Text Behind a Person

Photoshop Tutorials

Tutorial

Click on thumbnailed images to enlarge

Text Behind a Picture
Note: I use Photoshop CS, but I'm sure this is translateable to any other program. It's quite simple.

K, first, we need to grab a picture. I've chosen this one, of Hugh Jackman (AKA Wolverine)
Click to enlarge


Steps:
1. I open up the picture in Photoshop and shrink it's size so it's more....manageable. So, Image >>Image Size and use these settings:
User posted image

It's just more manageable for me. It's completely optional. Moving on.

2. Type your text. I have used Carnivale Freakshow as my font, which can be downloaded at www.dafont.com, the size is at 105 and it's white.
Click to enlarge
(thumbbed)

3. Now, this is the easy part. Right click on the layer on the layers pallette, and choose "Rasterize Layer", which takes it's font-ness away from it and now it's just shapes.
User posted image

4. Lower the text/shape layer to like 30%. Now you can see through the text.

5. Grab your eraser and just erase the parts of the words that are over Hugh. I have chosen a 27pt Hard edged eraser for the job. Just keep erasing. You may want to zoom in to see the text better, and you can do that by going Window >> Zoom In (or hold cntrl and the + sign).

6. Now, zoom out and then raise the opacity of the shape layer back up to 100 and voila! You've got text behind your person/shape/thing.
My result:

User posted image

After sharpening the image once, cropping it and then adding some borders.

Tutorial Comments

Showing latest 10 of 23 comments

pft, thank youuuuuuu!

By elinmarinah on Mar 16, 2009 4:11 am

this really helped!

By liviia on Oct 8, 2008 5:01 pm

thank you so much! you rock!

By mcflylover on Aug 23, 2008 4:04 pm

mszdasani - maybe your picture is too big. hm? are you trying it with photos? perhaps, size down the picture. mkay?

By NoWorriesDesigns on Jul 5, 2008 9:37 pm

thats pretty fucking sick.

By turnupthevolume on Dec 29, 2007 10:37 pm

okay, idk why, but the majority of the time when i go to type in something the text is REALLY small. and it'll be on font size 72. help?

By mszdasani on Dec 14, 2007 9:36 am

love it! thanks :]

By l0serish on Nov 15, 2007 11:55 am

there are much more effective ways, and this is simple to find out on your own.

By matthewdb on Sep 6, 2007 10:38 pm

oh and the 3rd step doesnt work with PSP i just did 1,2, 5, 6

By Rawrio on Jul 29, 2007 7:53 am

dangerwhenwetouch
it's extremely easy to understand

By Rawrio on Jul 29, 2007 7:52 am
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Tutorial Details

Author technicolour View profile
Submitted on Jun 28, 2006
Page views 77,695
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Comments 23

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