How to make a text poster of a portrait in Photoshop

One surprising technique in creating a text portrait poster involves generating a specific displacement map. The process requires saving a composite snapshot of the subject's head and shoulders as a separate file, then intentionally darkening its levels between 110 and 120.

This approach allows for the dynamic integration of lyrics, prose, or poetry, transforming a simple portrait into a visually rich and thematic artwork.

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Practical Tips for Text Portrait Design

• Desaturate the original photo by pressing Control + Shift + U (PC) or Command + Shift + U (Mac) to ensure a proper grayscale image for the displacement map.
• Create a composite snapshot for the displacement map by activating the head layer and pressing Control + Shift + Alt + E (PC) or Command + Shift + Option + E (Mac).
• Adjust the levels of your saved displacement map file by pressing Control + L (PC) or Command + L (Mac), setting the output levels between 110 and 120 for optimal text wrapping.
• Ensure your text block is completely filled and free of empty spaces by using the backspace key to consolidate text, which prevents gaps after displacement.
• Change the text layer's blend mode to Overlay and duplicate the layer (Control + J or Command + J) to enhance brightness and visual impact.

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