Image Overlay: How To Overlay Pictures On iPhone & Android?

Before the advent of digital cameras, the application of image overlay effects was difficult, complex, and costly. It was commonly understood that trained professional photographers could only achieve this task. 

Fast forward twenty years and technology has empowered everyone to create beautiful special effects and image overlays in photos in a matter of seconds. Moreover, all this can be done with a single smartphone.

This article describes image overlays and shows five good apps for photo overlays without photographic skills. For example, you can use these apps online, from your desktop computer or a mobile device. 

Some apps also allow users to edit photos and create additional special effects. Some even include an OCR SDK and file upload capabilities that developers can use.

What Is Image Overlay?

The overlay image is a process of merging or blending two or multiple images. This option usually is available to a user in photo editing tools for the desktop or mobile platform. The software or app usually allows you to place an image on top of another as layers. 

You can then change the transparency or opacity of each layer to superimpose all the images. It is also possible to overlay a base image with a text image.

The only parameter for an image overlay operation is image transparency or opacity. Additionally, many apps allow you to place a border around different images.

Using image overlays, you can create professionally looking stunning photos. You can also create product images for your HTML page, posters, and more. The effects you make can easily be mistaken for professional photography.

What Are The Five Best Tools For Creating Overlay Effects In Images?

Here are the five best tools you can use to create an overlay effect of one picture on another.

Filestack

Filestack is not just a file upload software. It allows you to add images and overlay one photo over another. For example, try the Transformations UI for JavaScript tool online for free. Select two images to overlay.

Once you add an image on top of another, you can change the position of the second image, move it around, resize it, center it, change its width, and specify the percentage of overlay effect. 

You can add text, change the font size, use the text-align option, and overly select text on your photos. You can stick to the default options for various parameters or specify your value. Filestack also provides multiple examples and tutorials for creating special effects in images.

Save your pictures and share them later with friends and colleagues.

It also allows you to upload all types of files securely and efficiently. Moreover, the APIs and SDK allow developers to incorporate image editing, image overlays, file uploads, and more in their building app. 

If you are a developer, then you can enable your users to perform photo editing and designing in the software you built for them.

Imageonline.co

Imageonline.co is an online tool for overlaying two images on top of each other. You can select two images with the overlay option. Next, you can adjust the transparency level by moving the blend percentage slider. You can also add a border around different image layers, creating fantastic effects.

Pinetools

Pinetools is another tool that lets you overlay images online, as shown in the above example. You can blend the original images to create a single overlay image. You can also use editing tools and different blending modes to create special effects with just a few clicks. 

The transparency slider lets you change the opacity of the overlaid image. You can also rotate, flip, or reposition the image. The above picture features an example of how to merge two images.

Fotor

Fotor is another free web app that you can use online to overlay images. Using a slider, you can easily change the transparency level to blend the two pictures. 

The Fotor online tool also allows you to edit images, overlay two photos, add design elements, add text pixels, change texture, and more.

Picsart

Picsart offers another great online software for photo editing, image overlay, making background blur, adjusting saturation and intensity, adding special effects, adding design elements, and more. 

The overlay images option is easy to use. You can adjust the position and alignment of the two images and select the opacity level to overlay images. Take various shots from your camera roll and turn them into a stunning collage, product image, frame, or more.