Adjust Horizontal Text Padding in OBS Studio

Adjusting the horizontal padding of a GDI+ text source in OBS Studio is essential for creating clean, professional-looking stream overlays. While OBS does not feature a direct “horizontal padding” slider in the text properties, you can easily achieve this spacing using three highly effective methods. This guide will walk you through using the Crop/Pad filter, enabling custom text extents, and applying manual spacing to get the exact layout you need.

The most precise way to add horizontal padding to any source in OBS, including GDI+ text, is by applying an effect filter.

  1. In the Sources dock, right-click your GDI+ Text source and select Filters.
  2. Click the + (plus) icon in the bottom-left corner of the Filters window under Effect Filters.
  3. Select Crop/Pad from the list and click OK.
  4. To add padding (instead of cropping), enter negative numbers in the Left and Right input boxes (for example, entering -20 will add 20 pixels of blank space to that side).
  5. Close the filters window to apply the changes.

Method 2: Enable Custom Text Extents

Custom text extents allow you to define a specific bounding box for your text, giving you control over how the text aligns within that defined area.

  1. Double-click your GDI+ Text source to open its Properties.
  2. Scroll down and check the box next to Use Custom Text Extents.
  3. Set the Width to a value larger than your actual text size.
  4. Use the Alignment dropdown (Left, Center, or Right) to position your text within the box. Choosing “Center” will automatically create equal horizontal padding on both sides of the text box.

Method 3: Manual Spacing

If you do not have a background color enabled on your text source and simply need quick spacing relative to other sources, you can use manual spacing.

  1. Open your GDI+ Text source properties.
  2. In the Text input box, press the spacebar at the beginning and end of your text string to create padding.
  3. Click OK to save.