Put Text on Pictures

Say you want to make a quick little meme, or maybe you're designing a logo, sign, brochure, business card where you need to put text on a picture. You can accomplish this quickly and for free using a variety of different programs, both free and paid. You may have the programs you need installed on your computer already. If you want to add text to images on the go, there are tons of apps that can help you get the job done.

Steps

Before You Start

  1. Examine the image. Before you put text on an image, you should determine if the image is suitable for adding text. If the image is busy, your text will need to stand out from the background. Text does not read well when transitioning from a dark to light background (or vice versa) unless your text is outlined.
  2. Determine the best method. There are several ways that you can add text to your images, based on your needs and what you have available.
    • If you want to quickly add some text to an image for free and don't need extra options, you can use Paint in Windows or Preview in OS X.
    • If you're trying to create a meme to post online, there are a variety of meme generators online that you can use which will automatically apply the standard meme styles. Click here for detailed instructions on using one.
    • If you want more control over the text and how it looks, image editing programs such as Photoshop or the free program GIMP allow for advanced text and image editing.
    • If you want to add text to an image on your mobile device, there are apps that can handle it.
    • If you're creating a document, your Word processor can perform basic text-over-image functions.

Using Paint (Windows) or Preview (OS X)

  1. Open the image in Paint or Preview. If you don't have any other image editing programs installed, you can right-click on the image and select "Edit". If you are using OS X, double-click the image to open it in Preview.
  2. Click the "Text" button. This looks like an "A", and is located in the toolbar along the top of the window. If you are using Preview, you will need to click the "Edit" button next to the search bar first.
  3. Click and drag where you want the text field to be. This field will contain all of the text you type, and will only display the text that fits inside. You'll be able to adjust the size of the field as you type.
  4. Type your text. Before you start adjusting the formatting, type out the text you want to add so that you can see how it looks as you make changes.
  5. Change the font. You'll want a font that makes the text easy to read. Calibri and Arial make for good standard fonts, while Impact is the font most typically used for memes.
    • Make sure to adjust the size of the font to meet your needs.
    • You can change the size of the text box if your text doesn't fit after making changes.
  6. Change the font color. You can pick from the color options or define a custom color. Make sure that the color contrasts well with the background. Choosing the wrong color can make it very difficult for the reader to discern the text.
  7. Review your text. Before proceeding, review your text. Since these programs are basic, you won't be able to make any changes outside of undoing the entire thing and starting over.
  8. Save the text by clicking outside of the text box. Once you've done this, you can't go back and make any changes.
  9. Save the image. Click the Save button to save your new image. Make sure that you change the name so that you don't overwrite the original.[1]

Using an Image Editing Program (Photoshop, GIMP, etc.)

  1. Open the picture you want to add text to in your image editor. If you can't afford Photoshop but still want access to more features than Paint, you can use the Install-GIMP.
  2. Click the "Text" button. This will be located in your list of tools, typically on the left side of the screen.
  3. Click and drag to create a text box. When you create a text box, this will make a new layer. This is the biggest benefit to using an image editing program, as you can make changes to the text layer without affecting the original image.
  4. Type your text. Before you start adjusting the formatting, type out the text you want to add so that you can see how it looks as you make changes.
  5. Change the font. You'll want a font that makes the text easy to read. Calibri and Arial make for good standard fonts, while Impact is the font most typically used for memes.
    • Make sure to adjust the size of the font to meet your needs.
    • You can change the size of the text box if your text doesn't fit after making changes.
  6. Change the font color. You can pick from the color options or define a custom color. Make sure that the color contrasts well with the background. Choosing the wrong color can make it very difficult for the reader to discern the text.
  7. Use the other image editing tools to affect your text. Once you've added your text, you can use the other image manipulation tools to make changes to it.
    • For example, you can use the Rotate tool to rotate your text on top of the image.
    • The Transform tools will allow you to bend and shape the text to match your intended effect.
    • Image editing programs give you more control over the color of your text as well, such as letting you use a gradient from the start to the end of the text.
    • You can adjust the transparency of the text, which can give the final product a more professional look.
  8. Export the image when you're finished. Most image editors will save the image as a project file unless you export it as an image. This will allow you to set your format and quality settings. Click "File" → "Export As" to start the export process.[2]

Using Your iOS or Android Device

  1. Download a photo editing app. There are countless apps available for both iOS and Android that allow you to edit the photos stored on your device. Below are a few of the more popular paid and free apps.[3]
    • Word Swag (iOS)
    • Phonto (iOS and Android)
    • PicLab (iOS, Android, and Windows Phone)
  2. Open the app. You'll typically be prompted to choose a photo to edit when you open the app. Depending on the app, you will be able to select from the photos stored on the device, and you may be able to access your photos from various online services.
  3. Tap the "Text" button. The exact process will vary depending on the app (for example, in PicLab, you'll be asked to scale and crop the image before you can access the text options).
  4. Type your text. You can usually set your text color as well as alignment and placement when you're in text editing mode.
  5. Change the font. Most editors allow you to choose from a variety of fonts, and you may be able to change the transparency for the text as well.
  6. Save the image when you're finished. Once you're satisfied with the text, you can save the image. You can typically save it to your Gallery or Camera Roll, and you may be able to share it directly to a variety of social networks.

Using a Word Processor

  1. Insert the image file into your document. You can do this from the Insert menu. Put-Photos-in-a-Microsoft-Word-Document.
  2. Click the "Insert" menu and select "Text Box". This will allow you to create a text field in your document.
  3. Type your text. Before you start adjusting the formatting, type out the text you want to add so that you can see how it looks as you make changes.
  4. Click the "Shape Fill" option and select "No Fill". This will make your text box transparent so that you can see the image behind it.
  5. Click the "Shape Outline" option and select "No Outline". This will get rid of the text box's outline so that you can only see the text.
  6. Change the formatting options. You can adjust the text formatting just like you would any other text in the document. This includes font, size, alignment, color, and more.
  7. Rotate the text. Click the hold the Rotate button at the top of the text box and drag the mouse to rotate the text box.[4]

Tips

  • Choose the color of your text carefully. It can be very easy to 'lose' plain black or white text on some backgrounds. Altering the color of your text, or using outline text can help make your text more visible.
  • If you are using a word processor you may need to modify text wrapping and foreground/background order to get your text to display correctly on top of the image.
  • If your text is not visible in your finished image, check to see if you've dealt with layers correctly, and that you've saved the file correctly. Incorrectly setting up layers or opening the wrong file can cause the mistaken impression that the process isn't working.

Sources and Citations

  1. ↑ http://www.pcdon.com/deAddingTexttoaPhoto.html
  2. ↑ http://www.dummies.com/how-to/content/how-to-add-text-to-your-digital-photo.pageCd-storyboard,pageNum-1.html#slideshow
  3. ↑ http://thenextweb.com/creativity/2014/08/16/9-killer-type-apps-let-photos-talking/
  4. ↑ https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Add-text-on-top-of-a-photo-24ec392b-4c0d-4ec2-82a1-ce8da4e4f5da?ui=en-US&rs=en-US&ad=US&fromAR=1#bmword

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