3 Ways to Make Text Added Over Photos Stand Out

Odds are you’ve come across lots of images on blogs and social media that add text over a photo. Posters, photos with quotes, and lots of other images use overlay text in this manner – but in order for it to be effective it is important that the text you add actually stands out.

Making sure the text stands out will automatically make it more readable and increase its impact by drawing attention to it. If that’s your goal then there are three ways that you can try to achieve it:

• Contrast the text and the photo

If there’s one rule that you need to follow in order for the text that you add to stand out, it is contrast. The color of the text is particularly important, and it should contrast enough that it can be seen clearly over the photo. For example if the photo is dark, you should use white or some light-colored text, whereas if the photo is bright, you should use a dark-colored text.

Keep in mind that contrast can be applied to more than just color, and the size of your text should contrast with the subject and elements in the photo as well. If the subject is large, try using font that is smaller in size or thinner.

• Place text in a transparent shape

In some cases the photo may be so diverse that contrasting the text directly isn’t easy. If so – put it in a transparent shape to make it more legible.

The fact that the shape is opaque will let parts of the photo be seen through it, while allowing you to contrast the text to the shape that it is in. On top of that you can use contrast to make the shape itself stand out. For example, if your photo has lots of straight lines, you could use a round or curved shape, whereas if it has lots of curves, you could use a square or rectangle box.

• Blur the photo

By blurring the photo you’ll immediately draw attention away from it – and place it squarely on the text that you add over it. If you want to use the photo just to accentuate the text then you could consider blurring it entirely. On the other hand if you want to add text in conjunction with the photo you could blur the background only.

While there are lots of ways you could learn how to add text to a picture, it helps if you use a photo editor that will allow you to make the changes described above so that your text stands out. For example you could try Movavi Photo Editor if you’re looking for one.

At the end of the day each of the methods listed above should help you to set your text apart enough, and either focus attention completely on it or make sure it is clearly visible and easy to read. On your part all you need to do is try them out in practice – so you can see how they work firsthand.