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How to add lower-third graphics to live events

This feature requires an Advanced or Premium plan, or an Enterprise plan with the Events feature added.

You can add lower-third graphics to your virtual broadcast in the web-based production tool. This article explains how to create, customize, and display these graphics using the web-based production tool.

In this article:

What to know before adding lower third graphics

Before adding lower-third graphics to your event, take note of the following:

  • Supported production mode: Lower-third graphics are supported when using the in-browser production studio when selecting the Stream through your browser production mode.
    The Production mode menu expanded from the Go live button, displaying options for Stream from your browser, Prerecorded event, Recording only, and Use an external encoder. The 'Stream from your browser' option is selected and highlighted with a red box.
  • Automatic creation: A lower third graphic will automatically be created for the broadcaster and every guest speaker. It'll display their names and title, but will not have images. 
  • Default graphics: Polls and Q&A have default lower-third graphics, such as poll results and submitted questions.
  • Recurring live events:  Graphics for recurring virtual events will be retained; however, your graphics will not display automatically each time you stream. You will still need to show/hide it during the scene. 

How to create a lower-third graphic

You can create custom lower-third graphics for your scenes. To do so:

  1. From the web-based production tool, select the Graphics icon on the left navigation menu.
  2. Select + Add lower third.
  3. Enter the Primary text for your graphic, an image, and optional secondary text. 
  4. Select Save.
    Left-side toolbar in the production studio with the Graphics icon highlighted in a red box. In the main 'Lower thirds' panel, the + Add lower third button is also highlighted in a red box

How to customize lower-third graphics to match a brand

You can adjust the colors for all your event’s lower third graphics to match your brand if you have access to the Brand Kit. To do so:

  1. Select the Brand icon on the left-side toolbar. 
  2. Select the Primary color or Secondary color to open the color window.
  3. Drag and drop the color selector or insert your brand’s exact HEX color codes.
  4. Select Save to apply your brand colors.
    Left-side toolbar with the Brand icon highlighted in a red box. In the 'Colors' section, the color selection swatches on the right are highlighted in a red box, and the Save button at the bottom is also highlighted in a red box.

How to add a lower-third graphic to a scene

Once created, you must add graphics to a scene to display them during your live event. To do so: 

  1. Select Graphics on the left-side toolbar. 
  2. Select the Scenes tab. 
  3. Select the + icon next to the graphic to add it to the scene.
    List of lower thirds for a scene, displaying 'Speaker's Name' and 'Speaker's Title'. A tooltip reading 'Add to scene' is visible hovering over the plus (+) icon next to the text.

How to manage lower-third graphics for scenes

After adding a graphic to a scene, you can manually edit or remove it from your live event. To do so: 

  1. Select the Graphics button from the left-side toolbar. 
  2. Select the Scene tab within the Graphics panel.
  3. Select the vertical ellipsis button to open the overflow menu. Here, you can edit the lower-third's appearance or remove it from the live event entirely. 
    Lower thirds list item with the options menu expanded. The three-dot menu icon and the dropdown list containing Edit and Remove from event are highlighted in a red box.

How to manage lower-third graphics for speakers

The other tab in the graphics menu is for Speakers. These lower-third graphics are automatically created for the broadcaster and any guest speaker added to your event. To edit these:

  1. Hover your cursor over the lower third.
  2. Select the pencil icon. 
    Lower thirds configuration panel with the Speakers tab selected and highlighted. The edit icon (pencil) next to 'Speaker #1' is highlighted in a red box, and the corresponding Speaker form on the right, showing Name and Title fields, is also highlighted.
  3. Edit the speaker's name and title. These lower thirds do not include image fields. 
  4. Your changes will save automatically.

How to display lower-third graphics during the live event

After creating and editing the appearance of your lower-third graphic, you will need to display it during the scene to your audience. To display them:

  1. When a scene is in the stream output, hover over the output preview in the center of the web-based production studio.
  2. Select Show to show the lower-third graphic. 
    Video preview screen showing controls for a hidden lower third graphic. The Show button is highlighted in a red box, displayed centrally above the scene thumbnails.
  3. To hide the lower-third graphic, hover over the stage once more and select Hide. 
    Video preview screen displaying an active lower third graphic for 'Speaker 1'. The Hide button in the control overlay is highlighted in a red box.

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