How to Make Tasteful Screen-Capture Videos
Most video tools hand you the features; they don’t teach you taste. This is a crash course for anyone making screen recorded videos without a production crew..
Let's be real: most people tasked with creating videos at work aren’t trained video editors. But the expectation is that your screen recordings should look clean, sound clear, and hold attention.
Even with AI tools in the mix, making something truly helpful - and watchable - still feels harder than it should. It’s not about the professional gear, or finding the “perfect” tool. It’s about taste — knowing what to keep, what to cut, and how to guide someone through a task without distracting them. Because without it, screen recordings usually fall into two extremes:
The painfully raw: chaotic desktops, jittery cursors, awkward pauses.
Or the overproduced: animated swooshes, cinematic soundtracks, and too much going on.
Neither approach actually works. The first leaves your audience confused; the second overwhelms them. This blog is your playbook for finding the balance: making screen-capture videos that look clean, feel intentional, and actually help people.
Let’s break down what it takes: from setup to script to final polish.
Setting up & Screen-Recording
Goal: Capture the cleanest possible base because everything downstream depends on this.
Every tasteful screen-capture video starts with a solid base. If your raw footage is clunky or chaotic, no amount of editing will save it. This is the initial phase where you control the visuals, the audio, and the environment before you ever hit “record.” Everything downstream, from pacing to polish, depends on what you do at this stage. Here's everything you need to factor in to get this part right:
Resolution & frame rate
Resolution: Record at the highest your display and tool will allow. Many off-the-shelf recorders max out at 1080p, which can look fuzzy on modern screens. Tools like Clueso support crisp 2K capture, while QuickTime can go all the way to 4K if your monitor supports it.
Capture at a 1:1 pixel ratio: Avoid zoom scaling. If you’re on a Retina or HiDPI display, use 100% zoom or record from an external 1:1 monitor to avoid blur.
Frame Rate: 30 fps works for most tutorials. Bump up to 60 fps if you’ll be doing fast scrolling, drag-and-drop, or anything with rapid cursor movements.
Canvas hygiene
Clean your desktop: Use a neutral wallpaper. Hide all icons and files.
Silence distractions: Turn on Do Not Disturb, quit Slack, close background tabs, and kill CPU-heavy apps that can cause lag or fan noise.
Zoom the UI: Set app or system zoom to 110–125%. This makes text readable on smaller screens without viewers having to squint.
Cursor discipline:
Use the default cursor size.
Only enable click highlights when they serve a purpose.
Keep the cursor still when not acting. A jittery pointer creates visual noise and mental friction.
Disable trails, sparkles, or "fun" effects — they age badly and distract quickly.
| 📖 Read more: Best Screen Recording Software
The “Ugly Cursor” trick
Creators often try to make their cursor as invisible as possible - small, smooth, and fast. In screen captures, that’s a mistake. Viewers can’t follow micro-movements. A better approach to screen video capture is the so-called Ugly Cursor Trick:
Move slower than feels natural.
Pause deliberately before and after clicks.
Use a slightly bigger cursor size for easy spotting.
It might feel clunky while recording, but it’s far more legible to your viewers; especially on mobile.
💡 Pro Tip:
With Clueso, you can customize the color of your click highlights to match your brand palette.
Audio capture
Split your audio tracks if your tool supports it. Record mic input and system audio separately. This gives you flexibility in post-production to fix levels or reduce background noise.
Mic settings:
Sample rate: 48 kHz
Input gain: Peaks should hit -12 to -6 dBFS. Anything higher and you risk clipping.
If you’re not using a proper mic, at least avoid recording from a laptop speaker next to a whirring fan.
Always run a quick 10-second test recording: talk, click, scroll, then check sync and levels before committing to a full take.
Security & privacy
Blur or hide any personally identifiable info: names, emails, customer IDs, API keys.
Use demo or staging environments when possible.
Turn off browser extensions that might inject overlays (like password managers or ad blockers). These sneak into more recordings than you'd think.
A clean setup makes editing easier. Besides, nobody wants to learn from a cluttered, distracting, or unsecured video.
| 📖 Read more: Best Screen Capture Software
Writing a Tight Script
Goal: Deliver one clear outcome fast, using a simple, spoken structure.
The best screen video captures aren’t long-winded tours; they’re short, clear, and to the point. Viewers don’t want to hear you think out loud or explain every menu item. They want one clear job to be done, taught quickly. The solution is a short, purposeful script that prioritizes clarity. Here's how to get to that:
Focus on one outcome
Before writing anything, define the goal of your video in one sentence: What will the viewer be able to do by the end of this video?
If you try to teach too much, you’ll lose everyone. Instead, break big topics into separate videos - one job per video.
Follow rules of 'Spoken Guidance'
Use spoken English. Short, punchy sentences. Drop the jargon. If it sounds weird out loud, cut it.
Front-load with verbs. Tell people what to do first.
✅ “Click Start”
❌ “You’ll want to go ahead and start by clicking…”
Don’t make viewers remember vague advice; give them clear value.
✅ “Set the zoom to 125%”
❌ “Make it a bit larger.”
Sample storyboard for a how-to or tutorial video (2–4 min)
Use this plug-and-play structure for fast scripting.
Hook (0–5s): Grab attention with the outcome, not the process.
Example: “Make clean screen captures that look pro — no fancy gear.”
Prereqs (5–15s): Mention tools, files, or settings you’ll need. Keep it moving.
Steps (core): Teach 3–5 actions.
Each should follow a verb → result pattern and last no more than 30–40 seconds.Example: “Drag to crop the recording area.”
Result (10s): Show the finished product. Let the viewer see what success looks like.
CTA (5–10s): Close with one clear action:
Try a template
Watch the next video
Read linked docs
You can adapt this framework for walkthroughs, how-tos, bug reports, or internal demos. It forces brevity and clarity, and makes your screen-capture videos feel thoughtful without being overproduced.
Writing AI-Assisted Scripts
Goal: Use AI to draft tight, on-brand scripts fast, freeing creators to focus on creativity and delivery.
Writing a tight, on-brand script can take longer than recording the screen video capture itself. But AI can help you script faster. Instead of spending 45 minutes fiddling with step phrasing and filler lines, you can let AI handle the scaffolding, then you bring the nuance, flow, and flavor.
A common fear is that AI will make scripts bland or cookie-cutter. In reality, AI handles the functional phrasing so you can save your creative energy for the parts that matter. AI helps you:
Get to a first draft in minutes
Stay consistent with tone and structure
Focus on voiceover delivery and visuals, not sentence math
The trick is not just prompting AI to "write a script", it’s giving it the right bones to build on. Here are some best practices and templates you can use for this:
Workflow for AI script drafting
Step 1: Outline First: Don’t start with a blank page. Sketch the beats:
hook → prereqs → 3–5 steps → result → CTA.
Step 2: Prompt with Context: AI needs more than just “make it snappy.” It needs the audience, purpose, tools, and constraints. Here's what to include:
Audience & skill level (e.g., beginner marketers, intermediate designers)
Desired outcome (e.g., “record a clean 2K screen capture”)
Time limit (e.g., “under 4 minutes”)
Toolchain (Clueso, QuickTime, Final Cut, etc.)
Brand voice (e.g., calm, helpful, precise — avoid hype or filler)
Constraints:
Spoken English only
Sentences under 10–12 words
Steps should include exact numbers
On-screen callouts ≤6 words
Step 3: Generate → critique → regenerate: Ask for 2–3 versions. Read them aloud. Choose the clearest and tighten as needed. Don’t be afraid to mix and match lines across drafts.
Drop-in prompt template
Use this prompt as a template to create your own.
Prompt: You are writing a 2–4 minute screen-capture tutorial.
Audience: [beginner/intermediate]
Outcome: [what viewers will achieve]
Tools: [recorder/editor/tools]
Constraints: short spoken sentences; show 3–5 steps; include exact numbers (UI zoom 125%, bitrate 18–24 Mbps); avoid filler; callouts ≤6 words.
Tone: [calm/assured/helpful]; avoid hype.
Output: script with timestamps (mm:ss), VO lines, on-screen labels, and chapter titles.
Human quality check
After AI gives you a script, run through it to finesse it further:
Read it out loud. You’ll catch robotic phrasing fast.
Trim redundancies. Especially repeated verbs or obvious transitions.
Add one line per step that answers “Why this?”
Example: “Set zoom to 125% — it’s the sweet spot for mobile readability.”
Say your numbers out loud so viewers don’t have to squint. Instead of “UI Zoom: 125%” on screen, say this in voiceover: “Set your UI zoom to one-twenty-five percent.”
AI accelerates scriptwriting so that you spend less time sweating commas.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso’s AI-powered scripting helps you turn your raw narration into a perfect video script. It fixes pacing, grammar, and clarity while keeping the spirit of your delivery. You’ll get an editable transcript of your audio you can refine on the spot without breaking audio–video sync. Clueso also lets you create and save AI prompts presets right inside the tool, so every future script starts in your brand voice.
Recording Voiceovers
Goal: Ensure audio matches the quality of the visuals — clear, consistent, and pleasant to listen to.
A crisp screen recording with muddy audio kills the experience. Your voiceover is the human anchor of your tutorial, so capturing it cleanly is non-negotiable. Here's how:
Mic & room setup
Mic choice: USB dynamic mics like the Shure MV7 or Samsung Q2U are excellent for untreated rooms. They naturally reject background noise and don’t pick up every echo like cheap condenser mics do, making them perfect for home setups.
Mic distance: Stay 10–12 cm away from the mic. Use a pop filter. Pro tip - speak past the mic, not directly at it. This reduces plosives on harsh “p” and “b” sounds.
Room treatment: Hard walls bounce sound. Face a closet, hang a blanket, or record in a space with soft surfaces such as carpeted rooms to cut reflections. Even DIY treatment makes a huge difference.
Performance & delivery
Check for problem sounds: Say a few “p” and “b” words (plosives), and “s” and “sh” words (sibilance). If they distort, adjust your mic angle or distance.
Delivery tips:
Smile; it subtly lifts your tone.
Speak at a natural 140–160 words per minute.
After big on-screen actions (clicks, changes), pause for 0.5 to 1 second. That beat gives viewers time to catch up and makes edits smoother later.
Using AI Voiceovers
Goal: Make AI-generated narration sound natural, trustworthy, and on-brand without drifting into robotic or distracting.
AI-generated voiceovers have come a long way - natural pacing, expressive tone, even subtle warmth. But tasteful AI voiceovers still takes craftsmanship. The secret lies in how you direct it.
Voice selection
Pick a voice that mirrors your brand personality. For most tutorials, that means calm, clear, and neutrally warm.
Avoid voices that sound like:
Overly polished news anchors
Cartoon mascots
Hyper-casual YouTubers
A great AI voice should feel steady, human, and… forgettable in the best way. You want the message to stand out, not the voice itself.
Tone variation
Don’t use one flat tone for everything. Vary the delivery style based on what’s happening in the screen video capture. Here's a simple breakdown:
Section | Speed | Pitch | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
Hook | +5–8% | Slightly ↑ | Adds energy to pull viewers in |
Steps | Neutral | Neutral | Emphasize action verbs |
Warnings | −10% | Slightly ↓ | Slower, serious, more pause |
CTA | Hook-like | Reset ↑ | Crisp, confident close |
This variation keeps the voiceover feeling dynamic and intentional.
Directing the delivery
Most AI voiceover tools support SSML-style (Speech Synthesis Markup Language) controls. It is a standard way to control how text is spoken — adjusting pitch, speed, pauses, emphasis, and pronunciation. While not every tool shows you raw tags, many still offer these controls under simpler names like “Add pause” or “Change pronunciation”. Use them:
Emphasis: Add <emphasis> or bold important verbs and nouns.
Pauses: Insert <break time="500ms"> after big clicks, UI transitions, or to mark new steps.
Adjust pitch/speed: maps to SSML’s
pitch,rate, orvolumeattributesPronunciation: Add phonetic cues for tricky brand names or keyboard shortcuts.
Example:
“Clueso” → kloo-zoh
“Cmd+Shift+5” → Command Shift Five
If your tool doesn’t support SSML, break up the text into short, clear sentences in your script so the AI handles pacing naturally.
📌 Upgrade Your Voiceovers with Clueso
Swap your own narration for professional-grade AI voiceovers in 40+ languages and diverse accents, right inside Clueso. The variety of tone gives you options to choose from. You can also train the AI to pronounce tricky words perfectly and never worry about mispronunciations again.
Mixing AI + human voiceovers
Mixing human and AI can work, but don’t alternate line-by-line; it’s jarring. The trick is consistency within each section:
✅ What works:
Human VO for intro + result
AI VO for steps
❌ Avoid:
Alternating every other sentence or step
Mixing within the same paragraph
Switching too frequently also confuses viewers, especially in educational content where clarity is top priority.
Running final quality checks
Always QC your AI VO before publishing:
Listen through laptop speakers and earbuds, not just system monitors.
Watch ut for:
Harsh sibilance (add a light de-esser to tame harsh “s/sh” sounds.)
Audible breaths between lines
Room tone mismatches (if mixing with human VO)
Use light compression if your AI tool doesn't already apply it
Adding Branding (Fonts, colors, logo)
Goal: Build trust and recognition with subtle, consistent branding that supports (but never overwhelms) the content.
Tasteful screen video captures reflect your brand’s tone and aesthetic. But branding doesn’t mean slapping your logo on everything. Instead, think of branding as visual consistency: font choices, color hierarchy, and logo placement that quietly reinforce your identity without pulling focus.
Fonts
Here’s how to brand your text and keep it legible across devices.
Font pairing:
One display face for titles and headings (can be expressive or geometric)
One clean sans-serif for body text, labels, and callouts
Sizes @1080p:
Titles: 80–120 px
Chapter markers: 60–80 px
On-screen labels: 36–48 px
Font weight:
Use semi-bold or bold for titles and calls to action
Use regular or medium for body labels and annotations
Avoid condensed fonts unless space is extremely limited. They hurt legibility, especially on mobile
Colors
Creating a small token set of brand colors will keep your visuals tight and usable across tools.
Minimal token set:
Brand/Primary: Main CTA, highlight text, key visuals
Brand/Accent: Hover states, links, secondary emphasis
Neutral/90: Primary text color
Neutral/10: Backgrounds or muted UI frames
Accessibility:
Make sure text over color blocks maintains a minimum contrast ratio of 4.5:1
Use light backgrounds and dark text (or vice versa) to maintain readability — especially in smaller labels
Usage tips:
Primary: Use for buttons, callouts, on-screen actions
Accent: Use sparingly to highlight key terms or areas
Neutrals: Keep backgrounds clean, UI outlines subtle
Logo & watermark
A logo can build trust - but if it’s overused or misaligned, it just gets in the way.
Logo placement:
Maintain a minimum 48 px safe area from all edges
Never cover interface elements or step content
Position it consistently — top-left, bottom-right, or centered on intro/outro slides
Watermarking (optional):
Use a 20–30% opacity watermark in the bottom-right corner
Toggle it off during dense UI shots where overlays would interfere with clicks or instructions
Applying branding across videos
Consistency is what ties the whole video together. Branding should be visible across all touchpoints of the video:
Slides: intro, chapter, outro
On-screen labels and tooltips
Backgrounds
Callouts (arrows, highlights, buttons)
Lower-thirds (if adding names or commentary)
PiP frames or webcam borders
Thumbnails: consistent fonts, color, and spacing improve recognition
Branding should be quiet but memorable. It reassures your audience that the tutorial is polished, official, and trustworthy
💡 Pro Tip:
You can brand your videos effortlessly with Clueso. Drop in your fonts, colors, and logos once and apply them to every video. You can also add custom design elements like branded intros, outros, and backgrounds.
Using Picture-in-Picture (PiP)
Goal: Add a human presence when it adds clarity or trust, while staying out of the way during dense UI steps.
Tasteful screen-capture videos use PiP strategically. Used well, PiP adds warmth and personality. Used poorly, it’s a floating distraction. Here’s how to do it right:
When to use PiP
You don’t need to be in the frame the whole time. Use PiP to add:
Human presence: Let viewers see the person behind the voice.
Quick reactions: Smile, nod, or react naturally to keep energy up.
Demonstration of physical inputs: like keyboard shortcuts, mobile gestures, or multi-device setups
Here are some video creation tips for PiP —
Framing & scale
Size: Aim for 18–28% of the screen width at 1080p
Placement:
Default to bottom-right, but move it dynamically if it blocks key content
If your platform supports “smart PiP,” consider auto-hiding during active steps
Never cover the subject UI — especially buttons, tooltips, pop-ups, or labels
Eye-line:
Eyes should sit in the upper third of the PiP frame
If possible, look toward the interface — it subconsciously cues the viewer where to focus.
Visual treatment
Shape: Rounded rectangle or circle — match your brand’s radius (e.g., 12–16 px)
Edge: Use a 2–4 px border or a soft shadow to visually separate it from the screen
Background:
Use a clean, neutral wall or soft background blur
Avoid clutter or deep contrast that pulls focus
Skip greenscreen unless you’re really good at keying
Lighting: Even, soft lighting is key. Ring lights still work, just keep the color temperature consistent.
Audio
If PiP is silent (voiceover only), mute your camera mic to avoid ambient noise leaks.
If speaking live on camera:
Use headphones or good echo cancellation
Set your mic gain once and stick with it.
Timing
Use PiP intentionally. Yse where it adds value, and hide it when it doesn’t:
Use PiP During… | Hide PiP During… |
|---|---|
Intro or hook | Dense UI walkthroughs |
Transitions between steps | When showing fine cursor work |
Emphasis or reactions | When screen real estate is tight |
CTAs or end slide delivery | Fast or technical sequences |
This ebb and flow makes your screen video capture feel polished, not performative. When used with purpose, PiP makes screen-capture videos feel less like a tool demo and more like a guided experience.
Doing the Basic Edit
Goal: Trim clutter, maintain rhythm, and keep the viewer focused on one clear action per cut.
Editing a screen-capture video is all about precision and restraint. The goal is cutting down the clutter, keeping the pace, and guiding the viewer’s eye.
We have put together a list of video editing tips -
Creating a rough cut
Start with a ruthless pass.
Remove false starts, hesitations, and dead air.
Cut out UI loading waits or idle mouse wandering.
Stick to one action per shot. Every cut should clearly answer: what changed on screen?
Using padding
Add a soft background and padding layer around your screen video capture, especially if you're recording at a fixed region or window size.
Recommended: 6% padding on all sides
This protects your content from being cropped by video players, platform previews, or responsive layouts
It also gives breathing room for callouts, subtitles, and PiP frames
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso ensures consistent padding across all your clips.
Adding backgrounds
If you’re adding a background behind padded footage, use a brand color, but keep it clean:
Choose mid-tone or desaturated versions of your palette to avoid clashing with the UI
Avoid bright backgrounds that compete with the focal content
Gradients, soft textures, or blurred screenshots can help — as long as they stay low-contrast
A consistent background becomes part of your visual signature, especially in a video grid.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso gives you multiple background designs to choose from. You can also upload your own backgrounds, both static and dynamic.
Pacing
Tutorials live or die on flow. Good screen tutorials feel brisk, not rushed. Use timing intentionally:
Tighten dead air using ripple deletes (auto-closing gaps)
Leave 250–400 ms of space after clicks or key moments before zooms, highlights, or overlays. This gives viewers a beat to process before you move on
Use J-cuts and L-cuts for smoother momentum, especially in step transitions:
J-cut: Start the voiceover before the visual changes
L-cut: Let the video linger after the voiceover wraps
Continuity & clarity
Trim micro-movements. If the cursor drifts slightly between clicks, cut those frames.
Use freeze frames (0.5–1.0 seconds) on screens with dense info — like settings menus or export panels. It gives viewers time to read without needing to pause the video.
Adding text & labels
On-screen text should support the voiceover:
≤ 6 words per label
Sentence case (not all caps)
High contrast (e.g., white text on dark semi-transparent background)
Avoid uppercase blocks — they’re harder to read, especially on mobile
Use labels to:
Reinforce settings
Highlight actions
Call attention subtly
And place them consistently — same font, same size, same area of the screen.
Adding Visual Effects
Goal: Use zooms, highlights, and callouts to guide the eye — subtly, consistently, and only when needed.
Once your rough cut is locked, it's time to add visual polish.The rule of thumb: subtle, consistent, purposeful. They guide the eye and create flow without calling attention to themselves.
Here are some editing tips to use visual effects in your screen video capture:
Zooms & pans
Use 5–10% push-ins to emphasize an element — like a button, label, or setting
Avoid zooming in more than 15%, unless you’re showing tiny UI (e.g., a tiny gear icon or dropdown)
Anchor zooms to the element of focus, not the dead center of the screen.
Add soft ease-ins and outs (120–200 ms) so your zooms feel natural, not abrupt
💡 Pro Tip
With Custom Zoom in Clueso, you can add subtle, precise zooms that draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it. Highlight buttons, menus, or key actions as needed.
Highlights
You don’t need highlighter yellow or pulsing rings to point something out. Use light, clean cues.
Use soft rectangles or semi-transparent masks to spotlight areas
Click highlights:
A subtle 200–300 ms pulse at low opacity is enough to signal interaction
Avoid exaggerated ripple effects unless part of your brand look
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you highlight sections of your UI with rectangles and arrows. You can also use In the Spotlight feature to fade out the rest of the screen and keep just one element in focus.
Callouts
Use a single style for all callouts to keep consistency:
Match your brand’s primary color, corner radius, and drop shadow
Keep fonts legible, and sentence case only
Position callouts outside the focal area
Use a subtle leader line (thin, soft color) to point
Never cover the UI you’re explaining — let the interface breathe
💡 Pro Tip:
To draw instant attention to a setting, shortcut, or button, you can use callouts in Clueso.
Blur/redaction
Protect sensitive data with Gaussian blur or pixelation, depending on what blends best with your UI
Apply the same style across all shots for consistency. A sudden switch between blur types looks sloppy.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you keep your recordings secure with blur effects. You can instantly blur out emails, API keys, order numbers, or anything you don’t want visible.
Shortcuts & keystrokes
Don’t show every keypress. Show only what helps someone do the task better.
Only show overlays for recommended paths, not every possible option.
Place overlays in the bottom-left corner, away from the main action.
Keep them short — 2–3 seconds on screen, then auto-hide
Use clean, legible fonts; sentence case or proper casing (e.g., “Cmd + Shift + 5”)
Adding Visual Effects
Goal: Use zooms, highlights, and callouts to guide the eye — subtly, consistently, and only when needed.
Once your rough cut is locked, it's time to add visual polish.The rule of thumb: subtle, consistent, purposeful. They guide the eye and create flow without calling attention to themselves.
Here are some editing tips to use visual effects in your screen video capture:
Zooms & pans
Use 5–10% push-ins to emphasize an element — like a button, label, or setting
Avoid zooming in more than 15%, unless you’re showing tiny UI (e.g., a tiny gear icon or dropdown)
Anchor zooms to the element of focus, not the dead center of the screen.
Add soft ease-ins and outs (120–200 ms) so your zooms feel natural, not abrupt
💡 Pro Tip
With Custom Zoom in Clueso, you can add subtle, precise zooms that draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it. Highlight buttons, menus, or key actions as needed.
Highlights
You don’t need highlighter yellow or pulsing rings to point something out. Use light, clean cues.
Use soft rectangles or semi-transparent masks to spotlight areas
Click highlights:
A subtle 200–300 ms pulse at low opacity is enough to signal interaction
Avoid exaggerated ripple effects unless part of your brand look
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you highlight sections of your UI with rectangles and arrows. You can also use In the Spotlight feature to fade out the rest of the screen and keep just one element in focus.
Callouts
Use a single style for all callouts to keep consistency:
Match your brand’s primary color, corner radius, and drop shadow
Keep fonts legible, and sentence case only
Position callouts outside the focal area
Use a subtle leader line (thin, soft color) to point
Never cover the UI you’re explaining — let the interface breathe
💡 Pro Tip:
To draw instant attention to a setting, shortcut, or button, you can use callouts in Clueso.
Blur/redaction
Protect sensitive data with Gaussian blur or pixelation, depending on what blends best with your UI
Apply the same style across all shots for consistency. A sudden switch between blur types looks sloppy.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you keep your recordings secure with blur effects. You can instantly blur out emails, API keys, order numbers, or anything you don’t want visible.
Shortcuts & keystrokes
Don’t show every keypress. Show only what helps someone do the task better.
Only show overlays for recommended paths, not every possible option.
Place overlays in the bottom-left corner, away from the main action.
Keep them short — 2–3 seconds on screen, then auto-hide
Use clean, legible fonts; sentence case or proper casing (e.g., “Cmd + Shift + 5”)
Adding Visual Effects
Goal: Use zooms, highlights, and callouts to guide the eye — subtly, consistently, and only when needed.
Once your rough cut is locked, it's time to add visual polish.The rule of thumb: subtle, consistent, purposeful. They guide the eye and create flow without calling attention to themselves.
Here are some editing tips to use visual effects in your screen video capture:
Zooms & pans
Use 5–10% push-ins to emphasize an element — like a button, label, or setting
Avoid zooming in more than 15%, unless you’re showing tiny UI (e.g., a tiny gear icon or dropdown)
Anchor zooms to the element of focus, not the dead center of the screen.
Add soft ease-ins and outs (120–200 ms) so your zooms feel natural, not abrupt
💡 Pro Tip
With Custom Zoom in Clueso, you can add subtle, precise zooms that draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it. Highlight buttons, menus, or key actions as needed.
Highlights
You don’t need highlighter yellow or pulsing rings to point something out. Use light, clean cues.
Use soft rectangles or semi-transparent masks to spotlight areas
Click highlights:
A subtle 200–300 ms pulse at low opacity is enough to signal interaction
Avoid exaggerated ripple effects unless part of your brand look
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you highlight sections of your UI with rectangles and arrows. You can also use In the Spotlight feature to fade out the rest of the screen and keep just one element in focus.
Callouts
Use a single style for all callouts to keep consistency:
Match your brand’s primary color, corner radius, and drop shadow
Keep fonts legible, and sentence case only
Position callouts outside the focal area
Use a subtle leader line (thin, soft color) to point
Never cover the UI you’re explaining — let the interface breathe
💡 Pro Tip:
To draw instant attention to a setting, shortcut, or button, you can use callouts in Clueso.
Blur/redaction
Protect sensitive data with Gaussian blur or pixelation, depending on what blends best with your UI
Apply the same style across all shots for consistency. A sudden switch between blur types looks sloppy.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you keep your recordings secure with blur effects. You can instantly blur out emails, API keys, order numbers, or anything you don’t want visible.
Shortcuts & keystrokes
Don’t show every keypress. Show only what helps someone do the task better.
Only show overlays for recommended paths, not every possible option.
Place overlays in the bottom-left corner, away from the main action.
Keep them short — 2–3 seconds on screen, then auto-hide
Use clean, legible fonts; sentence case or proper casing (e.g., “Cmd + Shift + 5”)
Adding Visual Effects
Goal: Use zooms, highlights, and callouts to guide the eye — subtly, consistently, and only when needed.
Once your rough cut is locked, it's time to add visual polish.The rule of thumb: subtle, consistent, purposeful. They guide the eye and create flow without calling attention to themselves.
Here are some editing tips to use visual effects in your screen video capture:
Zooms & pans
Use 5–10% push-ins to emphasize an element — like a button, label, or setting
Avoid zooming in more than 15%, unless you’re showing tiny UI (e.g., a tiny gear icon or dropdown)
Anchor zooms to the element of focus, not the dead center of the screen.
Add soft ease-ins and outs (120–200 ms) so your zooms feel natural, not abrupt
💡 Pro Tip
With Custom Zoom in Clueso, you can add subtle, precise zooms that draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it. Highlight buttons, menus, or key actions as needed.
Highlights
You don’t need highlighter yellow or pulsing rings to point something out. Use light, clean cues.
Use soft rectangles or semi-transparent masks to spotlight areas
Click highlights:
A subtle 200–300 ms pulse at low opacity is enough to signal interaction
Avoid exaggerated ripple effects unless part of your brand look
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you highlight sections of your UI with rectangles and arrows. You can also use In the Spotlight feature to fade out the rest of the screen and keep just one element in focus.
Callouts
Use a single style for all callouts to keep consistency:
Match your brand’s primary color, corner radius, and drop shadow
Keep fonts legible, and sentence case only
Position callouts outside the focal area
Use a subtle leader line (thin, soft color) to point
Never cover the UI you’re explaining — let the interface breathe
💡 Pro Tip:
To draw instant attention to a setting, shortcut, or button, you can use callouts in Clueso.
Blur/redaction
Protect sensitive data with Gaussian blur or pixelation, depending on what blends best with your UI
Apply the same style across all shots for consistency. A sudden switch between blur types looks sloppy.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you keep your recordings secure with blur effects. You can instantly blur out emails, API keys, order numbers, or anything you don’t want visible.
Shortcuts & keystrokes
Don’t show every keypress. Show only what helps someone do the task better.
Only show overlays for recommended paths, not every possible option.
Place overlays in the bottom-left corner, away from the main action.
Keep them short — 2–3 seconds on screen, then auto-hide
Use clean, legible fonts; sentence case or proper casing (e.g., “Cmd + Shift + 5”)
Adding Visual Effects
Goal: Use zooms, highlights, and callouts to guide the eye — subtly, consistently, and only when needed.
Once your rough cut is locked, it's time to add visual polish.The rule of thumb: subtle, consistent, purposeful. They guide the eye and create flow without calling attention to themselves.
Here are some editing tips to use visual effects in your screen video capture:
Zooms & pans
Use 5–10% push-ins to emphasize an element — like a button, label, or setting
Avoid zooming in more than 15%, unless you’re showing tiny UI (e.g., a tiny gear icon or dropdown)
Anchor zooms to the element of focus, not the dead center of the screen.
Add soft ease-ins and outs (120–200 ms) so your zooms feel natural, not abrupt
💡 Pro Tip
With Custom Zoom in Clueso, you can add subtle, precise zooms that draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it. Highlight buttons, menus, or key actions as needed.
Highlights
You don’t need highlighter yellow or pulsing rings to point something out. Use light, clean cues.
Use soft rectangles or semi-transparent masks to spotlight areas
Click highlights:
A subtle 200–300 ms pulse at low opacity is enough to signal interaction
Avoid exaggerated ripple effects unless part of your brand look
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you highlight sections of your UI with rectangles and arrows. You can also use In the Spotlight feature to fade out the rest of the screen and keep just one element in focus.
Callouts
Use a single style for all callouts to keep consistency:
Match your brand’s primary color, corner radius, and drop shadow
Keep fonts legible, and sentence case only
Position callouts outside the focal area
Use a subtle leader line (thin, soft color) to point
Never cover the UI you’re explaining — let the interface breathe
💡 Pro Tip:
To draw instant attention to a setting, shortcut, or button, you can use callouts in Clueso.
Blur/redaction
Protect sensitive data with Gaussian blur or pixelation, depending on what blends best with your UI
Apply the same style across all shots for consistency. A sudden switch between blur types looks sloppy.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you keep your recordings secure with blur effects. You can instantly blur out emails, API keys, order numbers, or anything you don’t want visible.
Shortcuts & keystrokes
Don’t show every keypress. Show only what helps someone do the task better.
Only show overlays for recommended paths, not every possible option.
Place overlays in the bottom-left corner, away from the main action.
Keep them short — 2–3 seconds on screen, then auto-hide
Use clean, legible fonts; sentence case or proper casing (e.g., “Cmd + Shift + 5”)
Adding Visual Effects
Goal: Use zooms, highlights, and callouts to guide the eye — subtly, consistently, and only when needed.
Once your rough cut is locked, it's time to add visual polish.The rule of thumb: subtle, consistent, purposeful. They guide the eye and create flow without calling attention to themselves.
Here are some editing tips to use visual effects in your screen video capture:
Zooms & pans
Use 5–10% push-ins to emphasize an element — like a button, label, or setting
Avoid zooming in more than 15%, unless you’re showing tiny UI (e.g., a tiny gear icon or dropdown)
Anchor zooms to the element of focus, not the dead center of the screen.
Add soft ease-ins and outs (120–200 ms) so your zooms feel natural, not abrupt
💡 Pro Tip
With Custom Zoom in Clueso, you can add subtle, precise zooms that draw the viewer’s eye exactly where you want it. Highlight buttons, menus, or key actions as needed.
Highlights
You don’t need highlighter yellow or pulsing rings to point something out. Use light, clean cues.
Use soft rectangles or semi-transparent masks to spotlight areas
Click highlights:
A subtle 200–300 ms pulse at low opacity is enough to signal interaction
Avoid exaggerated ripple effects unless part of your brand look
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you highlight sections of your UI with rectangles and arrows. You can also use In the Spotlight feature to fade out the rest of the screen and keep just one element in focus.
Callouts
Use a single style for all callouts to keep consistency:
Match your brand’s primary color, corner radius, and drop shadow
Keep fonts legible, and sentence case only
Position callouts outside the focal area
Use a subtle leader line (thin, soft color) to point
Never cover the UI you’re explaining — let the interface breathe
💡 Pro Tip:
To draw instant attention to a setting, shortcut, or button, you can use callouts in Clueso.
Blur/redaction
Protect sensitive data with Gaussian blur or pixelation, depending on what blends best with your UI
Apply the same style across all shots for consistency. A sudden switch between blur types looks sloppy.
💡 Pro Tip:
Clueso lets you keep your recordings secure with blur effects. You can instantly blur out emails, API keys, order numbers, or anything you don’t want visible.
Shortcuts & keystrokes
Don’t show every keypress. Show only what helps someone do the task better.
Only show overlays for recommended paths, not every possible option.
Place overlays in the bottom-left corner, away from the main action.
Keep them short — 2–3 seconds on screen, then auto-hide
Use clean, legible fonts; sentence case or proper casing (e.g., “Cmd + Shift + 5”)
