12 whiteboard animation tips that make videos look professional

Whiteboard animation is one of the most effective explainer formats ever invented, and with an automatic whiteboard animation maker anyone can make one. The difference between “made with a tool” and “looks professional” comes down to a dozen small decisions. Here they are.

1. Choose pictures with clear outlines

The sketch reveal traces the edges in your image. Illustrations, icons, diagrams and product shots on plain backgrounds produce crisp, confident strokes. Photos full of texture — foliage, crowds, fabric — produce scribbly ones. If you have a choice, choose the simpler picture.

2. Use transparent PNGs where you can

A transparent background means the pen only draws the subject, and the finished picture sits naturally on the board instead of inside a white rectangle. Many icon and illustration libraries offer PNG downloads with transparency.

3. Draw your own

A felt-tip sketch on white paper, photographed in good light, traces almost perfectly. It's also completely original — a big plus for brand identity and for YouTube. The Notebook style, with its pencil and lined paper, flatters hand-drawn originals.

4. One drawing per idea

The power of the format is that each drawing is the idea. If a scene needs two drawings, it's two scenes. Crowded frames lose the moment of anticipation that makes whiteboard videos compelling.

5. Let the drawing finish before the next line

The maker schedules drawing to fit the narration, but very short scenes compress it. Give drawing scenes at least four or five seconds — one full sentence of narration — so the reveal has time to breathe.

6. Keep titles short and handwritten

Whiteboard titles are written by the pen after the picture. Three to six words reads naturally; a full sentence becomes a slow scrawl. Long titles automatically switch to a faster “rise” animation, but short is better.

7. Highlight one word

Wrap the key word in *stars*. On the whiteboard it gets a translucent highlighter swipe — the digital equivalent of a teacher circling the word that matters.

8. Mix in a text-only scene

A scene with only a bold title — a number, a question, a single word — resets the viewer's attention between drawings. Doodles appear in the corners to keep it lively.

9. Pick the voice before the pace

Whiteboard narration should sound like a friendly expert at a desk, not an announcer. In English, the Kokoro voices Heart, Michael or Emma suit the format. Slow the speed slightly (0.95×) for teaching content.

10. Keep music low and calm

The Corporate or Calm moods work best under explanation. Keep the volume around half; the maker ducks it further while the voice speaks. The scribble sound effects add a satisfying tactile layer — leave them on.

11. Use the right board for the audience

Whiteboard for business, Chalkboard for school, Notebook for personal and study content, Blueprint for engineering and tech. Same engine, very different feeling.

12. End with an action, drawn

Finish on a scene that shows exactly what to do next — your logo with the web address, a QR code, a “subscribe” arrow. A drawn call to action feels like part of the story rather than an advert.

Try these in the animated video maker with the Explainer template — it's already set up for the whiteboard style.