Canva Hacks Part 2 ➔ Photo Reveal Typography

Ready to give your headlines a bold, eye-catching twist? This Canva hack creates a layered text effect where your photo shows through the letters—fast, clean, and instantly custom. Perfect for hero banners, promos, and scroll-stopping posts.

Photo Reveal Typography – Cover
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1) Start with Your Base

Set the foundation so the reveal lands cleanly.

What to do

  • Upload your background image and resize to fill the canvas.
  • Center it. Remove the background if you need a cleaner subject.
  • Keep safe space around headline areas for legibility.
Pro tip
High-contrast images (light/dark areas) make the reveal read better inside letters.
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2) Add a Bold Headline

You want thick, impactful letterforms.

Font picks

  • Anton
  • League Spartan
  • Luckiest Guy
Steps
  1. Add your headline.
  2. Send it behind the image layer.
  3. Scale so key photo details align inside letters.
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3) Duplicate & Create the Hollow Effect

This is the sandwich: text (bottom) ➝ image (middle) ➝ hollow text (top).

Do this

  • Duplicate the text layer.
  • On the top copy, apply the Hollow text effect.
  • Set thickness to 1 for a crisp outline.
Layer order
  • Bottom: White text
  • Middle: Image
  • Top: Hollow text
Think “photo sandwich” — the image is the filling.
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4) Align the Layers

Tight alignment sells the effect as “custom.”

Finish up

  • Select all three layers and nudge with arrow keys to stack perfectly.
  • Group when aligned so nothing shifts while exporting.
  • Export as PNG/JPG; for animated reveals, convert to MP4.
Quality checks
  • Zoom to 200% — look for misaligned edges.
  • Ensure outline weight is consistent across sizes.
  • Keep contrast strong inside letters.
LET'S START HERE