Add Text to Image

Text turns a picture into a message. A photo becomes a meme, a screenshot becomes a labelled diagram, a background becomes a quote card, and a product shot becomes an ad — all by adding a few well-placed words. This guide shows you how to add text to an image properly: how to position it, how to make it readable over any background, and how to get the classic meme look. You can do all of it with the free tool at the top of this page, which adds text right in your browser.

Two ways to add text

The tool has two modes, and picking the right one saves you time.

• Add text — the flexible mode. You place one or more independent text layers anywhere on the image, each with its own font, color, outline, shadow, rotation, and size. Use this for captions, titles, labels, quotes, watermark-style credits, and anything where you want control over exactly where the words go.
• Meme — the quick mode. You type a top line and a bottom line and they’re rendered in the instantly-recognisable Impact style: bold, uppercase, white with a heavy black outline. Use this when you want a meme in ten seconds.

You can switch between modes at any time without losing your image.

How to add text to an image (step by step)

1. Open your image. Drag a photo onto the tool, click Choose image, or paste one from your clipboard.
2. Type your text. A text layer starts in the middle of the image — type your words into the Text box.
3. Drag it into place. Move the text anywhere by dragging it on the canvas. For fine adjustments, select the layer and nudge it with the arrow keys (hold Shift for bigger steps).
4. Style it. Choose a font, set the text color and a contrasting outline, optionally add a shadow, and use the sliders for size, outline thickness, rotation, and opacity.
5. Add more layers if needed. Click Add text for a second piece — a heading and a subheading, or a caption and a credit.
6. Download. Pick PNG, JPG, or WebP and save the finished image to your device.

Making a meme

Switch to Meme mode and you’ll see two boxes: Top text and Bottom text. Type into either (or both) and the captions appear in the classic style automatically.

A few options shape the look:

• ALL CAPS is on by default — it’s the traditional meme convention and reads boldly. Turn it off if you want normal capitalisation.
• Size controls how large the captions are relative to the image.
• White bar top / bottom adds a solid white strip above or below the picture and places the caption on it instead of over the image. This is the older “demotivational poster” or whitespace-meme style, and it’s handy when the top or bottom of your image is too detailed for text to sit on.

Because the captions render with a thick outline, they stay readable over any template — no need to find a plain area for the words.

Choosing the right font

The tool ships with font families that are safe across devices, so your image looks the same for everyone:

• Impact — the meme classic. Condensed, heavy, and built for short uppercase lines.
• Sans — clean and neutral, good for modern captions and labels.
• Serif — more formal and editorial; nice for quotes.
• Script / Comic — casual and friendly for personal cards and fun posts.
• Mono — even-width characters, useful for code screenshots and technical labels.

Pair a bold display font for a headline with a simpler font for supporting text, rather than using two loud fonts together.

Picking a format: PNG, JPG, or WebP

The format you export decides file size and whether transparency survives.

• PNG — lossless, with the sharpest text edges and full transparency support. Best for graphics, logos, screenshots, and any image where crisp lettering matters.
• JPG — smallest files for photographs, but no transparency. Use a quality around 85–95 for text that still looks clean. Transparent areas are filled with the background color you choose.
• WebP — usually smaller than both at the same quality, and it keeps transparency. Great for the web; just confirm it’s accepted wherever you’re uploading.

Tips for text that looks intentional

• Leave breathing room. Don’t crowd text against the edges; a small margin reads as deliberate.
• Limit yourself to one or two fonts. Consistency looks more professional than variety.
• Match the mood. A bold condensed font suits a punchy headline; a lighter font suits a delicate photo.
• Use opacity for watermarks. A semi-transparent credit in a corner marks an image without dominating it.
• Check contrast at the final size. Text that’s readable on a big screen can vanish on a phone — preview, then adjust the outline or size.

Is it safe? Where does the text get added?

Adding the text is done in your browser using the Canvas API, so the new image is created on your own device. That’s faster than tools that upload your photo to a server just to draw on it. How any data associated with this tool is handled is described in our privacy policy. If you’re working with something highly sensitive, an offline desktop tool is always the most private option.

Add the words, place them where they read best, give them an outline so they never get lost in the picture — and the tool above does the rest.