Teleprompter basics
Teleprompter Font Size and Distance: How to Set Them Right
How big your teleprompter text should be, how far from the camera to sit, and how line length and spacing affect eye movement on camera.
In this guide
Getting font size and distance right is one of the simplest ways to look natural on a teleprompter. Text that is too small makes you squint and lean in. Lines that are too wide make your eyes visibly scan. A few minutes of setup fixes both.
The goal: small eye movements
Viewers notice when your eyes sweep across a line. The further your eyes travel, the more obvious it is. Everything about setup aims to keep that movement small: text close to the lens, narrow lines and a comfortable reading distance.
Font size
Choose the smallest size you can read comfortably, without effort, at your recording distance. Then go one step bigger. Reading under pressure, with lights and nerves, is harder than reading during setup.
A good test: read three lines aloud at your normal pace. If you hesitate or lean forward, make the text bigger.
Line length
Fewer words per line means less eye movement. For most phone setups, a short line of a few words is easier than a long one. Narrowing the text area, or using larger text, keeps lines short.
Line spacing
Generous spacing between lines helps you track your place, especially when reading quickly. Cramped lines lead to skipped or repeated lines.
Distance from the camera
The further you sit from the prompter, the smaller your eye movements look on camera. But you need to read comfortably too. Balance the two:
- Phone prompter: around arm's length is a common starting point.
- Tablet or laptop prompter: a little further back, with larger text.
- Beam-splitter rig: follow the rig's guidance; text sits directly over the lens. See our mirror mode and beam splitter guide.
Keep text near the lens
The text should be as close to the camera lens as possible. On a phone, that means near the top of the screen, just under the front camera. Our teleprompter eye contact guide covers this in detail.
Contrast and theme
Light text on a dark background is easier on the eyes in most lighting and reduces glare on your face. Avoid low-contrast colours.
Test with a recording
Set up, record 20 seconds, and watch it back. Look at your eyes. If they move a lot, shorten the lines or move back slightly. If you squint or lean forward, make the text bigger.
Save your settings
Once you find what works, keep it. In Cue, pace, text size and line height are part of the reading settings, so you do not need to reset them every session.
For formatting the script itself, see teleprompter script formatting.
Frequently asked questions
What font size should I use on a phone teleprompter?
Large enough to read comfortably at your recording distance without squinting. On a phone at arm's length, that is often much larger than normal reading text.
How far should I sit from the teleprompter?
Close enough to read easily, far enough that your eye movement is small on camera. For phones, arm's length is a common starting point.
Why does it look like I am reading?
Usually because the text lines are too wide, making your eyes sweep left and right. Narrower lines reduce visible eye movement.