Create a text portrait in Adobe Photoshop

Published on February 3, 2023

Create a text portrait in Photoshop

In this blog I’ll show you how to create a text portrait in Adobe Photoshop. We’ll do this by placing half of the photo inside of the text.

Rather watch the video with instructions? Then click here or scroll down to the end of this page!

You can download the photo I used here.

Step 1: Create text

Open the file with the portrait you want to use. First add a guideline to divide your portrait in half (press CTRL+R if you can’t find the rulers).

Then select the horizontal type tool. Pick a font and type your text. It doesn’t matter what color the text is.

Click on the ✓ icon when the text is done.

Then press CTRL+T to activate free transform. Resize the text and place it on one side of the portrait. When you’re done, click on the ✓ icon again (or press ENTER).

Step 2: Cut portrait in half

Unlock the background layer (click on the lock icon). Make sure the layer with the portrait is selected. Then select the Rectangular Marquee tool. Select half of the portrait (the side that’s below the text). I’ve selected the right side of the portrait, because my text is on the right side.

Press CTRL+X to cut. Then press CTRL+V to paste. The cut-out part of the portrait is now in the middle of your file.

Select the move tool. You can remove the guideline now. Then place the cut-out part of the portrait back in place.

The portrait still looks the same, but as you can see you have 2 layers with half portraits now.

Step 3: Create text portrait

Place the new layer with the cut-out portrait above the text layer. It should be the side of the portrait that the text is on. My text is on the right side, so I place the layer with the right side of the portrait above the text.

Make sure the top layer with the cut-out portrait is selected. Then navigate to ‘Layer > Create clipping mask‘ (or press ALT+CTRL+G). You have placed your portrait inside of the text now!

Step 4: Add background

As you can see in the image above, the background is transparent now. Create a solid color layer to add a background. Pick a color (I make the background white) and click OK. Then place the color fill layer below all the other layers.

Optional: Edit text portrait

If you want to adjust the size and/or position of the text, you have to select the text layer. Then press CTRL+T to activate free transform. You can now move the text and adjust the size.

To adjust the text itself, select the horizontal type tool. Then select the text. You can now type another text here or pick a different font. You can also adjust the tracking and/or leading to change the space between the letters and lines.

And that’s how you create a text portrait in Adobe Photoshop!