Add Text to Image
Put text on any photo in seconds: add as many text layers as you like, style them with fonts, outline, shadow and rotation, drag them into place, and download the result at the original resolution.
Blank canvas
Drag text to move it · green corner resizes · orange handle rotates · double-click to edit
Select a text layer on the image, or press Add text.
How to use the Add Text to Image
- Add a photo: drop it on the box, paste it with Ctrl+V, or click Choose image. You can also start from a blank colored canvas.
- Type your text in the Text box. Press Enter for a new line. Use + Add text for more layers.
- Style it: choose a font, size, color, outline, shadow or background box, or click a quick style.
- Position it: drag the text on the image. Drag the green corner to resize and the orange handle to rotate. Text snaps to the center lines.
- Download as PNG for the best quality or JPG for a smaller file. The export keeps your photo's original pixel size.
Typography tips for text on photos
- Contrast first. Light text on dark areas or dark text on light areas. If the background is mixed, an outline of about 4 to 8% of the font size, or a soft shadow, keeps every letter readable.
- Use one or two fonts. A bold sans-serif (Arial Black, Impact, Verdana) for headlines and a serif (Georgia, Palatino) for quotes is a safe pairing.
- Leave breathing room. Keep text away from the edges by at least 5% of the image width, especially for social media where apps crop or overlay buttons.
- Size for the screen it will be seen on. On a phone, a 1080 px wide post is shown about 360 to 430 CSS pixels wide, so text needs to be at least 40 to 50 px tall in the image to stay legible.
- Short lines read faster. Break long captions into two or three lines and center them.
Recommended text sizes by image width
| Image width | Headline | Body / caption | Outline width |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1080 px (Instagram post) | 90–140 px | 40–60 px | 5–8 px |
| 1200 px (link preview) | 70–110 px | 36–50 px | 4–7 px |
| 1920 px (Full HD) | 120–200 px | 60–90 px | 6–12 px |
| 4000 px (12 MP phone photo) | 250–400 px | 120–180 px | 12–24 px |
The default size in this tool is 9% of the shorter side of your image, so it starts at a sensible headline size whatever resolution you upload.
PNG or JPG?
PNG is lossless: sharp text edges stay perfectly crisp and transparent areas are kept. It is the best choice for graphics, screenshots and anything you will edit again. JPG uses lossy compression that makes photos much smaller, often 5 to 10 times smaller than PNG. A quality of 85 to 92% is a good balance; below about 75% you may see blocky artifacts around text. For sharing a photo with a caption on social media or by email, JPG is usually the better pick.
Frequently asked questions
How do I add text to a photo for free?
Open your photo in this tool, type your text in the Text box, drag it where you want it and press Download image. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no upload: everything happens in your browser.
Will my photo lose quality?
No. The text is drawn onto a canvas the same size as your original photo, so the export has exactly the same width and height. PNG export is lossless; JPG export lets you choose the quality.
How do I make text readable on a busy photo?
Add an outline (stroke) in a contrasting color, turn on a soft shadow, or enable the background box. The Caption and Classic quick styles are designed for this.
Can I add more than one text?
Yes. Press + Add text as often as you like. Each text is its own layer with its own font, color and effects, and the layer buttons let you reorder, duplicate or delete them.
Can I rotate or curve the text?
You can rotate text to any angle with the orange handle or the rotation slider, and it snaps to 45° steps. Curved text along a path is not supported.
Does it work on my phone?
Yes. Touch and drag the text to move it, and use the corner and rotation handles with your finger. Touching an empty part of the image still lets you scroll the page.
Which fonts can I use?
The list includes web-safe fonts such as Arial, Verdana, Georgia, Times New Roman, Courier New and Impact, plus your device's system fonts. If a font is not installed on your device, the browser uses the closest fallback shown in the preview, so what you see is what you download.