OBS overlay sizes, safe areas, and layout planning

For a 1920×1080 canvas, a full-canvas Browser Source can also use 1920×1080. A 1280×720 output can still be designed on a 1920×1080 base canvas and scaled at output, but small type must survive the reduction. Vertical projects normally use 1080×1920, while square or portrait social layouts need their own compositions rather than a blind center crop.

A compact widget can use a smaller browser viewport when its internal layout is self-contained. Full-canvas dimensions are preferable when the overlay includes a position picker because top, center, and bottom anchors need the complete coordinate space.

Keep essential text away from the extreme edges. A starting margin of roughly five percent of the canvas gives compression, television overscan, and platform UI some breathing room, but the real margin depends on destination and format.

Reserve predictable zones for captions, alerts, sponsor disclosures, and chat before placing decorative elements. In gameplay scenes, do not cover persistent HUD information. In interview scenes, protect faces and lower-third space.

• Test the final player on desktop and mobile.
• Preview vertical crops separately instead of assuming the center is safe.
• Leave room for counts and names to grow beyond the example data.

Judge typography at the viewer’s display size. A full-screen 60-pixel label can become tiny when the stream is watched in a phone feed. Counters can be larger, but supporting labels should still meet a consistent minimum throughout the scene collection.

Use tabular numerals for changing counts and timers so digits do not shift the composition. Long usernames, track titles, donor messages, and translated strings need wrap or truncation rules that are tested with realistic worst cases.

A single source can be reused across similar 16:9 scenes, but horizontal and vertical broadcasts benefit from separate overlay configurations. Save variants with clear names and keep their typography, spacing, and anchor choices intentional.

Document the source dimensions and safe-area rules with the scene collection. That makes later edits consistent and helps collaborators avoid resizing an overlay until it technically fits but no longer remains readable.