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Learn how to use Photoshop’s Dynamic Text tool to build a beautiful poster layout! We’ll show you how to wrap your text into a clean arch, use quick selections to sandwich your subject between two text layers, and lock everything together so you can move it around without breaking the effect.
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- Fellipe Ditadi
Images sourced from Unsplash.
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AFTER
BEFORE
Wrap. Mask. Move.
Ever wonder how big brands get that awesome, high-end look where text wraps perfectly around a person? It is an depth effect that instantly upgrades flat posters, album art, or social graphics. The best part is it looks incredibly complex, but by pairing native path-warping with intelligent masking, you can build this exact layout in just a few minutes—and still keep everything fully editable. Follow the steps below to get started!
Warp Your Text
1. Start by selecting the Type Tool (Keyboard Shortcut “T”) and clicking and dragging to create your text box.
2. Once your copy is typed out, look at your Contextual Taskbar and select the Dynamic Text option to choose a shape.
3. Click on Arch to warp your text along a curved path. To adjust where the text starts or ends along this curve, hold Ctrl/Cmd to switch your cursor to a white or black arrow, then click and drag the little X or O icons along the path. Zoom in close if these tiny icons give you trouble, as the user interface can be a bit finicky to grab on the first try.
Duplicate & Mask
4. With your text perfectly arched, center it on your canvas by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + A to select all, choosing the Move Tool (Keyboard Shortcut “V”), and clicking Align Horizontal Centers in the top options bar.
5. Deselect by pressing Ctrl/Cmd + D.
6. Now, duplicate your text layer with Ctrl/Cmd + J.
7. Turn off the top layer for a moment, select your bottom text layer, and go to Select > Subject. Photoshop will automatically outline your people. With that selection active, hold Alt/Option and click the Layer Mask icon at the bottom of your Layers panel to create an inverted mask, instantly pushing this text layer completely behind your subjects.
Style the Overlay
8. Turn your top text layer back on and double-click the gray area next to its name to open the Layer Style menu.
9. Drop the Fill Opacity down to 0% and add a white Stroke. In the stroke options, change the position to Inside so it aligns perfectly with the filled text layer underneath without any awkward overlaps.
10. Before hitting OK, look at the Blending Options tab and check the box for Layer Mask Hides Effects. This stops the stroke from looking pixelated or messy around complex areas like hair, ensuring your edges stay incredibly clean.
Link & Finalize
To make sure you can move your text around without breaking the optical illusion, you need to unlink the layers from their masks.
11. Click the little chain-link icon between the layer thumbnail and the mask thumbnail on both text layers to break the chain.
12. Next, select both text layers together by holding Ctrl/Cmd and clicking them, then click the link icon at the very bottom of the Layers panel to lock the two text layers together.
Now, as long as you have the layer thumbnail selected rather than the mask, you can freely reposition the text anywhere on the canvas, and the hollow stroke will perfectly overlap the front of your subject while the solid text stays securely behind them.
