diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 70cc9b9..8b90f9a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -110,7 +110,13 @@ Edit specs are JavaScript / JSON objects describing the whole edit operation wit
     layer: {
       fontPath,
       // ...more layer defaults
+    },
+    layerType: {
+      'fill-color': {
+        color: '#ff6666',
     }
+      // ...more per-layer-type defaults
+    },
   },
   audioFilePath,
   keepSourceAudio,
diff --git a/examples/subtitle.json5 b/examples/subtitle.json5
index 3bd711b..0e31209 100644
--- a/examples/subtitle.json5
+++ b/examples/subtitle.json5
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
   outPath: './subtitle.mp4',
   defaults: {
     layer: { fontPath: './assets/Patua_One/PatuaOne-Regular.ttf' },
+    layerType: { 'fill-color': { color: '#00aa00' } }
   },
   clips: [
     { duration: 2, layers: [
diff --git a/index.js b/index.js
index 22e8663..8e8f72a 100644
--- a/index.js
+++ b/index.js
@@ -141,7 +141,9 @@ module.exports = async (config = {}) => {
     const transition = calcTransition(defaults, userTransition, clipIndex === clipsIn.length - 1);
 
     let layersOut = flatMap(await pMap(layers, async (layerIn) => {
-      const layer = { ...defaults.layer, ...layerIn };
+      const globalLayerDefaults = defaults.layer || {};
+      const thisLayerDefaults = (defaults.layerType || {})[layerIn.type];
+      const layer = { ...globalLayerDefaults, ...thisLayerDefaults, ...layerIn };
       const { type, path } = layer;
 
       if (type === 'video') {