Words behind the subject, subjects out of the frame.
The magazine-cover effect, where a name sits behind someone’s shoulder, comes from separating the photo into ordered layers. Once the subject is its own layer, text can sit in front of the scene but behind the person, and the subject can break out past the frame.
Anatomy of a creation
One photo. Seven visible layers.
The app keeps creative pieces separate until it composes the preview or final export.
Canvas / matte
Frame + shadow
Base photo
Behind content
AI subject
Front content
Top FX
07
Top effects
Screen-space finishing effects sit above the composition after the main subject and content order is resolved.
Examples
Confetti, grain and other global finishing effects
Business rule
Its bounds depend on In Frame versus 3D Pop composition mode.
06
Front text and decor
Content intentionally presented over the subject and scene.
Examples
Front captions, watermark, date, stickers and front decor
Business rule
Text always uses the unified caption element model.
05
AI subject
One or more visible subject cutouts derived from a refined foreground mask.
Purpose
Enables 3D Pop and the separation needed for behind-subject content
Business rule
May cross the frame only when the composition reserves safe matte clearance.
04
Behind-subject content
Words and decorative content placed above the scene but beneath the isolated subject.
Purpose
Creates the magazine-cover and Magic Sandwich effect
Business rule
Requires a usable subject to make the visual relationship meaningful.
03
Base scene
The original or processed photo scene that provides the visual foundation behind separated content.
Examples
Original photo, portrait-blurred scene or generated background plate
Business rule
Look-only changes should not unnecessarily rebuild structural AI assets.
02
Frame foundation
The physical surround that gives the photo shape, separation and depth.
Includes
Frame fill, border, margin, photo area and physical shadows
Business rule
Frame geometry is resolved by the same layout contract in preview and export.
01
Canvas or social matte
The fixed output rectangle that contains the complete creation.
Examples
White, photo or blurred-photo backdrop
Business rule
The matte size remains fixed; 3D Pop gains room by shrinking the inner frame.
Terminology guardVisual layers describe what the customer sees. Software architecture layers describe responsibilities in the code. Stored document layers describe persisted creative structure. The three views should not be presented as one-to-one equivalents.
Common questions
How do I put text behind a person in a photo?
Add a caption, then set its depth to sit behind the subject. The app places the words above the background scene but underneath the separated subject, which produces the magazine-cover look.
What is 3D Pop?
The separated subject is allowed to cross the frame edge, so a head, hand or paw appears to break out of the frame while the rest of the photo stays inside it.
Why does behind-subject text need a clear subject?
The effect depends on the subject being separated from the background. Without a usable subject there is nothing for the words to sit behind, so the app explains that instead of faking the depth.