Choose the source-first method
- Original design file: open it in the app that created it and edit the existing text layer. This preserves the exact font, spacing, and layout.
- Layered PSD or editable Canva design: select the text object, make the change, and export a new copy.
- Only a flat image: remove or reconstruct the old pixels, then recreate the text. An AI editor can combine those steps when the lettering and background are clear.
Use EditTextInImage for one flat text area
- Upload the highest-quality copy you own.
- Drag around one complete horizontal phrase.
- Enter the visible wording and replacement exactly.
- Generate, compare the edges and spelling, then download the PNG.
This works best for short English print on a clear, opaque image. Start in the online editor.
Match the method to the change you need
A small wording correction in a finished image
A short title, date label, or example name can be a reasonable candidate for a local AI replacement. There should be enough clean background around the letters for a selection. Keep the new wording close to the original width. Changing a heading into a paragraph is a layout problem, and usually needs a design editor rather than a fixed pixel rectangle.
A precise brand or typography update
If the typeface, tracking, and baseline must match a brand specification, find the source design and its licensed font. A similar-looking generated word is not the same as typesetting with that font. The same-font image editor shows real visual matches and the details that can still differ. Use those examples to decide whether approximation is acceptable.
Several changes or a longer paragraph
Repeatedly editing one flat image can make review harder, particularly if the new wording affects several lines. Rebuild the text as editable layers when you need many corrections. Keep headings, body text, and captions in separate objects so later revisions do not require removing letters from the background again.
Prepare an image that gives the edit a fair chance
Use an original export instead of a thumbnail, a chat preview, or a screenshot of an already compressed picture. Check that you can read the original at full size. If a letter is ambiguous to you, the model may also reconstruct it incorrectly. Enlarging the image cannot reliably recover detail that was lost before you received the file.
For screenshots, select one label and keep nearby controls out of the box. For JPG graphics, watch for halos around the old letters and include those edges in the selected area. Read the screenshot selection tips or JPG editing guidance for the file you actually have. Those differences matter more than its filename.
Write down the exact replacement before editing. Check spelling, case, punctuation, and whether a number really needs to change. A model can produce a visually plausible result with the wrong character. Keeping the intended wording beside the image makes that mistake easier to catch.
Compare a real example with your own task
In our screenshot sample, a 44 px Arial Bold heading changed from “Project overview” to “Launch overview.” The requested wording appeared correctly and the sidebar stayed outside the selected rectangle. The letter edges became slightly softer. That is a useful result for a clear heading, but does not establish that tiny settings labels will have the same quality.
Our shadowed-heading example changed “OPEN HOUSE” to “OPEN STUDIO.” The words were correct, but the edited area had a faint background shift. This is why a text check and a visual check are separate steps. You can inspect both examples on the font-matching examples page.
Review before publishing
- Read every generated character, including punctuation and numbers.
- Zoom in and check for old-letter shadows or a rectangular seam.
- Confirm icons, faces, and other nearby details were not included.
- Compare the full image, not only the selected crop.
When the first attempt fails
Widen the selection slightly, use clearer source pixels, or shorten the replacement. A radically longer phrase may require editing the original design layout instead of rebuilding a fixed rectangle.
Save the right files for the next revision
Keep three things when the work matters: the untouched original, the editable source if one exists, and the final export. Name the new file clearly so you do not accidentally publish an earlier version. A PNG download avoids another lossy JPEG save, but it remains flattened and will not let you select the new words as a text layer later.
If you use Photoshop, retain a PSD with live type layers. If you use Canva, keep the editable design instead of only its exported image. Our Photoshop text tutorial and Canva text tutorial explain those source-first workflows. Return to the guide center when you need a different method.