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Lower Thirds

How to Add Lower Thirds (Name Tags & Speaker Titles)

Published June 28, 2026 5 min read By the ExpoCut team

A lower third is the little name tag that slides in when someone speaks. It’s the fastest way to make a talking-head video look like a broadcast. Here’s how to add one in seconds.

The little name bar that slides in when someone starts talking? That’s a lower third — and it’s the single quickest upgrade for any interview, vlog, or talking-head video. ExpoCut ships a catalog of animated ones — Minimal, Accent, Boxed and Framed — so you pick instead of build.

When to use a lower third

  • Introduce a speaker — name + role, the first time they appear.
  • Label a segment — “Step 1,” “Q&A,” “Before.”
  • Brand a moment — your handle or website, subtly, in a corner bar.

Step 1 — Pick a preset

  1. Open the Text tool and choose Lower 3rd

    Browse the catalog of animated lower thirds — each one slides, fades, or builds in.

  2. Pick one that matches your vibe

    Clean and minimal for corporate, bold for social, stylish for a vlog.

  3. Edit the text

    Set the primary line (the name) and the secondary line (the role or detail).

The Lower Third Presets catalog with Minimal, Accent, Boxed and Framed tabs and named presets like Center Pop, Interview and Clean Fade, each with a preview button Minimal · Accent · Boxed · Framed — pick a style family
A catalog of animated presets. Hit a preset’s play button to preview the animation before you add it.
The Lower Third editor showing a live Dr. Sarah Chen / Chief Technology Officer preview, with primary and secondary text fields, color swatches, weight, font and animation options Type the name + title, set color, weight and font Pick an entrance — Fade, Typewriter or Zoom
Edit the primary (name) and secondary (role) lines, then style the color, weight and entrance animation.

Step 2 — Match it to your brand

Lower thirds look generic until you make them yours:

  • Color & accent — set the bar/accent to your brand color.
  • Font weight & alignment — heavier for impact, left-aligned for a classic look.
  • Background opacity — a subtle shade keeps it readable over busy footage.
The finished Dr. Sarah Chen lower third animated over a talking-head interview clip on the canvas The finished name tag, animated over your footage
The result over real footage — a clean, broadcast-style name tag that identifies the speaker.

Time it to the speech. Bring the lower third in a beat after someone starts talking, hold it for ~3–4 seconds, then let it slide out. It identifies, then gets out of the way.

Step 3 — Keep it consistent

Use the same lower third style for every speaker in a video. Consistency is what reads as “produced” — switching styles per person reads as “templates.” If you make videos regularly, save your styled lower third into a brand kit so it’s one tap next time.

Where to go next

Pick a preset, set the name and role, match your color, time it to the speech — and your talking-head video instantly looks like it aired somewhere.

Frequently asked questions

What is a lower third?

A lower third is a title graphic in the lower portion of the screen — usually a name and a role ('Jane Doe / Founder'). It identifies a speaker or labels a segment, and it animates in and out so it doesn't overstay.

How do I add a lower third in ExpoCut?

Open the Text tool and choose Lower 3rd, pick one of the 120+ animated presets, then edit the primary and secondary text. You can change the font weight, color, alignment, and background opacity, and add your brand accent.

Do lower thirds support Arabic or Urdu?

Yes — there are right-to-left lower-third sets for Arabic and Urdu, with the text direction handled correctly.

Name your speakers like a broadcast

120+ animated lower thirds — name tags, titles and segment labels that slide in clean. Pick, edit, brand, done.

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