How to Create a Poster with Text, Masks & Image Effects
Ditther's layering system lets you combine text, masks, and pixel image effects in the same composition. This video walks through building a poster from scratch using that combination — where the type, image treatment, and composition work as one thing rather than separate passes.
The three elements that connect
Most poster workflows keep text, image effects, and composition in separate stages. In Ditther, these interact in the same layer stack — so the type can sit behind, clip through, or reveal the pixel effect on the image beneath it. That interaction is what the tutorial demonstrates.
Layer 1
Image effect layer
The pixel effect — Dither, Halftone, ASCII, or any other — applies to the image and becomes the visual foundation of the poster. The effect settings (size, contrast, colour grade) determine the texture and mood of the whole piece.
Layer 2
Text layers
Text in Ditther can be placed as a visible type element — title, headline, body — or used as a mask that reveals or conceals parts of the layer beneath it. Both uses are shown in the tutorial.
Layer 3
Masks
A mask controls what part of a layer is visible. When a text layer is used as a mask, the shape of the characters clips the layer beneath — so the image or effect shows through only where the letters are. This gives type a photographic fill or an effect-treated interior rather than a flat colour.
When this workflow fits
This approach works best when you want the image and the type to feel fused — not the image behind and the title on top, but both genuinely connected. It works well for:
- Poster titles where the letterforms are filled with the image (clipping mask)
- Covers where the pixel effect texture bleeds through the text treatment
- Any composition where the type and the image share the same visual register
For a workflow where the poster structure and composition come first (rather than the text/image interaction), see How to build an editorial poster from scratch. For music-specific poster design, see the music poster tutorial.
Layer order matters
In Ditther's layer stack, a text layer used as a mask must sit directly above the layer it's masking. The pixel effect sits underneath. Background layers go below that. Getting the stack order right is the most common point of confusion when first working with masks — once it clicks, the rest of the workflow moves fast.
Image effects in the tutorial
The video demonstrates how specific pixel effects interact with text masks. Each effect produces a different texture inside the letterforms — Dither gives a gritty, noise-based interior, Halftone fills the letters with print-like dots, and ASCII turns the letterform interior into a scrolling character field.
Open Ditther to try the text and mask workflow with your own image. No account required to start.
Create your poster in Ditther →