LATIN AMERICAN SPANISH (MEXICO)

TIMED TEXT STYLE GUIDE

**For Amazon Prime Video Licensors & Vendors Only**

Last Revision: April, 2019

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Table of Contents

1. Font Information .............................................................................................................................................3

2. Reading Speed ................................................................................................................................................3
3. Duration ..........................................................................................................................................................3
4. Frame Rate ......................................................................................................................................................3
5. Frame Gap .......................................................................................................................................................3
6. Character Limit Per Line ..................................................................................................................................3
7. Line Treatment................................................................................................................................................3
8. Positioning ......................................................................................................................................................3
9. Timing .............................................................................................................................................................4
10. Titles ...............................................................................................................................................................4
11. Dual Speakers .................................................................................................................................................5
12. Forced Narrative/Narrative Subtitles (for On-Screen Text) ...........................................................................5
13. Names .............................................................................................................................................................6
14. Formality.........................................................................................................................................................6
15. Spelling ...........................................................................................................................................................6
16. Abbreviations..................................................................................................................................................7
17. Acronyms ........................................................................................................................................................7
18. Punctuations ...................................................................................................................................................7
19. Continuity .......................................................................................................................................................8
20. Italics ...............................................................................................................................................................9
21. Repetitions......................................................................................................................................................9
22. Numbers .........................................................................................................................................................9
23. Foreign-Language Dialogue ......................................................................................................................... 10
24. Colloquialism ............................................................................................................................................... 10
25. Profanity ...................................................................................................................................................... 11
26. Songs............................................................................................................................................................ 11
27. Translator Credit .......................................................................................................................................... 12
28. SDH Requirements....................................................................................................................................... 12

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1. Font Information
1.1. Font style: Arial
1.2. Font color: White

2. Reading Speed
2.1. For Adult Programs: 17 characters per second.
2.2. For Children’s Programs: 13 characters per second.

3. Duration
3.1. Minimum Duration: 1 second per subtitle event.
3.2. Maximum Duration: 7 seconds per subtitle event.

4. Frame Rate
The frame rate of the subtitle file must match that of the video proxy.

5. Frame Gap
5.1. A minimum of 2-frame intervals should be used between continuous subtitles.
5.2. Frame gap should be 2 frames or at least 5 frames. All frame gaps of 3-4 frames should be reduced to
2 frames.

6. Character Limit Per Line

No more than 42 characters per line.

7. Line Treatment
7.1. Line limit per subtitle event: No more than 2 lines.
7.2. Always keep the subtitle in 1 line unless it exceeds the character limit per line.
7.3. Line breaks should ideally match a logical and grammatical break in the dialogue, e.g., after a
punctuation mark.

8. Positioning
8.1. Subtitle should be center-justified and placed at the bottom of the screen.
8.2. If there is on-screen text (such as credits) that appears in the lower third of the screen, subtitle should
be moved to the top of the screen.

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8.3. In cases where the entire screen is covered with on-screen text, choose the option that causes the
least disruption to the viewer.

9. Timing
9.1. If there is a supplied English template, the timing for that should be followed. Events may be merged
or split if the in-time and out-time are maintained. This rule supersedes all the below rules.
9.2. Subtitles should be timed to the audio, within 3 frames. While the reading speed is 17 characters per
second, this is not always possible. The following priority should be followed:
A. If extra time is needed for reading speed requirement, the out-time can be extended by up to
12 frames past end of audio, if it doesn’t cause the subtitle event to cross a shot change.
B. Let the reading speed go up to 21 characters per second.
C. Merge or split the subtitle events to help with reading speed.
D. Truncate the subtitle without altering or losing the intended meaning of the audio.
9.3. For dialogue that crosses shot changes:
A. If dialogue starts within 3 frames of a shot change, adjust the in-time to the shot change.
B. If dialogue ends within 3 frames of a shot change, pull the out-time back to the shot change if
there is no subtitle event immediately after.
C. If there is one subtitle before and one subtitle after the shot change, the first subtitle should
end 2 frames before the shot change, and the second subtitle should start on the shot change.

10. Titles
10.1. Main Title of a TV Series or Movie:
When the Main Title of a TV series or Movie appears on screen, please subtitle the Main Title
and use the Main Title translation provided by Amazon/Studio Partners. If not provided, check
external sources (such as IMDB and Wikipedia) and use the official, well-known, or existing Main
Title translation. If that is unavailable, please translate and subtitle.
10.2. Season Titles:
When the Season Title appears on screen – If the Season Title is the same as the Series Main
Title, please do not translate nor subtitle. If the Season Title is “Season 3” for example, please
translate and subtitle.
10.3. Episodes Titles:

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When the Episode Title appears on screen – Please translate and subtitle. Episode Titles can be
localized directly without restriction.
10.4. For Prime Original and Amazon Originals TV Series or Movies:
Please do not subtitle the “PRIME ORIGINAL” or “amazon originals” logo at the beginning of the
video.

11. Dual Speakers

11.1. To indicate two characters speaking in one subtitle event, use a hyphen with a space before an
individual’s dialogue line to differentiate each character.
11.2. There should be a space between hyphens and dialogue text.
11.3. Only one speaker per line is allowed.
Example: - Papá.
- Oye, campeón.

12. Forced Narrative/Narrative Subtitles (for On-Screen Text)

12.1. Provide subtitles for all plot-pertinent on-screen text – including narrative text (which is part of
principal photography) and burn-in text (which has been added in post-production).
12.2. Forced Narrative for the on-screen text should be in ALL UPPERCASE, with the following exceptions
which can use mixed case – please do match the upper/lower case format of the on-screen text for
the following:
A. Handwritten notes
B. Excerpts from books/magazines/newspaper
C. Social media messages
D. Text messages
E. Long passages of on-screen text such as prologues and epilogues.
12.3. If the on-screen text interrupts dialogue, use an ellipsis at the end of the preceding subtitle event and
at the beginning of the following subtitle event:
Subtitle event 1: Evan, ¿sabes a dónde iba ir tu papa…
Subtitle event 2 (Forced Narrative): SEDE DE LA FUERZA ESPECIAL
DE LA POLICÍA ESTATAL
Subtitle event 4: …esta mañana?

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12.4. Never combine a Forced Narrative with subtitled dialogues in the same event (as shown in the above
example).
12.5. If the camera focuses on a set element with intent, then it is an indication that it is pertinent to the
plot. Narrative subtitle should be provided in this case.
12.6. Forced Narrative should be positioned so that they do not obscure the source-language on-screen
text.
12.7. Delete redundant Forced Narrative (e.g., identical to on-screen text, covered in dialogue, or appears
repeatedly in the video).
12.8. The duration of the Forced Narrative subtitle should mimic the duration of the on-screen text as much
as possible, except for cases where reading speed and/or surrounding dialogue takes precedence.
12.9. For documentaries: When on-screen text includes details about the speaker, only translate their title;
do not subtitle speaker’s details that are redundant, such as the speaker’s name, the name of their
company, or the name of their character. And translate a speaker’s title only once – the first time the
speaker appears.

13. Names
13.1. For proper names (such as Aaron, Jim, Mary, Kate, etc.) – Do not translate.
13.2. For nicknames – Only translate if they convey a specific meaning, or if they are well-known and have
official Latin American Spanish equivalents.
13.3. For historical/mythical character names – Use established, or well-known local language translations.
13.4. For brand names – Use official localized version. If unavailable, please leave it in English. However, if
the name of a brand is unfamiliar in Latin America, please translate into a more generic term (For
example, describe the product in a generic term instead of using the brand name), so that viewers will
not fail to understand the meaning. For fictional brands, please localize.

14. Formality
Use formal or informal terms of address based on the relationship between characters, and keep them
consistent throughout (unless there is a change in the relationship). When in doubt, use formal terms.

15. Spelling
15.1. Please refer to the Real Academia Española for linguistic guidance:
Diccionario de la lengua española - https://dle.rae.es/

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Diccionario panhispánico de dudas - http://www.rae.es/recursos/diccionarios/dpd

15.2. Deliberate misspellings and mispronunciations in the source language should not be reproduced in the
translation unless plot-pertinent.

16. Abbreviations
16.1. Please avoid using abbreviations unless the space is very limited to include full text.
16.2. Keep the accent in abbreviations if the original words have accents: máx. (máximo); cód. (código)
16.3. Some commonly used abbreviations include: Sr., Sra., Srta., Dr., Dra., km, m, cm, mm.
16.4. Personal title abbreviation can only be used if there is a proper noun that follows it: Sr. Lòpez
16.5. Measurement unit abbreviations are written without a dot at the end: km
16.6. The proper abbreviation for Estados Unidos is EE. UU. The acronym EUA is also accepted as per the
Real Academia Española.
16.7. Detailed abbreviation rules: http://lema.rae.es/dpd/?key=abreviatura
16.8. List of abbreviations: http://www.rae.es/diccionario-panhispanico-de-dudas/apendices/abreviaturas

17. Acronyms
17.1. Acronyms (siglas) are written without periods or spaces between letters: ONU, OTAN, FBI, CIA
17.2. Do not use accents if acronyms are written in ALL UPPERCASE.
17.3. For acronyms that are common nouns and have become part of the daily lexicon, they are written in
lowercase and use accents if applicable (e.g. sida, ovni, láser)
17.4. Detailed acronym rules: http://lema.rae.es/dpd/?key=siglas

18. Punctuations
18.1. Do not use semicolons in subtitles.
18.2. Do not use a period after a closing exclamation mark or question mark.
18.3. Do not use an exclamation mark and question mark together. Choose the most suitable application for
the context:
A. Correct: ¿Verdad? or ¡Verdad!
B. Incorrect: ¡¿Verdad?!
18.4. Detailed punctuation rules: http://lema.rae.es/dpd/?key=signos%20ortogr%C3%A1ficos
18.5. Quotation marks:

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A. Use the double quotation marks (“ ”) to enclose regular quotations. Please do not put a space
between the double quotation marks and text.
B. Use the single quotation marks (‘ ’) to enclose quotes within quotes.
C. When the quoted text continues over several subtitle events, quotation marks should only be used
at the very beginning and very end of the quote, and not at the start of every subtitle event.
For example:
Subtitle event 1: “Yo, Stephen J. McGarrett…
Subtitle event 2: …declaro solemnemente
por mi honor y conciencia que
Subtitle event 3: actuaré en todo momento con lo major
de mi capacidad y conocimiento
Subtitle event 4: de una manera acorde
a un oficial de la ley”.
D. In Spanish, the period at the end of a sentence always comes after the closing quotes (as shown in
the above example).
E. When a sentence includes a quoted sentence that ends with a question or an exclamation mark, a
period must be added after the quotation mark:
For example:
Subtitle event 1: Me llamaba a la medianoche
Subtitle event 2: y decía:
Subtitle event 3: "Oye, Chin, ¿qué haces?".

19. Continuity
19.1. Use ellipsis (…) to indicate a sudden interruption, a pause, or dialogue that trails off.
A. An example below in the case of a sudden interruption:
Subtitle event 1: - Estoy tratando...
Subtitle event 2: - ¿Por qué estás hablando?
B. An example in the case of a pause (one second or more which is intended to be noticed):
If dialogue continues in the next subtitle event after a significant pause, ellipsis should be used
at the end of the first event and at the beginning of the second event.
Subtitle event 1: Mi conjetura es que...
Subtitle event 2: ...estaba justo allí.

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C. An example below in the case of trail off (i.e. the sentence doesn’t continue to the next subtitle):
Subtitle event 1: Jersey, no quiero espantarte...
19.2. For a subtitle event that starts mid-sentence, use an ellipsis without a space followed by text. For
example, news on TV playing in the background with plot-pertinent information.
19.3. When an ongoing dialogue line is split between two or more continuous subtitle, do not use ellipsis.
For example:
Subtitle event 1: Son las 6:15. Dijiste que querías
Subtitle event 2: levantarte temprano para estudiar.

20. Italics
20.1. Italicize the following:
A. Dialogue that is heard through electronic media, such as a phone, television, radio, public
announcement system, or computer.
B. Unfamiliar foreign words and phrases (not commonly used).
C. Song lyrics when sung, not quoted (provided rights have been granted).
D. Voice-overs such as out-of-scene narrations.
E. Visible characters expressing unspoken thoughts.
F. Titles of books / periodicals / works of art / albums / movies / TV or radio shows / plays
G. Genera and species' scientific names
20.2. Do not italicize the following:
A. Dialogues that occur during B-roll footage.
B. If the dialogue starts/ends out-of-scene, but the character is visible during the event, e.g., on a
phone call between two people.
C. For emphasis.

21. Repetitions
21.1. If a word or a phrase is repeated multiple times in a row by the same speaker, time the subtitle to
audio, but only translate once.
21.2. The above rule can be ignored if the context uses repetitions for emphasis or comedic effect.

22. Numbers
22.1. Spell out the Arabic numerals from 1 to 10: siete, ocho, nueve, etc.

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22.2. For Arabic numerals 11 and above, please represent them numerically: 17, 18, 19, etc.
22.3. Use a period (.) as the decimal separator: thirteen point five should be written as 13.5
22.4. Use a space as the thousands separator for numbers with five or more digits: 100 000
22.5. Numbers below 10 000 should be written without a separator: 9999
22.6. If a number starts a sentence, it should be spelled out.
22.7. Exceptions to the above can be made for space limitations, reading speed concerns, or listing multiple
quantities.
22.8. Time can be indicated using either the 12-hour or the 24-hour clock, as long as it is used consistently
throughout the content.
22.9. Convert imperial system to metric system: convert Fahrenheit to Celsius, feet to meters, miles to
kilometers, and pounds to kilograms, etc.
22.10. For expression of currency, please follow the rules below:
A. If the specific currency is mentioned in dialogue, it should be spelled out or represented with the
appropriate symbol. Do not convert currency.
For example: Vendería la aplicación por 89 centavos o $1.79.
B. If the specific currency is not mentioned in dialogue, the number should be written without the
unit of currency.
For example: Eso te costará 248 o 399
dependiendo en el modelo.

23. Foreign-Language Dialogue

23.1. For any dialogue that is spoken in a language different from the original voice (OV) of the video,
translation should be provided if it is meant to be understood by the audience, which is usually
subtitled in the source language as well.
23.2. Always verify spelling and grammar when using foreign words.
23.3. Foreign words should be italicized unless they have become part of normal usage (For example, in
English, the following do not need italicization: bon voyage, zeitgeist, doppelganger, etc.). Do not
italicize proper names and company names.

24. Colloquialism
24.1. Localize the intended meaning of the colloquialism in the source subtitle. If word-for-word translation
of the source colloquialism is unnatural, do not use literal translation.

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24.2. Colloquialism and idioms used in the localized subtitle should be cultural specific and fitting to the
context.
24.3. Do not use regional slangs or idioms that would not be widely understood.

25. Profanity
The following guidance should be followed when handling profanity of localization:

25.1. Communicate the equivalent level of profanity in the context of the Latin American culture.
25.2. Convey the essence of the source content without censoring or toning down.
25.3. Do not increase the level of perceived obscenity.
25.4. Provide ease of comprehension.
25.5. Content must never be censored if the audio is not muted or bleeped. In cases where the expletive is
bleeped, muted, or censored in the audio, subtitle the first letter of the expletive and represent the
rest of the expletive with asterisks.

26. Songs
26.1. Only subtitle plot-pertinent songs if rights have been granted.
26.2. Please note that plot-pertinent does not merely mean thematically relevant. Essentially, the song
lyrics must convey information that is absolutely necessary for a viewer’s understanding of the plot.
26.3. If a plot-pertinent song contains lyrics that have been altered or parodied for comedic effect, they can
be subtitled.
26.4. For opening and closing theme songs, they should only be subtitled when clearly plot-pertinent: For
example, in children’s programs, when the lyrics tell a story. Generally, adult programs should not
have the opening and closing theme songs subtitled, except for when SDH is requested (see
instructions in section #28 below).
26.5. Start each lyric line with an uppercase letter.
26.6. Song lyrics must be italicized.
26.7. Song titles must be enclosed with double quotation marks.
26.8. Album titles must be italicized.
26.9. Only question mark, exclamation mark, or ellipsis can be used at the end of a line. Commas can be
used within the lyric line when necessary.

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27. Translator Credit

Do not include a translator credit.

28. SDH Requirements

When subtitles for the deaf of hard-of-hearing (SDH) is requested, the following guidance should be
followed:
28.1. Reading speed can be increased to:
A. For Adult Programs: 20 characters per second.
B. For Children’s Programs: 17 characters per second.
28.2. Character limit per line: No more than 42 characters per line.
28.3. Line Limit Per Screen: No more than 2 lines of subtitles per screen.
28.4. For speaker identification and sound effects:
A. Use the square brackets [ ] to enclose speaker identification and sound effects.
B. Speaker identification and sound effects should be written in all lowercase, except for proper
nouns.
C. Speaker identification tag within brackets is only required when speaker is off screen. If speaker is
visible, and it is clear to a hearing-impaired viewer that he / she is speaking, do not include a
speaker identification tag.
D. When speaker identification tag is required for a character whose name has not been introduced
in the plot, please use [man] or [woman], or [male voice] or [female voice].
E. Never italicize speaker identification tag or sound effects, even when the spoken dialogue is
italicized, such as in a voice-over. For example: [narrator] Many years ago, the ocean…
F. Sound effects should be indicated when it is not visually identified. For example, the sound of
leaves rustling requires a descriptive caption, which should be enclosed with the brackets so as to
distinguish them from subtitle dialogue.
G. Use a generic identification to describe ambient music. For example: [jazz music playing on radio].
H. When sound effects interrupt dialogue, they should be handled as follows:
For example:
Subtitle event 1: I have been hiding this secret…
[sighs heavily]
Subtitle event 2: …for a very long time.
28.5. For foreign-language dialogues:

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A. If translated, please use the tag [in language] followed by the translated dialogue.
For example:
Subtitle event 1: [in Cantonese] What are you doing here?
B. If not meant to be understood by the audience, please use the tag [speaking language].
For example:
Subtitle event 1: [speaking Cantonese]
C. Always identify the specific language being spoken. Never use [in foreign language] or [speaking
foreign language].
28.6. For songs:
A. Lyrics should be transcribed when sung by a character on screen.
B. For soundtrack lyrics, include only when audible and not in conflict with dialogue. Please do not
interrupt dialogue to add in background song lyrics when they are not plot pertinent.
C. Enclose lyrics with a music note symbol (♪) at the beginning and the end of each subtitle.
D. Identify song title when applicable – song title should be enclosed by double quotation mark:
[“Anywhere for You” playing]

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