Free Image Text Overlay Tool
Add custom text to images with full control over font, size, color, position, opacity, and shadow. Download as PNG or JPG.
Updated
Image Text Overlay Tool
Add custom text to images with font, color, position, and opacity controls.
Upload Image
Click or drag & drop image here
Text Settings
Preview
Upload an image to get started
How to use
- 1. Upload any image (JPG, PNG, WebP, etc.)
- 2. Type your text and choose font, size, color
- 3. Select position and adjust opacity
- 4. Download as PNG or JPG
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Image Text Overlay Tool?
The Image Text Overlay Tool is a free online tool that add custom text to images with full control over font, size, color, position, opacity, and shadow. download as png or jpg.. It runs entirely in your browser with no installation or sign-up needed.
What fonts are supported?
Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, Courier New, and Impact are available for text overlays.
Can I control text position?
Yes — choose from 7 positions: top-left, top-center, top-right, center, bottom-left, bottom-center, and bottom-right.
Is it free?
Yes, completely free. All processing happens client-side in your browser.
Is my data safe with this tool?
Absolutely. The Image Text Overlay Tool processes everything client-side in your browser. No data is uploaded to or stored on any server. Your content remains private on your device at all times.
Does the Image Text Overlay Tool work on mobile devices?
Yes, the Image Text Overlay Tool is fully responsive and works on smartphones and tablets. You can use it on any device with a modern web browser -- no app download required.
Do I need to create an account to use this tool?
No account or registration is needed. Simply open the Image Text Overlay Tool in your browser and start using it immediately. There are no sign-up walls or usage restrictions.
How do I use the Image Text Overlay Tool?
Simply enter your input in the provided field, adjust any settings to your preference, and the tool will process it instantly. You can then copy the result to your clipboard or download it.
Which browsers are supported?
The Image Text Overlay Tool works in all modern browsers including Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge, and Opera. For the best experience, use the latest version of your preferred browser.
How do I add text to an image without losing quality?
Quality loss usually comes from a tool downscaling your photo before adding text. This tool avoids that by drawing your image and text onto an HTML canvas at the picture's full original resolution, so a 1920x1080 upload exports as 1920x1080 with the text baked in at native sharpness. Nothing is resized or recompressed beyond the format you pick. For lossless results, download as PNG, which also preserves any transparency in the source. If you choose JPG, the file is saved at 92 percent quality, a high setting that keeps text edges crisp while shrinking the file for faster sharing. To keep small text legible on large exports, scale the font size up to match the image. Upload your photo, type your caption, and download a full-resolution result.
What is the difference between adding text as PNG versus JPG?
The two export formats handle your image differently. PNG is lossless and keeps any transparency in the original picture, so areas that were see-through stay transparent and text edges remain perfectly sharp. That makes PNG the right choice for logos, screenshots, graphics with flat color, and anything you may edit again later, though files are larger. JPG cannot store transparency, so this tool flattens the image onto a white background and saves at 92 percent quality. The result is a much smaller file that loads quickly and uploads well to social platforms, with only minor compression on detailed photos. As a rule, pick PNG for graphics and maximum fidelity, and JPG for photographs you want to share or post. Add your text and download in whichever format fits your use.
How do I make overlay text readable over a busy or bright background?
Readable text comes down to contrast between the words and whatever sits behind them. The biggest help here is the drop shadow, which is on by default: it adds a soft dark outline glow whose blur scales with your font size, so light text stays visible even over cluttered or bright photos. Pair light or white text with the shadow on for the most reliable result, or switch the shadow off when your text is dark and the background is light. You can also move the text to a calmer area using the seven position buttons, and bump the font size up so letters cover more of the noisy detail. White is the default color precisely because it reads well over most images. Upload a photo, toggle the shadow, and adjust until your caption is easy to read.
How do I create a semi-transparent watermark on a photo?
A watermark is simply overlay text set to partial transparency so your branding shows without hiding the picture. Use the opacity slider, which ranges from 0 to 100 percent, and drop it to roughly 40 to 60 percent for a subtle mark that is clearly visible yet unobtrusive. Type your name, handle, or site, then place it with the position buttons; a corner like top-left or bottom-right is the usual spot for watermarks. The condensed Impact font reads boldly at lower opacity, while a smaller font size keeps the mark discreet. Because everything is processed locally in your browser and never uploaded, it is safe for unpublished or client photos. Download as PNG to keep transparency in the source image. Set the opacity, position your text, and export your watermarked photo.
What font size should I use when adding text to an image?
The right font size depends on how large your image is, because text is measured in pixels relative to the picture's actual dimensions. The slider runs from 12 to 120 pixels, and the key is to match the size to the export. A 48-pixel label looks bold on a 600-pixel thumbnail but appears nearly invisible on a 4000-pixel export, so scale it up proportionally for large files. As a starting point, aim for text height around 5 to 10 percent of the image width, then nudge the slider while watching the live preview. Padding and shadow blur both adjust automatically with your chosen size, so spacing and legibility stay proportional. There is no single correct number, so let the preview guide you. Upload your image and drag the slider until the text looks balanced.
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About the Image Text Overlay Tool
The Image Text Overlay Tool adds custom text directly onto any image — a caption, a headline, a watermark, a quote, or a label — and lets you download the finished picture as a PNG or JPG. Upload a photo, type your words, and fine-tune the font, size, color, position, opacity, and shadow until the text sits exactly where you want it. The preview updates as you work, so you see the result before you save it.
It is built for anyone who needs to put words on a picture without opening heavyweight design software. Social media managers add captions and quote cards, sellers label product photos, bloggers create featured images, and teams stamp a quick watermark or note on a screenshot. No design experience is required: the controls are sliders, a color swatch, and a grid of position buttons.
What you can control
- Text content — type any single line of text, edited live.
- Font family — choose from five web-safe typefaces: Arial, Times New Roman, Georgia, Courier New, and Impact. Impact is the classic bold, condensed face used for meme-style captions; the others cover clean sans-serif, traditional serif, and monospace looks.
- Font size — adjustable from 12 to 120 pixels with a slider, so text scales to match small thumbnails or large banners.
- Color — pick any color from the standard color picker; white (#ffffff) is the default because it reads well over most photos.
- Position — place the text in any of seven spots: top-left, top-center, top-right, center, bottom-left, bottom-center, or bottom-right. Padding is added automatically so words don't touch the edge.
- Opacity — fade the text from 0 to 100 percent, useful for subtle watermarks or semi-transparent overlays.
- Text shadow — a soft drop shadow (on by default) that keeps light text legible over busy or bright backgrounds.
How it works and what you get
The tool draws your image and text onto an HTML canvas at the picture's full, original resolution — a 1920×1080 upload stays 1920×1080 in the export, so no quality is lost to resizing. The shadow blur scales with your chosen font size, keeping it proportional whether the text is tiny or huge.
When you download, you get a clean file with the text baked in. The PNG export keeps any transparency in the source image, while the JPG export flattens the picture onto a white background and saves at 92 percent quality — a good balance of sharp text and small file size for sharing or uploading.
Why client-side text overlay matters
Everything happens inside your browser. The image you choose is read locally with URL.createObjectURL and rendered on a canvas on your own device; it is never uploaded to a server, and nothing is stored after you close the tab. That makes it safe for unpublished marketing creatives, internal screenshots, customer photos, or anything you'd rather not hand to a third-party site. There is no sign-up, no watermark forced onto your export, and no usage limit.
Because the processing is local, it also works on any device with a modern browser — desktop, tablet, or phone — and stays responsive even with large images, since speed depends on your hardware rather than a server queue. You can replace the image at any time by dropping a new file onto the upload area, and the Reset button clears everything back to defaults to start fresh.
Tips for readable overlays
- Pair light text with the shadow on, or dark text with shadow off. Contrast between text and the area behind it is what makes a caption readable.
- Drop opacity to roughly 40–60 percent for a watermark so your branding shows without hiding the photo.
- Match font size to the image. A 48px label looks bold on a 600px thumbnail but nearly invisible on a 4000px export, so scale it up for large files.
Upload an image above to start placing text, then download the result when it looks right.