About the Vertical Type Tool
Vertical text is common on posters, book spines, banners, signs and in languages written top to bottom. The vertical type tool puts it on your picture. Choose stacked letters, where each character sits upright under the last, or turned text that reads down or up the page. Start a new line to start a new column: stacked text reads columns from right to left, the way vertical Chinese and Japanese is set. Pick a font, a size, the letter spacing and a colour, add an outline so the text stands out on a busy picture, and drag the text where you want it. Download a PNG at the picture's full size. Your picture stays in your browser.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Vertical Type Tool
- 1Select an image or drop one on the page.
- 2Type your text in the box. A new line starts a new column.
- 3Choose Stacked letters, Turned, reads down, or Turned, reads up.
- 4Pick a font, size, letter spacing and colour. Turn the outline on or off.
- 5Press or drag on the picture to move the text, then press Download PNG.
Stacked or turned?
Stacked letters read as a column of separate characters, the traditional way for East Asian vertical text and a popular style for single words on posters, such as a name on a banner. Turned text reads like a rotated line and is the style used on book spines and signs. Pick turned text for longer phrases, since it is easier to read than a tall column of single letters.
Making it readable
- Choose a colour that contrasts with the picture, and keep the outline on for busy backgrounds.
- Give the text room. Big letters with generous spacing read better than small tight ones.
- Place it over a quiet part of the picture, such as sky, a wall or a margin.
- Use bold fonts for short words and regular fonts for longer text.
- Check the result at the size you will use it, such as a phone screen.
Where vertical text is used
Posters and flyers, book and album covers, social media banners, name tags, store signs, tattoo or logo mock-ups, Japanese and Chinese design and pictures that need a side label. The tool sets the text on a transparent layer drawn over the picture and saves everything in one PNG.
Size and spacing
Size is a percentage of the picture's height, so the same setting looks the same on a small and a large version of the picture. Letter spacing adds a gap between characters as a share of the size. In stacked mode it increases the space between rows.
Phone and computer
Type on a phone with the usual keyboard. Touch and drag on the picture to move the text. The page does not scroll while you touch the picture. Vertical text is one style among many. Put words on a photo with Add Text to Image, make a funny image with the Meme Generator, and play with styled letters with the Fancy Text Generator.
Features
- Three directions: stacked upright letters, turned reading down, turned reading up
- Several columns from several lines
- Five fonts, bold, size, letter spacing and colour
- Outline for readability
- Drag to place, centred on your pointer
- PNG at the picture's own size, made in your browser
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between the three directions?
Stacked letters keeps every character upright and puts them one under another. Turned, reads down rotates each line a quarter turn clockwise, so you tilt your head to the right to read it, as on English-language book spines. Turned, reads up rotates it the other way, as on many book spines in continental Europe.
How do I make more than one column?
Press Enter in the text box to start a new line. Each line becomes its own column. Stacked text puts the first line on the right, and the next to its left, which is the traditional order for vertical Chinese and Japanese.
Does it work for Chinese, Japanese and Korean?
Yes, if your device has a font for those characters. Upright stacked letters is the usual layout for them. The tool uses fonts already on your device, so the look depends on what is installed.
Why do narrow letters bunch up in stacked mode?
Stacked mode gives each character the same height, so narrow letters such as i and l look centred with gaps around them. Turned text uses each letter's real width, so it spaces normally.
Can I move the text after placing it?
Yes. Press or drag anywhere on the picture and the centre of the text goes there.
Can I use my own font?
Not yet. Choose from sans serif, serif, typewriter, bold meme and handwriting styles.
Can I add more than one block of text?
Not in one go. Download the picture and open it again to add another block.
Is my picture uploaded?
No.