How Does a Teleprompter Work?

What is a teleprompter?

A teleprompter (also called an autocue) is a device or app that displays a script to a speaker and scrolls it as they read. Instead of memorizing a speech or glancing down at notes, the speaker reads from a screen while continuing to face the audience or the camera. Teleprompters are used by news anchors, YouTubers, politicians, teachers, sales teams and anyone who needs to deliver a lot of words without losing eye contact.

How a teleprompter works — the basic idea

At its core, a teleprompter does three things:

• 1.It shows text big enough to read at a comfortable distance, usually with generous spacing.
• 2.It scrolls the text at a steady, adjustable pace that matches the speaker's rhythm.
• 3.It keeps the current line in view, often with a highlighted band, so the speaker never loses their place.

In software teleprompters — like Teleprompter.today — the text scrolls upward on your own screen while a fixed band in the middle marks where you should be reading. You control the speed with your keyboard as you go.

What does a teleprompter look like?

There are two very different-looking kinds.

A professional rig

A studio teleprompter is a monitor mounted below or behind a camera, with a sheet of angled, semi-transparent glass in front of the lens. The screen shows the script; the glass reflects it toward the speaker. Because the reflection reverses the image, the text is mirrored so it reads correctly in the glass. To the speaker it looks like text floating in front of the camera lens.

A software teleprompter

A software teleprompter looks like a full-screen page of large text. The current line sits in a highlighted band in the middle of the screen, and the script scrolls past it. There is no glass and no rig — just a browser on a laptop, tablet or phone. You can also enable mirror mode if you are filming through a physical beam-splitter.

The mirror trick, explained

When you use a beam-splitter rig, the glass reflects your screen, so the text would appear backwards to the speaker. Teleprompter software solves this with a mirror mode that flips the text horizontally before it is reflected. If you have ever wondered why studio teleprompters can display reversed text, this is why. On Teleprompter.today you can toggle horizontal and vertical mirroring in one click, or with the M and Shift+M shortcuts.

How to use a teleprompter (step by step)

• 1.Write for the ear. Use short sentences and contractions. Read it aloud once before you record.
• 2.Paste your script into the teleprompter and set a font size you can read from your distance.
• 3.Set the scroll speed slightly slower than your natural pace, then adjust as you go.
• 4.Position the screen as close to the camera as possible so your eyes stay near the lens.
• 5.Rehearse with the scroll, not just the page, so the pacing feels natural.

Do you need special equipment?

No. A software teleprompter runs in your browser on any device. You only need physical rig hardware if you are filming with a dedicated camera and want the text to appear in front of the lens. For most YouTubers, teachers and presenters, a laptop or phone positioned near the camera is enough.

Frequently asked questions