How to Create Double Exposure Text in DesignScape

In our tutorial, you will learn how to create double exposure text in DesignScape. Double exposure is an old photographic technique of superimposing one exposure over another. This creates an unusual photographic result. DesignScape, so why not give our , an awesome online editing tool, available on the Gold Plus Membership level. There is no need to download any software. If you're not a member yet, why not give our free 30 day trial of the Gold Plus Membership a try?

To create the double exposure we will be using a photo of a mountain scene and a cityscape photo. We will also be using a comic display font called Funny Fact. You will get the best result using a bold font for this project.

Let’s begin by starting a new project. You can make your project any size but we chose 1500 x 1000 px with a DPI of 300.

Step 1 - Import the First Image

First, we want to create our text object using the Text Tool then add our image on top of it.

Use the Text Tool

To find out more about creating text, have a look at our tutorial on text basics in DesignScape. With the Text Tool selected, type out your text and adjust sizing and position as needed.

The text color is not important but choose one that allows you to see the text for now.

Copy and Paste First Image

We are going to open our first image, the cityscape photo, in DesignScape. We removed the background in order to create a better exposure effect.

Now, go to Edit > Copy. We will be pasting this on top of our text.

Go back to your project and click on Edit > Paste to paste the cityscape photo above the text. You may need to resize and reposition it. Do this by clicking on the Move Tool top left and tick the box for Transform controls.

Resize and Reposition Image

Now click + drag in or out a corner node to resize. You can click + drag the image to reposition it as needed. We want the cityscape to cover part of the text as shown in the image below.

Mask Image to Text

The cityscape image is now ready to be masked to our text. Now, you can select to mask specific parts of the text or the entire text. You don’t need to worry about which layer is currently selected at the moment.

First, Ctrl + click on the thumbnail of the text layer. This will create a selection of the entire text.

If you want to apply the mask to one part of the text, we need to use the Intersect option. On the left side toolbar, click on the Rectangle Select tool (M), then click on Intersect at the top.

Next, click + drag your cursor over the text you want selected. In this case we selected the “D”.

The “D” is now the only part of the text selected.

If you change your mind and want to reselect the entire text, just go to Edit > Step Backward. This will take you back to the previous selection.

Make sure that the cityscape layer is still selected. Then, go to the bottom of the Layers Panel and click on the Add Raster Mask icon.

Edit the Image if Needed

If you need to adjust the image, such as repositioning it, go to the Layers Panel and click on the little chain link between thumbnails. This will unlink the image and mask, allowing you to edit the image.

Before editing the image, make sure to click on the cityscape thumbnail first. Here we adjusted the size and position of the image within the text. To better see how the result will look, click on the eye icon for the Text layer.

When you have adjusted your layer, be sure to click back on the space between the image and mask to link them again.

Step 2 - Add a Second Image

With the first image done, we can now add a second image. This is an optional step as double exposure effects can also work well with just one image. While this step follows the same route as Step 1, there are a few differences.

We are going to add the second image twice, one to each of the letters. We will also be changing the Blending Mode.

Add a Raster Mask

As before, make a selection of the letter “D”. Drag and drop the second image into your project, then resize and reposition. Now add a Raster Mask. Do the same for the letter “B”.

Change Blending Mode

Above the Layers Panel, with the “D” masked layer still selected, click on the Blending Mode option. This will be more of a preference choice depending on the type of photos used. We chose Soft Light for our Blending Mode.

Apply the same Blending Mode to the letter “B”.

Step 3 - Add Adjustment Layers

We want to add a Black & White Adjustment layer to our exposure. At the bottom of the Layers Panel click on New Adjustment Layer > Black & White.

In the Properties Panel, you can select what best works with your image or use the same settings below:

Red: 300

Yellow: 300

Green: 300

Cyan: 140

Blue: 82

Magenta: 80

These settings will bring out the details more as well as the highlights.

Next, we want to add a Levels Adjustment layer. Again, click on the Adjustments icon and use the settings as follows:

Shadows (black point): 14

Midtones (gray point): 0.85

Highlights (white point): 225

Finally, add a Photo Filter Adjustment layer from the Adjustment icon. This is more of a personal preference but it creates a nice vintage look. By clicking on the Color Picker box you can change the filter color.

We kept the default orange and changed Density to 15%.

At any point, if needed, you can still adjust the images. Just unlink the image and mask first, make your adjustments and click to link again.

As the adjustment layers are non-destructive, they can also be edited by double clicking on the thumbnail. Alternatively, select the layer and click on the Properties Panel.

Step 4 - Save Your Double Exposure

You can now go ahead and save your double exposure project however you like. If you want to use a plain white background, then you can flatten the image. This will create a single image layer but you will not be able to go back and change anything.

What if you want to use it for sublimation projects, like on a T-shirt? We want to have a transparent background, but when merging layers the blending mode is affected. To prevent this, we need to mask the text to the background.

If you have flattened the layer, simply undo the action by going to Edit > Undo/Redo. Then, Ctrl + click on the hidden text layer thumbnail to make the selection active.

Select the background layer, then click on the Add Raster Mask icon at the bottom of the Layers Panel. The background will be masked out except in the text “DB”.

When you go to File > Export as > PNG, your background will be transparent.

You can now place your design wherever you want or print and cut for sublimation. To get a better idea of the design result, try using a Smart Object Mockup in DesignScape. You will be able to experiment with backgrounds and see what makes your design stand out.

We hope that you enjoyed this tutorial on how to create double exposure text in DesignScape. With the many editing options available in DesignScape, designing has never been more easy.