PDFConvertersOnline.comHow to add text to a photo
- Choose a photo. A sample text appears in the middle of it.
- Type your words, then pick a font, size, color, outline, shadow or background box. Drag the text wherever you want it.
- Add more text if you need it, choose JPG or PNG and press Save image.
What people use it for
- Social posts. A short headline on a photo tells people what the post is about before they read the caption underneath.
- A simple watermark. Type your name, shop or website, make it small, set opacity to 40–60% and drag it into a corner. It won't stop a determined copier, but it keeps your name attached when the image gets shared around.
- Labels and notes. Mark a date on a moving-day photo, number the steps in a screenshot, or add a price to a product picture for a quick listing.
- Invitations and announcements. Put the event name and time over a nice background photo and send it in a group chat.
Making text readable on a busy photo
White text disappears on a bright sky and black text disappears in shadows. Three settings fix that, and they can be combined:
| Setting | Best for |
|---|---|
| Shadow | Soft separation on photos with medium contrast. Looks natural and is on by default. |
| Outline | Busy backgrounds with light and dark parts. A dark outline around light letters stays readable anywhere. |
| Background box | Longer sentences, small print and labels. A solid box behind the words gives the cleanest result. |
Position matters too. Faces, horizons and bright windows compete with your words, so try calmer areas like a wall, the sky or the ground. On phones, feeds show images small, so a short line in a large size reads better than a long sentence in a small one.
Fonts that read well
The font list uses fonts that come with most computers and phones, with a similar fallback when one is missing on your device. Bold sans-serif faces such as Arial, Helvetica, Verdana or Arial Black are the easiest to read at small sizes. Georgia and Times New Roman give a more classic, editorial look for quotes and titles. Courier New suits typewriter-style notes, and Brush Script works for a single decorative word, not for whole sentences. Emoji and non-Latin writing such as Chinese, Arabic, Hindi or Cyrillic are drawn with your device's own fonts, so they work in any layer.
Several layers, one full-size picture
Each text is its own layer with its own font, color and effects. Tap a layer (or its chip in the list) to change it, drag it to move it, and delete it when you don't need it. The preview is scaled to fit your screen, but the saved file keeps the original pixel size of your photo, with every text placed in the same relative spot, so a 4000-pixel photo stays 4000 pixels wide.
Save as PNG when the picture has sharp graphics or you want the cleanest letters. Save as JPG for camera photos you plan to share, since the file is much smaller. For a classic top-and-bottom caption layout, use the Meme Generator. To shrink the finished file for email, run it through Compress Image.
More ways to use this tool
Frequently asked questions
Will the text lower the quality of my photo?
No. The picture is saved at its original width and height. If you choose JPG it's re-compressed at high quality, which is usually invisible; choose PNG if you want no compression at all.
Can I edit the text after saving?
The saved file is a normal flat image, so the text becomes part of the picture. Before you leave the result screen, press Keep editing to go back to your layers and save again.
Why does my font look different on another device?
Fonts are taken from the device you're using. If a font like Impact isn't installed, a similar one is used instead. Whatever you see in the preview is what gets saved.
Can I use emoji or other alphabets?
Yes. Type or paste emoji, accented letters, Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Cyrillic and more. They are drawn with your device's fonts.
Is my photo uploaded?
No. Everything happens in your browser, and the photo never leaves your device.