186. Add a Backscreen Behind Text Before You Begin  183 Add a Text Caption or Label
See Also  185 Create a Sales Sign
191 Add Copyright Information
If your text seems to get lost in the detail of your image, you might want to try adding a backscreen to the text. Backscreening is a popular technique used by graphic artists to help make text stand out when it is placed on top of a busy background. Typically, a backscreen occupies an area in the original image, but the backscreen has been lightened, blurred, or corrected in some fashion so that text is easier to read against it. In this example, we are going to select a portion of the image under the text and copy that section to a new layer. Then we will modify that layer by adjusting the brightness so that the text can stand out against it.  1. | Add Text
Open an image in the Editor in Standard Edit mode and save it in Photoshop (*.psd) format. On the Layers palette, select the layer below whiIch you want the text layer to appear. The text layer will be inserted above the layer you choose.
Select the Type tool from the Toolbox and add text to your image. See 183 Add a Text Caption or Label for more information on adding text.
NOTE  | Use the font, size, and color you want for your text. Don't worry if you can't clearly see the text against the image right now. In this example, the black text detailing the time and location of the event is hard to see against the mottled background, but backscreening will fix this problem nicely. |
| 2. | Select Portion of Background Layer
In the Layers palette, select the Background layer. Use one of the selection tools on the Toolbox to select a portion of the Background layer under the text you typed. The Rectangular Marquee tool works well for selecting a rectangular-shaped area.
| 3. | Copy Selection to New Layer
Choose Layer, New, Layer Via Copy from the menu to create a new layer that contains a copy of the portion of the Background layer you selected in step 2. Name this new layer Backscreen.
TIP  | If you've drawn a rectangular selection behind your text and want to reposition it so that it fits nicely, make sure that you still have the Rectangular Marquee tool active, and then click its New Selection button on the Options bar, position the mouse pointer over the selection marquee or inside its boundaries, and drag to move the marquee. |
| 4. | Select Screen Mode
On the Layers palette, set the blend Mode of the Backscreen layer to Screen. This setting should lighten the background, making it easier to see the text. If you want to darken the backscreen to make light text show up better against it, select the Hard Light or Soft Light blend mode instead.
| 5. | Adjust Contrast If Necessary
In some cases, you can improve the readability of your text by lowering the contrast and increasing the brightness of the Backscreen layer. Press Ctrl and click the image thumbnail for the Backscreen layer. This action selects all the opaque pixels for you.
Choose Enhance, Lighting, Brightness/Contrast. The Brightness/Contrast dialog box appears. Drag the Contrast slider to the left to lower the contrast. Drag the Brightness slider to the right to increase the brightness a little. Watch the image window as you make adjustments; when your text is clearly readable, click OK to apply your changes.
| 6. | View the Results
When you're satisfied with the image, save the PSD file. Then merge the layers together and resave the result in JPEG or TIFF format, leaving your PSD image unflattened so that you can return at a later time and make different adjustments if you want.
TIPS | You can use any tool to adjust the Backscreen layer to improve the readability of the text. For example, you can apply a filter such as Gaussian Blur to blur the Backscreen layer and further reduce the distraction of a busy background. Add a Bevel or Drop Shadow layer style to your Backscreen layer for a finished look. |
After making the appropriate adjustments to your backscreen layer, the text should be easy to read on your image. Alternative methods you can try include making a selection, creating a new layer, and filling the selection with white, another solid color, or a gradient and then using a blend mode on the Backscreen layer such as Screen or Soft Light. You can try lowering the Opacity on this layer as well. Another method to try involves making a selection and creating an adjustment layer (such as Levels or Brightness/Contrast) which automatically affects just that selection.
Here, I placed a backscreen behind both pieces of text. I set the blend Mode to Screen and reduced the Contrast to improve the text visibility.
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