How do you make a meme with text above?

Making memes is a fun and creative way to express yourself and share humor online. Memes often consist of an image or short video clip combined with overlaid text that adds meaning or humor. One of the most popular and straightforward meme formats is an image meme with text above it.

To make this type of meme, you need an image or photo and an app or website that allows you to add text above the image. With all the meme generators and meme maker apps available today, creating memes with text above an image can be a quick and easy process.

In this article, we will walk through step-by-step how to make a meme by adding text above an image using both desktop and mobile apps. We will also provide tips for finding template images, writing effective meme text, customizing the design, and sharing your memes online. Let’s get started creating some hilarious, witty, or just plain absurd internet memes!

Finding a Template Image

The first step in making a meme is finding a suitable template image to use. You want an image that is recognizable, evokes emotion, or can represent a common experience. Some common sources of meme template images include:

Still shots from movies or TV shows
Reaction images or facial expressions

Pop culture or internet celebrities
Animals or cartoons making funny faces
Stock photos depicting awkward situations or emotions

You can find templates by searching keyword phrases like “funny meme faces” or “meme templates” on Google Images or Pinterest. There are also meme generator sites and apps that have huge libraries of templates to choose from.

Consider using a template that is currently trending or associated with a trending meme. This increases the likelihood that people will recognize and engage with your meme. However, you can also breathe new life into old meme templates by pairing them with new text.

Writing the Meme Text

Once you have your template image selected, it’s time to add the text. The text is what brings the meme to life and adds the humor or commentary.

Some tips for writing effective meme text include:

Keep it short and snappy – you usually want to keep the text brief with just a few short phrases or sentences.
Use familiar references – this helps the meme feel relatable to more people.

Leverage hyperbole and exaggeration – taking a concept to the extreme can make a meme funnier and more shareable.
Employ puns, sarcasm, or wordplay – these are classic meme techniques sure to delight people.
Make it timely – incorporating trending topics and current events makes a meme more relevant.

The placement of the text also matters. Top text should set up the meme and provide context. Bottom text delivers the punchline or twist that gives the meme its meaning or humor.

You may need to play around with a few variations of the wording to really make your point and maximize the hilarity. Read the meme aloud or show it to a friend to test if the humor lands as intended.

Creating the Meme

Now we get to actually make the meme by adding the text over the template image. There are a variety of free online meme generators and apps that make it easy to create memes in just a few clicks.

Here are some popular options:

Online Meme Generators

Imgflip – One of the most popular online meme makers with quick and easy templating.

Kapwing – Sophisticated editor for making memes and other creative content.
Memedad – Allows you to caption images and add overlays.

Mobile Apps

Meme Generator Free – Top meme maker app for iOS and Android.
Mematic – Makes it easy to add text and overlays to images.
Meme Creator – Android app with lots of fonts, emojis, and templates.

These tools make it easy to upload your template image, enter your text, adjust text sizing and positioning, and customize fonts. Some also provide a library of templates, gifs, stickers, and emojis to embellish your meme.

Drag and drop the text boxes where desired and resize them by dragging the corners once the text is entered. Position the top text toward the top-third of the image and the bottom text in the bottom-third. Use alignment tools to center, left-align, or right-align your text.

Play around with font styles, colors, outline, shadow, and sizing to find a look that pops. Sans-serif fonts like Arial or Helvetica tend to work best for memes. Bold or all caps text can help it stand out.

Customizing and Enhancing Your Meme

Once you have the basic meme template set up, consider adding some embellishments to take it to the next level. Most meme makers provide options for:

Stickers – fun icons like emojis, expressions, or pop culture characters.
Filters – vintage, pop art, black & white, etc.

Border – outline your meme in various shapes, colors, or sizes.
Background – change the color or add a pattern.

You can also draw or add shapes like boxes, arrows, or circles to call attention to parts of the image. Some tools allow you to crop, rotate, or add other photo effects.

Use embellishments judiciously as you don’t want them to distract too much from the text humor. But elements like emojis or pop art filters can take your meme up a notch.

Sharing and Posting Your Memes

Once your meme is looking top notch, you’ll want to share it online for others to enjoy!

Best Practices for Memes with Text Above an Image

Here are some top tips to ensure your text-above-image memes are top-notch:

Choose recognizable images people will immediately understand.

Use natural expressions rather than posed photos.
Pick images with subjects looking directly at the camera.
Opt for simple, uncluttered images that make text stand out.

Use large, bold fonts that are easy to read on both desktop and mobile.
Keep the text short, simple, and concise.
Position text strategically in the top and bottom thirds of the image.

Take advantage of trending topics, current events, and viral moments.
Customize the design with filters, stickers, borders, and embellishments.
Share memes on social platforms where they will find your target audience.

Following these best practices will help you create effective, engaging memes with text that get reactions and shares across the internet.

Captioning Memes for Accessibility

As memes become a dominant way of communicating on the internet, it’s important to make them inclusive for all users. That means captioning your memes so they are accessible to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have other disabilities.

Captioned memes have text embedded in the image that transcribes any spoken words or describes sounds and non-speech audio. This allows screen readers to convey the content of audio-based meme formats like video clips or GIFs.

Tools like MemeCap provide an easy way to add captions directly onto meme images. You simply select the meme template or upload your own, then type in the captions for each panel or scene. The text gets embedded right into the final shared image file.

Captioning your memes improves accessibility and enables more people to understand and enjoy the humor. It’s a best practice to adopt as memes become a bigger part of digital communication and culture.

Conclusion

Creating funny, engaging memes with text is an easy, enjoyable way to express your humor and wit online. With the right template image, snappy text, and a few customizations, anyone can make shareable memes that spread joy and go viral across the internet.

Use free meme generator sites and apps to add text overlays to images in just a few clicks. Position the text strategically and craft funny phrases people can instantly relate to and want to share. Adding stickers, filters, captions, and watermarks can further polish your meme.

Now that you know how to make a meme with text above an image, it’s time to get creating and sharing! Memes are the perfect medium for commenting on pop culture, current events, life moments and more through the power of humor.