Create the popular depth effect where a headline sits behind the person or object in your photo. The subject is detected in your browser, then you style the text, drag it into place and download a full-resolution PNG or JPG.
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Sample photo shown. Drag the text, or add your own photo.
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How to use the Text Behind Image
Add a photo: drop, paste or choose a picture with a clear subject, such as a person, an animal, a building or a mountain. A sample is shown until you do.
Wait for the subject to be detected: the AI model cuts out the foreground. Use the brush to add or remove areas if needed.
Type your text and pick the font, size, color and spacing. Big, heavy fonts give the strongest effect.
Position the text: drag it on the picture or use the X, Y and rotation sliders, so the subject covers part of the letters.
Download the result as PNG or JPG at the original resolution, or copy it to the clipboard.
Tips for a striking text behind image effect
Choose the right photo. The effect needs a subject that rises into open space: a person with sky or a plain wall above the head, a mountain peak, a skyscraper, a car or a pet photographed from a low angle.
Go big and heavy. Large, very bold fonts such as Impact or Arial Black work best. The subject should hide roughly a quarter to a third of the letters, enough to create depth while the word stays readable.
Overlap the edge, not the center. Let the subject cover the lower part or one side of the text. If the subject hides the middle of a short word, the word becomes hard to read.
Match the light. White or light text on a darker sky, or a color picked from the photo, looks more natural than pure black. Lower the opacity a little to blend the text into hazy backgrounds.
Add a front caption. A small second line placed In front (a name, date or location) completes the poster look.
How the layers are stacked
Order
Layer
What it does
1 (bottom)
Original photo
The full picture, used as the background
2
Text set to Behind subject
Drawn over the background
3
Subject cut-out
The same photo with only the subject kept, so it covers the text where they overlap
4 (top)
Text set to In front
Drawn over everything, fully visible
Because the cut-out comes from the same photo, the subject lines up pixel for pixel with the background. Only the mask decides where text is hidden, so cleaning the mask with the brush directly improves the result along the edges of the letters.
Good uses for the effect
YouTube thumbnails, Instagram and TikTok posts, event posters, album and podcast covers, travel photos with the name of the place, team or product photos with a slogan, and title cards for presentations.
Frequently asked questions
How does the text behind image effect work?
The photo is split into two layers: the background and the cut-out subject. The text is drawn on top of the background, and the subject is drawn again on top of the text. Wherever the subject overlaps the letters, it hides them, which makes the text look like it stands behind the person or object.
Which photos work best?
Photos with one clear subject that fills a good part of the frame and overlaps open space, such as a person in front of a sky, a mountain peak, a city skyline or a product on a plain backdrop. Leave room above or beside the subject for the text, and use a big, bold font so the subject covers only part of it.
Is the subject detection done online?
No. The AI segmentation model is downloaded once from a public CDN (a few tens of megabytes, then cached by your browser) and runs on your device. Your photo is never uploaded. If the model cannot load, the tool uses a quick color-based detection that works well for photos with a sky or plain background.
How do I fix parts of the subject that were missed?
Choose Add in the Subject brush and paint over the missed area, or choose Remove to take away background that was treated as subject. Turn on Highlight subject to see the mask in green while you paint. Undo reverts the last stroke.
Can I put some text in front of the subject?
Yes. Each text layer has a Behind or In front setting. A common layout is a big headline behind the subject and a small caption or name in front of it.
What resolution is the downloaded image?
The same as your photo, up to 4000 pixels on the longest side. Larger photos are scaled down to 4000 pixels to keep the editor fast.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.