Styling image captions

Customize how image titles and descriptions display.

Last updated January 17, 2024

Captions are text titles and descriptions that add information and context to your images. Captions don’t have their own style tweaks. Instead, they follow the tweaks for other text on your site.

How you style an image’s caption depends on where it is and how it’s set to display. Captions generally display in one of three ways:

  • Caption below - The text displays on the page, below the image.
  • Caption overlay - The text displays over the image, either at all times or only on hover.
  • Lightbox caption overlay - With lightbox enabled, the image appears in a popup when clicked. A caption displays over the image on hover.

This guide covers the style rules for all images on your site that display captions.

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Before you begin

  • Fonts and colors have separate tweaks.
  • We recommend keeping captions short, especially when the caption overlays an image. Longer captions may get cut off in certain devices and browsers.

In version 7.0:

  • It's not possible to add line breaks to image caption titles. You can add line breaks to image description text.
  • We use the term "body text" to refer to any text that isn't a heading or meta text, but each template has its own tweak names. For example, in Adirondack, the tweak that controls the body text font is called Text. In Skye, it’s called Body. To learn more, visit Styling text.
  • Some templates only have one tweak that controls all header colors or all header fonts. In those cases, captions that follow specific header styles (like Heading 3) will follow the general header tweak.

If you’re having difficulty styling captions on a 7.0 site, we recommend experimenting on a test page:

  1. Create a layout page in the Not linked section of your navigation.
  2. Add a text block that contains heading 1, heading 2, heading 3, and body text (You’ll need at least four lines of text).
  3. Use site styles to give each of these a distinct font and color.
  4. Look at your caption to see how it’s changed.

Accessing this feature

Version 7.0 doesn't support gallery sections. Use a gallery page instead.

Images in gallery sections support descriptions, which display when the Captions toggle is turned on in the section editor.

In all layouts:

  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Follows Paragraph: Medium
  • Size - Not adjustable
  • Caption alignment - Not adjustable

Keep in mind:

  • Image descriptions don't support line breaks.
  • Captions appear under each image in all Grid layouts and Slideshow: Simple and Full layouts. In the Slideshow: Reel layout, captions only appear under the center image.
  • Captions don't appear in lightbox view.

Image block

In Fluid Engine sections, you'll use a text block to add text adjacent to or overlaying an image block instead of adding a caption.

In the classic editor, most image block layouts support a title and subtitle with their own style settings. How you style these captions depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on.

Tip

Image blocks added to Fluid Engine sections don't have built-in layout options. Instead of adding a caption to an image block, use a text block to add text adjacent to or overlaying an image block.

For the Inline layout added to a classic editor section, captions can display below the image, as an overlay, or as a lightbox overlay. You can format the caption text in the text toolbar. See below for style rules for each. 

Caption below

For captions that display below the inline image block:

  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Follows Text tweaks for the set text type under Colors
  • Size - Set in the text toolbar

Caption overlay

For captions that display over the inline image block at all times or on hover:

  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Set in the text toolbar

Lightbox overlay

For captions that display over the inline image block while in a lightbox pop-up:

  • Font - Follows Fonts
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Follows Paragraph 3

For the Inline layout, captions can display below the image, as an overlay, or as a lightbox overlay. See below for style rules for each.

Caption below

In most templates, for captions that display below the inline image block:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Follows body text
  • Size - Not adjustable

There are exceptions in these template families:

Bedford

Size - Follows body text

Five

Font - Always black and uppercase

Pacific

Size - Follows body text

Skye

Font, color, and size - Follows the Image & gallery block captions tweak

York

Size - Follows body text

Caption overlay

In most templates, for captions that display over the inline image block when it's displaying on the page:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Always gray
  • Size - Not adjustable

There are exceptions in these template families:

Five

Font - Always uppercase

Skye

Font - Follows the Image & gallery block captions tweak

Lightbox overlay

In most templates, for captions that display over the inline image block while in a lightbox pop-up:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Not adjustable

There are exceptions in these template families:

Adirondack

Font - Not adjustable

Bedford

Font - Not adjustable

Five Size - Follows body text

Flatiron

Color - Follows body text

Pacific

Font - Not adjustable

Skye

Font - Follows the Excerpt tweak
Size - Follows the Excerpt tweak

Tremont

Font - Not adjustable
Color
- Follows body text

Wexley

Size - Follows body text

Summary block

The summary block supports captions for all its designs (Wall, List, Carousel, Grid).

How you style the summary block caption depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on.

In all summary block designs:

  • Title size - Follows Paragraph 2
  • Description size and Meta size - Not adjustable
  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Follows Summary Block tweaks under Colors

In all templates:

  • Title size, Description size, and Meta size - Not adjustable
  • Description font - Follows body text
  • Description color - Follows body text
  • Title color - Varies by template, see the list below

In most templates:

  • Meta 1 and 2 font - Follows body text
  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows body text
  • Title font - Follows body text

There are exceptions in these template families:

Adirondack

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak

Avenue

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak

Aviator

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak

Bedford

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak
Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Page Meta Color tweak

Brine

Title color - Follows body text

Farro

Title color - Follows body text

Five

Title color - Follows the Body Link tweak

Gallery and Blog:

  • Meta 1 color - Follows body text
  • Meta 2 color - Follows the Body Link tweak

Events:

  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows body text

Products:

  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Body Link tweak

Flatiron

Title color -Follows the Link Color tweak

Forte

Title color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak
The Underline Body Links tweak affects Meta 2

Galapagos

Title color - Follows the Link Color tweak

Ishimoto

Title color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Marquee (discontinued)

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak

Momentum

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color -Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak

Montauk

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak

Native

Title font - Follows Heading 1
Title color - Follows Heading 1

Pacific

Title font - Follows the Summary Block Title Font tweak
Title color - Follows the Summary Block Title Color tweak
Meta 1 and 2 font - Follows the Meta Font tweak
Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Meta Color tweak

Skye

Title font - Follows the List Title tweak
Title color - Follows the Title Color tweak
Meta 1 and 2 font - Follows the Meta tweak
Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Meta Color tweak

Supply

Title color - Follows the Link Color tweak

Tremont

Title color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Gallery and Blog:

  • Meta 1 and 2 font - Follows the Meta Font tweak
  • Meta 1 color - Follows the Meta Color tweak
  • Meta 2 color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Events:

  • Meta 1 and 2 font - Follows the Meta Font tweak
  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Meta Color tweak

Products

  • Meta 1 and 2 font - Follows the Meta Font tweak
  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Wells

Title color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Wexley

Title color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

York

Title color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Gallery and Blog:

  • Meta 1 color - Follows body text
  • Meta 2 color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Event:

  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows body text

Products:

  • Meta 1 and 2 color - Follows the Body Link Color tweak

Instagram block

The Instagram block supports captions for the Slideshow and Stacked designs, and in the Grid design when viewed in a lightbox.

How you adjust the caption text depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on.

Stacked

Stacked captions below each image:

  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Follows Paragraph: Medium
  • Size - Follows Paragraph 2

Slideshow

Slideshow captions display as an overlay, either at all times or on hover:

  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Not adjustable

Grid

Grid captions display in the lightbox overlay:

  • Font - Follows Fonts
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Not adjustable

Stacked

Stacked captions below each image. In all templates:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Follows body text
  • Size - Follows body text

Slideshow

Slideshow captions display as an overlay, either at all times or on hover. In all templates:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Not adjustable

Grid

Grid captions display in the lightbox overlay. In most templates:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Always white
  • Size - Follows body text

Exceptions

The caption font and caption size aren't adjustable in these template families:

  • Adirondack
  • Bedford
  • Pacific

How you adjust grid gallery block caption text depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on.

Accessing this feature

In version 7.1 you can only add gallery blocks to blog posts, product items, and individual events.

Grid gallery block titles can display below the image. Titles and descriptions display in the lightbox overlay.

Title below

For titles that display below grid gallery block images:

  • Font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Color - Follows Paragraph: Medium under Colors
  • Size - Not adjustable

Lightbox overlay

For captions that display over grid gallery block images while in a lightbox popup:

  • Title font - Follows Headings
  • Title color - Always white
  • Title size - Not adjustable
  • Description font - Follows Fonts
  • Description color - Always white
  • Description size - Not adjustable

Grid gallery block titles can display below the image. Titles and descriptions display in the lightbox overlay.

Title below

In all templates, for titles that display below grid gallery block images:

  • Font - Follows body text
  • Color - Follows body text
  • Size - Not adjustable

Lightbox overlay

In most templates, for captions that display over grid gallery block images while in a lightbox pop-up:

  • Title font - Follows Heading 1
  • Title color - Always white
  • Title size - Follows body text
  • Description font - Follows body text
  • Description color - Always white
  • Description size - Follows body text

There are exceptions in these template families:

Adirondack

Title size - Not adjustable
Description font - Not adjustable
Description size - Not adjustable

Bedford

Title size - Not adjustable
Description font - Not adjustable
Description size - Not adjustable

Five

Title size - Follows Heading 1

Flatiron

Description color - Follows body text

Galapagos

Title color - Follows Heading 1
Title size
- Follows Heading 1

Note: Enable Custom headings in site styles

Pacific

Title color: Follows Heading 1
Title size: Follows Heading 1
Description font: Not adjustable

Skye

Title font - Follows the List title tweak
Title color - Follows the Title color tweak under Site-wide text colors
Title size - Not adjustable
Description font - Follows the Excerpt tweak
Description size - Follows the Excerpt tweak

Note: List Title and Title Color tweaks are only available when viewing a blog page

Tremont

Description font - Not adjustable
Description color - Follows body text
Description size
- Not adjustable

York

Title color - Follows Heading 1
Title size
- Follows Heading 1

Tip

In some templates, the Title color tweak also affects blog post titles. To ensure visibility, your Title color should be different than your site's background color.

How you adjust slideshow gallery block caption text depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on.

Accessing this feature

In version 7.1 you can only add gallery blocks to blog posts, product items, and individual events.

Slideshow gallery block captions can only display as an overlay. For captions that display over the slideshow gallery block:

  • Title font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Title color - Always white
  • Title size - Not adjustable
  • Description font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Description color - Always white
  • Description size - Not adjustable

Slideshow gallery block captions can only display as an overlay. In most templates, for captions that display over the slideshow gallery block:

  • Title font - Follows body text
  • Title color - Always white
  • Title size - Not adjustable
  • Description font - Follows body text
  • Description color - Always white
  • Description size - Not adjustable

In the Skye family:

  • Title font - Follows body text
  • Description font - Follows the Image & gallery block captions tweak

How you adjust stack gallery block caption text depends on which version of Squarespace your site is on.

Accessing this feature

In version 7.1 you can only add gallery blocks to blog posts, product items, and individual events.

Stack gallery block captions can only display below the image:

  • Title font - Follows Headings
  • Title color - Follows Heading (Medium)
  • Title size - Follows Heading 3
  • Description font - Follows Paragraphs
  • Description color - Follows Paragraph (Medium)
  • Description size - Follows Paragraph 2

Stack gallery block captions can only display below the image. In most templates:

  • Title font - Follows Heading 3
  • Title color - Follows Heading 3
  • Title size - Follows Heading 3
  • Description font - Follows body text
  • Description color - Follows body text
  • Description size - Follows body text

Tip

Enable Custom headings in site styles to style Galapagos headers.

In the Skye family:

  • Title color - Follows the Body gallery block title tweak
  • Description font - Follows the Image & gallery block captions tweak
  • Description color - Follows the Image & gallery block captions tweak
  • Description size - Follows the Image & gallery block captions tweak

Accessing this feature

In version 7.1 you can only add gallery blocks to blog posts, product items, and individual events.

Carousel gallery blocks don’t display captions.

Accessing this feature

Version 7.1 doesn't support gallery pages. Use a gallery section instead.

Every template on version 7.0 has a built-in gallery page. Many templates have a unique gallery page, while others use the standard gallery page, which can display either as a slideshow or grid.

These template families have unique (template-specific) gallery pages. Use the links below to learn about each template’s gallery page. If your template isn’t listed here, it has a standard gallery page.

In most templates with standard gallery pages:

Grid format:

  • Title font - Follows Heading 1
  • Title color - Always white
  • Title size - Follows body text
  • Description font - Follows body text
  • Description color - Always white
  • Description size - Follows body text

Slideshow format:

  • Title font - Follows body text
  • Title color - Always white
  • Title size - Not adjustable
  • Description font - Follows body text
  • Description color - Always gray
  • Description size - Not adjustable

Note: The body text tweak adjusts the space between the title and description

There are exceptions in these template families:

Template family

Grid format

Slideshow format

Adirondack

Title font - Not adjustable
Title size - Not adjustable
Description font - Not adjustable
Description size - Not adjustable

Title font - Follows Heading 1

Note: Always displays at the top and centered

Bedford

Title size - Not adjustable
Description font - Not adjustable
Description size - Not adjustable

 

Five

Title size - Follows Heading 1

 

Galapagos

Title color - Follows Heading 1
Title size
- Follows Heading 1

Note: Enable Custom headings in site styles.

 

Marquee (discontinued)

Title font - Follows body text
Title size - Follows body text
Description size - Follows body text

 

Native

 

Note: Always displays at the top

Pacific

Title color - Follows Heading 1
Title size
- Follows Heading 1
Description font
- Not adjustable
Description size - Not adjustable

 

Skye

Title font - Follows the List title tweak
Title color - Follows the Title color tweak
Title size - Follows the List title tweak
Description font - Follows the Excerpt tweak
Description size - Follows the Excerpt tweak

Note: List title and Title color tweaks are only available when viewing a blog page

Title font - Follows the List title tweak
Title color - Follows the Title color tweak
Title size - Follows the List title tweak
Description font - Follows the List title tweak
Description color - Follows the Title color tweak
Description size - Follows the List title tweak

Note: List title and Title color tweaks are only available when viewing a blog page

York

Title font - Follows Heading 1
Title color - Follows Heading 1
Title size - Follows Heading 1

 

Project pages

Accessing this feature

Version 7.1 doesn't support project pages. Use a gallery section instead.

The project page is a template-specific portfolio layout, available in the York family (Artesia, Flores, Harris, Jasper, Jones, Lange, Shibori, York). On project pages, the image title and description text display on the page beside or below the image.

Use the tweaks in the Project: fonts section of site styles to style the text of your image title and descriptions. You can also scale the fonts to control how they display.

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