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Add personalized text to images

How to Add Text to Images in lemlist for Personalized Emails That Convert 🎨

Learning Objective

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to add text elements to custom images in lemlist, personalize text with variables ({{firstName}}, {{companyName}}), customize text styling, and save image templates for reuse in campaigns.

Why This Matters

Text on images creates powerful visual personalization. Instead of just inserting {{firstName}} in the email body, you can display it on a custom graphic, screenshot, or branded image. This grabs attention, makes personalization impossible to miss, and shows extra effort. Personalized image text can significantly increase engagement because it's visually striking and often more impactful than plain text variables alone.

Prerequisites

Before you start:

  • A campaign created with at least one email step

  • Basic understanding of custom images in lemlist

  • Lead data with variables you want to display ({{firstName}}, {{companyName}}, etc.)

Step 1: Access the Custom Image Editor

Navigate to your campaign

  1. Go to Campaigns, then open the campaign you want to edit.

Open the campaign from the Campaigns page

Open custom images

  1. In the email step editor, click + Add, then select Custom media.

Click Add and select Custom media

  1. In the personalization popup, click Create an image.

Create a new custom image

💡 Starting point: If you already have a template with a background or logo set up, you can use that. Otherwise, create a new image and build it from scratch.

Step 2: Add a Text Element to the Image

Insert text

  1. In the image editor, click Add element, then choose Text.

Click Add element in the image editor
Choose Text as the element type

  1. Type the text you want to display on the image.

Enter text into the text element

Position text

  1. Click and drag the text box to the desired position.

  2. Resize the text box by dragging the corners if needed.

  3. Place it where the text should appear on the image.

💡 Layout tip: Common placements include the top center for headlines, the bottom area for names or companies, or over a clean focal area of the image.

Step 3: Customize Text Content and Style

Add variables for personalization

Inside your text, you can include:

  • Static text: “Hi”

  • Variables: {{firstName}}, {{companyName}}, {{customVariable}}

  • Combined text: “Hi {{firstName}}, checking out {{companyName}}”

Example text combinations:

  • “Hey {{firstName}}!”

  • “Made for {{companyName}}”

  • “{{firstName}}, here’s your personalized demo”

  • “Exclusive offer for {{companyName}}”

To insert another variable into your text, click Add {custom variable}.

Add a custom variable to the text element

💡 Variable names must match: If your lead data has a field called company, use {{company}}, not {{companyName}}. Check the exact field names in your CSV or lead properties.

Style your text

Use the styling panel on the right-hand side to customize the appearance of your text, including color, font family, font style, font weight, font size, and alignment.

Use the text styling panel on the right

💡 Readability matters: Make sure your text contrasts clearly with the background so it stays easy to read.

Add multiple text elements (optional)

To add more text:

  1. Click Add element again

  2. Choose Text

  3. Add another text box and style it as needed

Common multi-text layouts:

  • Headline + subheadline

  • Company name + personalized message

  • Call-to-action + supporting text

Step 4: Save and Use Your Image

Save as template or insert the image

  1. Once your design is complete, click Save as template if you want to reuse it later, or click Use this image to insert it into the email immediately.

Save the image as a template or use it in the email

💡 Template library: Saved templates appear in the Custom Images section so you can reuse them in future campaigns.

Verify the image in your email

  1. After inserting the image, confirm it appears correctly inside your email step.

Preview the inserted custom image in the email editor

Text on Images Best Practices

Keep text minimal - 1–2 short sentences maximum. Too much text on images is hard to read and looks cluttered.

Use high contrast - Dark text on light backgrounds or light text on dark backgrounds. Avoid low-contrast combinations.

Choose readable fonts - Clean, simple fonts work better than decorative fonts for email images.

Size appropriately - Text should be large enough to read on mobile devices. Test at common email widths to ensure readability.

Personalize strategically - Use {{firstName}} or {{companyName}} where it feels natural.

Limit variables per image - 1–3 variables maximum. Too many personalized fields can make the design look busy and may break the layout.

Test with long names - Preview with leads who have long names or company names to make sure the text doesn't overflow.

Brand consistently - Use your brand colors and preferred fonts across templates for a cohesive look.

Add fallback-friendly copy - If a variable may be empty, write text that still works naturally.

Common Text on Image Use Cases

Personalized welcome images - “Hi {{firstName}}, welcome!” with a branded background

Company-specific visuals - “Made for {{companyName}}” with their website screenshot

Event invitations - “{{firstName}}, you're invited” on an event graphic

Product demos - “{{companyName}}'s personalized demo” with a product screenshot

Achievement graphics - “Congrats {{firstName}}!” with a celebratory design

Branded quotes - “{{firstName}}, here’s an insight for you” with quote styling

Website previews - “Checking out {{companyName}}” over a screenshot of their website

Troubleshooting

Issue: Variable displays as {{firstName}} instead of the actual name

Root cause: The variable is not written properly.

Fix: Verify the variable syntax is correct. If braces are missing or the field name doesn't match your data, the variable won't render.

Issue: Text overflows or gets cut off

Root cause: The text box is too small, or your variable content is longer than expected.

Fix: Resize the text box, reduce the font size, and test with long names or company names.

Issue: Text is hard to read in the image

Root cause: Poor contrast between the text and the background.

Fix: Switch to a high-contrast text color and use a cleaner background area.

Issue: Text styling doesn't save

Root cause: The image or template wasn’t saved after edits.

Fix: Click Save as template after making changes. If needed, refresh your browser and save again.

Issue: Multiple text elements overlap

Root cause: Text boxes are positioned too close together.

Fix: Move the text boxes apart and adjust sizing or alignment.

Optimization Tips

Create text template variations - Build a few versions with different placements to see what performs best.

Match text to campaign goal - Use welcome messaging for onboarding, benefit-focused text for sales, and event-style copy for invitations.

Use color strategically - Highlight important personalized words while keeping the rest of the design clean.

Test text size on mobile - Send yourself a test email and make sure the text is readable on a phone.

Combine with strong visuals - Personalized text works especially well on screenshots, branded graphics, or product visuals.

A/B test personalization levels - Compare lighter personalization vs. stronger personalization to find the best-performing approach.

Keep branding consistent - Reuse the same fonts, colors, and general layout across templates.

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