks for the context, Hermann. It's a great conversation to have, especially when it comes to international standards and how they might differ.
We're happy to help where we can! 🇩🇪
- MichaelMarksCommunity Member
I for one mirror that request! Here at the (DoD-DEOMI) people are asking us to increases the font on closed captions, like now! A "can't do it" will out's Storyline 3 here quickly! And please fix this WITH 360/SL3 as an update, if we need to spend another $1,100 or more for SL4 (which has this update) it will surly sink the ship and use of Articulate Storyline going forward.