Quick answer: Text sits on an image in a launch graphic, a slide, or a Story. The moment the background is busy or bright, the text becomes unreadable. The fix is the same in every case: separate the text from the image before choosing a font or color.

There are three reliable treatments.

1. The solid panel

A solid color panel behind the text, with the text on top.

  • Best for text-heavy cards, quote graphics, and comparison tables.
  • Use a panel that's clearly one of the brand colors.
  • The panel is the fastest way to guarantee contrast on a photographic background.

2. The scrim (gradient overlay)

A semi-transparent gradient, dark at the bottom or left where the text sits, transparent over the image.

  • Best for hero images with a photograph and a headline.
  • A black or dark gradient at 50–70% opacity under the text usually works.
  • A full overlay over the whole image kills the photo; a scrim only covers the text band.

3. The shadow or halo

A drop shadow, an outline, or a blurred halo around the text.

  • Best for short words, logos, and labels.
  • Soft shadows work for a few words; they don't rescue a paragraph.

The contrast rule

Text needs enough contrast against the background. The practical check is a contrast ratio:

  • Large headline text (above about 24 px bold or 32 px regular): a contrast ratio of around 3:1.
  • Body text: around 4.5:1 or higher.

You don't need to measure every card. The quick visual test is to blur the image: if the text stays clearly legible, the contrast is adequate. If the text melts into the background, it isn't.

Light text on light photos

The classic failure is white text on a bright sky or a white product shot. The fix is one of:

  • Move the text onto a dark band of the image.
  • Add a dark scrim behind the text.
  • Use a solid panel.
  • Switch to dark text on a light panel.

Where to place the text

  • On wide 16:9 cards, the text sits on the left or bottom, with the product on the right.
  • On portrait 4:5 cards, the text sits on top, with the image below.
  • On Stories, text sits in the center safe zone, away from the platform UI.

Text length

Readability is as much about length as treatment:

  • A headline of one or two lines.
  • A supporting line of one sentence.
  • Body text on an image should be rare; put it in the caption or the slide.

Common mistakes

  • Tiny shadows on paragraphs. A small drop shadow doesn't fix a long sentence on a busy photo.
  • A gradient that's too subtle. A 15% darkening isn't enough over a bright image.
  • Text over a face. Text across faces is unreadable and visually awkward.
  • Random colored text. The text color is one of the brand colors; the rainbow is noise.
  • Centered long lines. Center alignment is for short headlines; long paragraphs are left-aligned.

Frequently asked questions

How dark should the scrim be? Around 50–70% opacity behind the text band, depending on the image. Check by blurring the image.

Does a colored background count as a panel? Yes, a solid brand color behind the text is a panel and is the safest option.

Can I use outlines on all text? A thin stroke can help a large word, but it makes body text look cheap.

What about dark text on a light image? It works when the area behind the text is consistently light. If it's mixed, use a panel.

Do generated launch images apply this? The cards in Neatico always separate text from the background with panels or scrims, so the text stays legible before you edit it.

Separate the text from the image first. Then the color and font decisions are easy.

Related guide: the slide design guide.

Related guide: the carousel maker guide.