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7 text effects you need to know in DaVinci Resolve

Every editor needs to know how to make text effects in DaVinci Resolve, or risk looking like an amateur.

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7 text effects you need to know in DaVinci Resolve
7 effets de texte à ABSOLUMENT savoir dans Davinci Resolve · Watch on YouTube

7 text effects you need to know in DaVinci Resolve (complete Fusion tutorial)

Every editor needs to know how to make text effects in DaVinci Resolve, or risk looking like an amateur. So today we're covering 7 text effects you absolutely need to know on the Fusion page of DaVinci Resolve. If you're new to nodes, keep our guide to every Fusion node handy.

1. 3D tracking: anchoring the text in reality

The goal is to make your text follow your shot's camera movements perfectly, as if it were a physical object present in the scene.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. Preparation: On your editing timeline, make sure your clip has no black bars (use "Fill" in the Inspector if needed). Right-click the clip -> "New Fusion Clip", then go to the Fusion page.
  2. The Camera Tracker: After your MediaIn1 node, add a Camera Tracker node (Ctrl+Space, type "Camera Tracker").
  3. Tracking: In the Tracker's Inspector, click "Auto Track". Small green points will appear on your image, analyzing the movement. For a better result, check "Bidirectional Tracking".
  4. The Solve: Go to the second tab, "Solve". Adjust the thresholds to remove bad points (for example, lower "Maximum Track Error"). Click the "Solve" button. Aim for an "Average Solve Error" below 1.0 pixel for a good result.
  5. Creating the 3D scene: Click the "Export" button. Fusion automatically creates a series of nodes (PointCloud, GroundPlane, Merge3D, Camera3D).
  6. Adding the 3D text: Add a Text 3D node. Connect its output to the input of the Merge3D node (the one created by the export).
  7. Positioning: Select the Text 3D node. Use the translation arrows (red, green, blue) in the viewer to position your text in 3D space. It's now "stuck" to the scene!

2. Text behind the subject (the sandwich technique)

Nothing adds more depth than text that passes behind a moving subject. We'll use Magic Mask (available in the Studio version) to isolate the subject.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. Isolate the subject: In Fusion, add a Magic Mask node after your MediaIn1. Draw a stroke on your subject. Click the tracking buttons (forward and backward) so the mask follows the subject throughout the clip.

  2. Build the layered structure (sandwich):

    • Add a Merge node. Connect your original MediaIn1 (the full image) to the background (yellow input) of this Merge.
    • Create your Text+ node and connect it to the foreground (green input) of this first Merge. The text is now in front of everything.
    • Add a second Merge node after the first one.
    • Take the output of your Magic Mask (which contains only your isolated subject) and connect it to the foreground (green input) of the second Merge.
  3. Result: You now have: the video background -> the text on top -> the isolated subject on top of the text. So the text appears to be behind the subject.

3. The zoom transition through a letter

An ultra-dynamic transition where the camera seems to dive into a letter (like the "O" or the "A") to reveal the next shot.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. The text: Place a Text+ title above your video (on the Edit page). Open this title in Fusion.
  2. The tip to remember (avoiding blur): Never use a standard "Transform" node to do a giant zoom on text, or it will get pixelated. You need to use the text's internal properties.
  3. Animate the size: In the Text+ node, go to the "Transform" tab (the fourth icon).

  4. Keyframes:

    • At the start of the effect, set a keyframe (the little diamond) on the "Size" parameter at its normal value (e.g. 1.0).
    • At the end of the effect, increase the "Size" value a lot (sometimes up to 50 or 100!) until a single letter completely fills the screen with a solid color.
  5. Smooth the movement: Open the "Spline Editor", select your keyframes and press "S" to smooth the acceleration curve.

4. The digital glitch effect

For a cyberpunk, urban or edgy look. The key here is to create a "digital" distortion, not a "liquid" one.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. The distortion base: Add a Displace node after your Text+.
  2. The chaos engine: Add a Fast Noise node. Connect its output to the green input (Map) of the Displace node.
  3. Set up the noise: In the Fast Noise, increase the "Contrast" and the "Scale" to get very sharp shapes (pure black and white). Increase the "Seethe Rate" so the noise moves quickly.
  4. Pixelation: To avoid an overly soft "wavy" effect, insert a Mosaic Blur node between the Fast Noise and the Displace. Set the "Pixel Frequency" very low. This turns the noise into big square blocks.
  5. Animate the glitch: In the Displace node, play with the "X Refraction" and "Y Refraction" parameters. Set keyframes to turn the glitch effect on (high value) and off (value at 0) at specific moments.

5. Textured text (using an image as the fill)

Instead of a solid color, fill your text with a texture (metal, wood, abstract image) for a cinematic look.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. Import the texture: Drag a texture image from your Media Pool into the Fusion node area.
  2. Connect it to the mask: Try connecting the output of the texture image to the effect mask input (the small blue triangle) of your Text+ node.
  3. The alpha problem: If nothing happens, it's because your image has no alpha channel (transparency).
  4. The Bitmap solution: Insert a Bitmap node between your texture image and the text's blue input.
  5. Set up the Bitmap: In the Bitmap node parameters, change the "Channel" from "Alpha" to "Luminance". Your text is now filled with the texture! Adjust the "Low" and "High" sliders in the Bitmap to add contrast to the texture inside the text.

6. The handwriting effect

Ideal for an organic look, as if the text were being written in real time before your eyes.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. The text: Use a Text+ with a handwritten or script font.
  2. The stroke mask: Add a Polygon node (mask) to your node area (without connecting it for now).
  3. Draw the path: Select the Polygon node. In the viewer, draw a path that exactly follows the writing path of your text, letter by letter. Tip: Turn off the keyframe record button before drawing to avoid creating an unintended animation.
  4. Connect the mask: Connect the output of the Polygon to the mask input (blue triangle) of the Text+. The text disappears.
  5. Set the thickness: In the Polygon node, increase the "Border Width" until your text is fully visible.
  6. Animate the writing: Set a keyframe on the Polygon's "Length" parameter at 0.0 at the start of the effect, and at 1.0 at the end. The text writes itself!

7. Bouncy 3D cartoon text

For a fun, lighthearted look, the animation needs spring and elasticity.

The detailed steps in Fusion:

  1. Turn on the Follower: Right-click in the text input field of your Text+ node and choose "Follower". This lets you animate each letter individually.
  2. Handle the delay: Go to the "Modifiers" tab (at the top of the Inspector). Set the "Delay" parameter (e.g. 2.0). This creates an offset in the animation between each letter.
  3. Animate the pop-up: Still in "Modifiers", go to the "Transform" sub-tab. Set keyframes on "Size X" and "Size Y" to take the size from 0.0 to 1.0 in a few frames.

  4. Animating with Anim Curves (the secret to the bounce):

    Go to the Follower's Transform tab. We're going to change the size (Size). Right-click the "Size Y" parameter > Modify With > Anim Curves. A new "Anim Curves" tab appears. Open it.

    • Curve settings:

      • Source: Switch from "Transition" to Custom.
      • Input: Set the time scale (for example 0 to 50 frames).
      • Curve: Choose Easing.
      • Type: Choose Out.
      • Shape: Select Elastic. This creates the bounce effect automatically.

  5. The "squash and stretch" effect:

    Go back to the Follower's Transform tab. Do the same for "Size X": right-click > Modify With > Anim Curves. Apply the same settings (Custom, Easing, Out, Elastic). The cartoon tip: To make the text get thinner as it stretches, slightly change the Scale or the Offset in the X Anim Curve settings (for example Scale at 0.8 and Offset at 0.2). This keeps the text from growing uniformly and gives a more organic look.

  6. Fake 3D volume (bonus): Add a Displace node after the text. Don't connect any map to it. Only use the "Light Angle" and "Spread" parameters in the Displace Inspector to create fake highlights and shadows, giving a 3D "candy" look.

Want more ideas? Here are 7 easy DaVinci Resolve effects for beginners. And to master Fusion from A to Z, it's all in the Fusion masterclass (in French).

Resources for this tutorial:

https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/video/vue-aerienne-d-une-ville-du-tennessee-2254244/

https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/video/vue-aerienne-d-une-ville-du-tennessee-2282013/

https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/video/vue-aerienne-de-la-ville-1826896/

https://www.pexels.com/fr-fr/video/les-gens-qui-marchent-sur-un-trottoir-854100/

Websites to find textures:

https://www.freepik.com

https://texturehaven.com/textures

https://www.textures.com

https://texturelib.com/

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