---
title: 3 Fun VideoScribe background styles to try
description: "Learn how to give your videos a different look and feel with these three background styles: chalkboard, complementary colors and photos."
image: https://blog.videoscribe.co/hubfs/3_VideoScribe_backgrounds.jpg
---
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4. 3 Fun VideoScribe background styles to try
# 3 Fun VideoScribe background styles to try
Posted by [Naomi Linford](https://blog.videoscribe.co/author/naomi-linford) on August 27, 2019
When you think of VideoScribe, most people picture striking whiteboard animations. It’s no surprise, whiteboard animation is the most common style of video our customers make and it’s what people love about VideoScribe!
But did you know you can also create lots of other backgrounds to give your video a different look and feel?
It might be that a chalkboard effect helps communicate your message better, a stylized color background reinforces your branding, or you just want to have fun with photo backgrounds.
In today’s blog we’re walking you through three different background styles you can try today to get creative and revamp your videos. We will focus on how to create these style in [VideoScribe for desktop](https://www.videoscribe.co/en/download/), but we will also show you how you can create similar effects in [VideoScribe for browser](https://www.videoscribe.co/app).
## Video Style 1: Chalkboard or Blackboard Background
Think of this style as the inverse of [whiteboard animation](https://www.videoscribe.co/en/Whiteboard-Animation). Stand out from the crowd with a strong color contrast and distinctive look that might remind you of your school days.
This effect creates a traditional classroom-style blackboard background with chalky images and text, just with no squeaking chalk!
This style works particularly well for:
1. [Explainer videos](https://www.videoscribe.co/en/Explainer-Video) as the simpler graphics and color scheme ensure the focus is on your message and not just the fun visuals.
2. [Educational videos](https://www.videoscribe.co/en/Education) as not only does the chalkboard style put viewers in the mindset for learning, but complex topics can be broken down into easier steps helping improve understanding.
3. Models and diagrams also work well in this style because the single line drawings are really clear against the black background.
### How to create a chalkboard animation in VideoScribe for desktop:
Creating your next video in this style in VideoScribe for desktop is super easy, just apply the following effects...
**Background texture:** pick the chalkboard option as you can see below. If you need any extra help, head to our [support information on backgrounds by clicking here](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000065687).
[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sparkol-www-uploads/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-22-at-16.17.29.png)
**Background colour:** open the background color changer by clicking the box you see below and then select the grey closest to a chalkboard or use the hex code: 5f5f5f.
[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sparkol-www-uploads/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-27-at-17.47.34.png)
[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sparkol-www-uploads/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-22-at-16.40.01.png)
**Hand:** select a person and use the hand holding chalk. For more help on this, [visit our support page by clicking here](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000054778).
**Font and font colour:** select a suitable hand-drawn style font (e.g. Basic) and select a light grey from the colour pallet (e.g. hex code: e3e3e3).
**Images:** choose line art or highlight style images from our library. Then [change them into ‘outline’ mode and edit the line color](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000037916) to look like chalk. You can see some examples of this below.
[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sparkol-www-uploads/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-23-at-10.57.40.png)
### How to create a chalkboard animation in VideoScribe for browser:
If you are using VideoScribe for browser, you can still create a chalkboard or blackboard effect. Here's how...
Set the background to look like a chalkboard. You can do this by simply clicking anywhere on the canvas which isn't an image or text element. Then choose a black or dark grey color from the palette in the Background Settings panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
Or, if you want to you can use an image of a chalkboard as the background. To do this just click on the Add Image icon and search for "chalkboard" in the image library. Click on the image you want and then drag it to expand and position it until it fills the canvas.
Change the color of images and text to match with the theme. As you add image and text elements to your canvas, make sure you click on each one to open the options panel on the right-hand side of the screen. From there you can change the color of each element to white or light grey to look like chalk.
## Video Style 2: Coordinated Color Background
If you’re ready to move beyond black and white, why not try a stylized complementary color background?
By this we mean a colored or textured color background that features images and text in two or three matching colors to create a sophisticated, cohesive look.
This style works particularly well for:
1. Branded videos where you want to reinforce your organization’s identity and brand recall with color.
2. Storytelling as the broader range of colors helps you evoke emotion. Consider using [color theory](https://99designs.co.uk/blog/tips/the-7-step-guide-to-understanding-color-theory/) to choose shades that match the feeling you want your audience to experience.
3. Any videos that will include a larger amount of text because you can alter the colors to ensure the contrast is easier to read by all including visually impaired people.
### How to achieve a coordinated color style in VideoScribe for desktop:
**Background texture:** you can add a texture like parchment paper, felt, or cork board to bring another dimension to your video. Simply pick from [the available background options](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000065687).
**Background color:** pick complimentary background and foreground colors to bring your video to life. For guidance on color palettes, [Color Hunt](https://colorhunt.co/) is a great resource.
**Font and font color:** use your foreground color(s) for your text and choose from any of our fonts or [import your own](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/1000033723-import-fonts).
**Images:** use [highlight images from the VideoScribe library](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000037916) and change the highlight color to match your foreground color. For a different look [change the highlight image into outline mode](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000037916) and change the line colour to your foreground colour. See examples below.
[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sparkol-www-uploads/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-23-at-11.04.40.png)
### How to achieve a coordinated color style in VideoScribe for browser:
Background color: Choose a background color for your video by clicking anywhere on the canvas that isn't a text or image element. This will open the Background Settings panel on the right-hand side of the screen. From here you can choose a color from the Default or Custom palettes or you can even enter the Hex code for one of your brand colors.
Font style and color: Choose a font which suits your style and a color which contrasts with or complements your background color. You can edit the font and color of a text element by clicking on it to open the Edit panel on the right-hand side of the screen. From here you can choose a Font from the dropdown menu and select a color from the palettes just as you did for the background.
Image style and color: Use highlight images from the VideoScribe image library and edit the Stroke and Highlight colors to complement your color theme. You can do this by clicking the Add Image icon and searching for images in the library. Once you've added an image to your canvas, click on it to open the Edit panel on the right-hand side of the screen. Under the Appearance options you can choose colors from the palettes for the Stroke and the Highlight lines.
## Video Style 3: Photo Background
Did you know you can also use an image or photo as the background to your video?
This feature gives you a lot of flexibility in how you design and make your video. You might want to draw your own background and upload it to fill the camera view. Or upload a photo you’ve taken to act as your canvas for text or images to appear on top.
This style works particularly well for:
1. Invitations to events because you can show off photos to provide your invitees with a better insight into what the event will be like.
2. Showing a journey with pictures. This could be a history timeline in a school lesson or a personal career journey - either way using photos in a video is a great option if you want to illustrate a transformation or tell a story.
3. Photo/image backgrounds are also highly effective for promotional or sales videos as you can include pictures of your product.
### How to create a photo background in VideoScribe for desktop:
The steps to creating a photo background video are...
**Background:** [import your image](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/1000033711) and enlarge it to fill the whole screen, then set the camera to this position.
**Hand:** there are lots of hands and pens to choose from. Have you tried ‘No Hand’ to give your video a different look?
**Font and font color:** select options that show up well on the background, if the image is dark you can use white or a light color. To give text more definition, add a solid shape as a colored panel behind the text and [set it to 70% opacity](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000045368) so that your image or photo still shows through from behind.
[](https://s3.amazonaws.com/sparkol-www-uploads/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2019/08/Screen-Shot-2019-08-23-at-12.13.31.png)
**Images:** select images that work well on top of your background picture. Don’t forget you can use full colour or highlight images and you can even [change the colors](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000067636) in these to make them stand out more.
**Animation methods:** your image can still [draw on top of the background](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000054035), but experiment with [move-in](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000047784) or [fade-in](https://help.videoscribe.co/support/solutions/articles/11000047720) for a different effect. You can then add a second background image and transition to this if you want to extend your video. Make sure you put the second image right next to the first (e.g. to the right or below) so that you don’t see white canvas during the transition. Alternatively you can select a background canvas colour to match your images.
### How to create a photo background in VideoScribe for browser:
Background: First, upload the photo that you would like to use as your background. To do this all you need to do it click the Add Image icon and then click the Upload icon in the top right of the Add Image window. This will let you browse through your desktop files and choose a photo to open.
Once your photo is on your canvas just click on it and drag the corners to expand it until it is big enough to fill the canvas.
Drag the center of your photo to position it how you like.
Animation timing and hand: Because this is an uploaded photo rather than an image from the library, VideoScribe will automatically animate it by shading over the area to make the photo appear in brushstrokes. You can hit the Preview button in the top right to watch how it looks. If you would like to change the way your photo appears then click on it and go to the Animation tab in the panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
From here you can choose which hand or pen draws your photo when it is animated. You might want to choose No Hand so that it appears on its own. If you would like your background to be there from the beginning of your video without being animated at all, just change the Animation time to zero "0" in the Timing options.
Text font and color: When you add text elements, think about which font and color would complement your photo well. You will probably want it to show up clearly against the color of the photo behind it, but also to complement the tone and coloring of the photo.
Click on your text to open the Edit panel on the right-hand side of the screen. From here you can choose a Font from the dropdown menu and select a color from the Default or Custom palettes.
Images: Select images that work well on top of your background picture. Don’t forget you can use full colour or highlight images from the VideoScribe image library and you can even change the colors in these to make them stand out more.
To change the colors of an image just click on it and select colors from the pallette in the Edit panel on the right-hand side of the screen.
Simply log into VideoScribe to start using these backgrounds today or **[start a FREE seven-day trial here](https://www.videoscribe.co/en/Free-Trial)**, no credit card required.
Once you’ve created your video, give it the attention it deserves and share it on social media with **#MadeWithVideoScribe** for a chance to be [featured on our website](https://www.videoscribe.co/en/Scribes)!
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