Technology and social media have changed the world a lot in recent years and, in particular, have changed the way each of us searches for and processes information.
Our lives are moving at speed, we are used to doing many things at the same time, and at the same time, information is everywhere, so we don’t have time to read carefully and thoroughly as our parents or grandparents did. Most people tend to favour any kind of information that can be assimilated in seconds, if possible even instantly. We want it all and we want it now.
The human brain is programmed to process images that the eye has only seen for 13 milliseconds and for thousands of years we have learned to pass on information using pictures and icons or symbols. We learned to use images before we developed the various forms of writing, so the visual side has always been an essential part of our existence, but in the modern world this is all the more so.
These aspects are of course also reflected in the graphic design, so one of its building blocks is the combination of text and images.
Although combining an interesting phrase with a beautiful image may seem simple, it’s a lot harder than you might expect, but don’t worry, below is a quick guide to help you combine text with images in almost any design project.
So here are some tips and tricks!
Keep in mind the composition
The placement of the text in relation to the image can be crucial, a wrong placement can “destroy” the whole concept. If the text is too small, the background too elaborate or colourful, your layout won’t be as attractive to the viewer or as visually effective.
When choosing a photo for your design, you need to make sure that you have enough space to place the text and that the image doesn’t have too many details, shapes or colours that “smother” the text. Remember that a good design is more than just a few good elements sitting together.
One way to create a balanced and effective composition is to align the text to a shape in your chosen image.
Set the focal point
As in painting, one of the essential elements of a good composition is the focal point or point of emphasis, i.e. a visual element that attracts attention and serves as a starting point for the whole creation.
In the context of a graphic design involving only images and text, this point will have to be either the image or the text. Therefore, you will have to decide which of the two elements is more important and highlight it by size, colour, position or contrast.
Balance is the key
Another essential characteristic of a good composition is balance. An unbalanced design is one in which the elements are not well organised, perhaps they have been placed out of order or too many elements have been gathered in one part of the design, or perhaps the spacing and alignment are not correct.
Keep in mind that when you have a minimalist design, possibly consisting of just an image and text, any imbalance will become much more obvious.
Pay attention to the choice of image
As I said at the beginning, in any graphic design project, images play an essential role, they are not just a background or an accent, they can give context, convey emotions or set the tone of your creation.
If you don’t intentionally want a visual contradiction in your design (which can, of course, be a stylistic option, but we advise you not to make such bold graphic decisions until you’ve had some experience), then it’s best if the image complements the text and vice versa.
Create a background for the text
We talked above about the importance of a space for the text to be easy to see and read.
There are two ways you can do this:
- Choose an image with empty space
- Edit: if your chosen image has no space for adding text, you can edit it by adding solid or transparent shapes as a background for the text, a transparent block of colour to make your text visible, or by changing the contrast and brightness of the image.
Use colour and contrast to improve visibility
Once you’ve chosen the right image, if you don’t have a blank space or if you haven’t opted to add a background shape to your text, you can choose to highlight it using colour or contrast.
Let’s take them one by one:
- Colour: one way to ensure that your text is easy to read and that you don’t choose a colour that clashes with the rest of the design is to extract the colours directly from the image, and you won’t risk a chromatically unpleasant look.
- Contrast: this can be achieved through colour and shades of colour, but also by using font size, shape or position
In conclusion, if you find it difficult to combine images with text in your creations, use this basic guide with confidence and, once you’ve mastered these concepts, we guarantee you’ll feel more confident to pursue your creativity.