The best fonts for text-behind-image photos

In a text-behind-subject photo, the subject covers some of your letters. That one fact decides which fonts work. A font that's fine in a caption can vanish when half of it is hidden. These are the styles that still read, with free examples you can use today.

What makes a font work behind a subject

• Heavy strokes. Thick letters stay legible when part of them is covered. Thin hairlines disappear.
• Open, simple shapes. If a viewer can guess a letter from its visible half, the word still reads. Plain sans-serifs and strong serifs are easy to guess.
• Tall or wide letters. Large type that fills the width of the photo gives the subject something to overlap without hiding the whole word.
• Few letters. One word, or a short place name. Short words survive being partly covered.

Heavy condensed sans-serifs

Tall, narrow capitals are the classic choice for magazine-cover style posts. They fit a lot of height into a small width, so a person standing in front hides only a slice.

• Bebas Neue: clean, all caps, easy to read at any size.
• Oswald: a bit warmer and available in many weights.
• Anton: very heavy, impactful, free on Google Fonts.

Wide geometric sans-serifs

Good for travel and city shots where a calm, modern tone suits the photo.

• Montserrat in ExtraBold or Black.
• Archivo Black: wide, solid and confident.
• Poppins in Bold or ExtraBold, if you want rounder corners.

High-contrast serifs

Serifs with thick strokes bring an editorial, fashion-magazine feel. Choose a display serif, not a text one, so the thin parts are still strong enough.

• Playfair Display in Bold or Black.
• Abril Fatface: extremely high contrast, made for headlines.
• DM Serif Display: elegant and a little softer.

Script and handwritten

Use these sparingly. They can look beautiful behind a person, but they hide quickly because their connections are thin and their shapes vary.

• Permanent Marker: bold, casual and still readable when overlapped.
• Caveat or Dancing Script: only at a large size and a heavy weight, with plenty of space around them.

Fonts in layrd

layrd includes Bebas Neue, Oswald, Playfair Display, Abril Fatface, Montserrat, Permanent Marker, Caveat, Dancing Script and Poppins, along with many more, and Pro lets you import your own font files. Anton, Archivo Black and DM Serif Display are free on Google Fonts if you'd rather bring them in.

Sizing and colour tips

1. Go bigger than feels natural. The word should span most of the photo's width. If the subject covers more than about a third of the letters, shrink the overlap by moving the text or the subject.
2. Test the covered version. Look at the finished image and ask whether you can still read the word. If not, move the text up, or pick a heavier font.
3. Take a colour from the photo. Text in a tone that already appears in the scene looks like part of it. Light text on dark areas and dark text on bright sky both work.
4. Add a little separation. A soft shadow or a subtle outline helps if the text and background are close in tone.
5. Keep the baseline above the subject's head or shoulders. The text works best when the subject overlaps the lower half of the letters, so the tops stay clear.

Want to try fonts on your own photo before you install anything? The free text behind image tool runs in your browser.

New to the effect? Start with how to put text behind a person on iPhone.

Frequently asked questions

What is the best font for text behind a subject?

A heavy, simple font is the safest. Bebas Neue, Oswald, Montserrat Black and Playfair Display Black all stay readable when partly covered.

Can I use thin fonts?

You can, but the subject will hide most of the letters it touches. Thin type works only if the text is placed so that little or none of it is covered.

Are these fonts free?

Bebas Neue, Oswald, Anton, Montserrat, Archivo Black, Playfair Display, Abril Fatface, DM Serif Display, Permanent Marker, Caveat, Dancing Script and Poppins are all available free through Google Fonts. Always check the licence if you plan to use a font commercially.

Should the text be all caps?

Capitals are the easiest to read when partly hidden because every letter has the same height. Lowercase works for casual or handwritten looks.