How to use PhotoVim

Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

Level · Intermediate Updated 2026-09-28

Combine background blur, portrait curves, silver dimensional type and perspective. Use matching type layers and a painted layer mask to weave lettering behind the portrait and in front of the jacket.

Watch on YouTube

English editor and subtitles · 144 seconds

Pause at each step and follow the shortcuts on screen. The practice files contain separate source layers; the video is a recorded UI demonstration.

Watch the vertical Shorts tutorial English subtitles (SRT)

Steps

Tap a step picture to see it full size

  1. Create the document and place the city

    Press Ctrl+Alt+N (or File > New…). Type 1024 in Width and 1536 in Height, then click Create. Choose File > Place Embedded… and pick 02_BACKGROUND.png. Drag inside the box to move it and drag a corner handle to resize it. Press Enter (or double-click the image) to finish.

    Where to click — Create the document and place the city
    Where to click — Create the document and place the city
    Create the document and place the city — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  2. Blur a copy of the background

    Press Ctrl+J (Layer > New > Layer Via Copy) to keep the original. Choose Filter > Blur > Gaussian Blur…, set a small Radius so the city goes soft, and click OK.

    Where to click — Blur a copy of the background
    Where to click — Blur a copy of the background
    Blur a copy of the background — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  3. Type the big words

    Press D, then X so white is the foreground color. Press T for the Type tool, click on the canvas and type BEYOND, press Enter, and type LIMITS. Press Ctrl+Enter to finish. In the Character panel set the size to 205 px, tracking -5 and leading 2.8.

    Type the big words — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  4. Give the letters a silver edge

    Press Ctrl+J to keep an editable copy. Click the fx button at the bottom of the Layers panel and add Bevel & Emboss (2 px, depth 110%), Gradient Overlay (Silver) and a subtle Echo.

    Give the letters a silver edge — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  5. Tilt the words

    Press Ctrl+T, right-click inside the box and choose Perspective. Drag a top corner inward a little, then press Enter.

    Tilt the words — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  6. Make front and back copies

    Press Ctrl+J to make a second copy of the type. Hold Alt and click the Add mask button at the bottom of the Layers panel. You get a black mask that hides the whole layer (same as Layer > Layer Mask > Hide All).

    Where to click — Make front and back copies
    Make front and back copies — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  7. Place the person between the words

    Choose File > Place Embedded… and pick 01_PERSON_TRANSPARENT.png. Drag inside the box to move it and drag a corner handle to resize it. Press Enter (or double-click the image) to finish. Press Ctrl+M for Curves and give her face cleaner contrast.

    Where to click — Place the person between the words
    Place the person between the words — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  8. Bring some letters in front

    Click the black mask of the front copy. Press B, press X for white, set Size to 300 and paint over the lower word so it shows in front of the jacket. Choose Layer > Arrange > Bring to Front (Ctrl+Shift+]) so the copy sits above her.

    Where to click — Bring some letters in front
    Bring some letters in front — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial

  9. Check and save

    Press Z for the Zoom tool and click on the area you want to check. Press Ctrl+0 (View > Fit on Screen) to see the whole picture again. Press Ctrl+Alt+S (File > Save a Copy…) and choose PSD to keep an editable layered copy.

    Where to click — Check and save
    Where to click — Check and save
    Check and save — Text Behind and In Front of a Person: Typography Poster Tutorial
Worth knowing

Keep an editable source type layer before perspective rasterizes the result. Use the native PhotoVim project to preserve PhotoVim-specific effects such as Echo.

Try it in the editor

Questions

Do I need Photoshop for this tutorial?

No. Every step is done in PhotoVim in your browser, with nothing to install. Menu names and shortcuts follow Photoshop, so the steps look familiar if you already use it.

How do the letters go both behind and in front of the person?

Two copies of the type sit above and below the portrait. The top copy has a black mask, and painting white on it reveals only the letters that should cross in front of the jacket.