A social graphic can contain all the right words and still be difficult to read. Thin lettering, a detailed photograph, or a paragraph squeezed into a small square can defeat the message. Begin by deciding what the graphic itself must communicate and what can live in accompanying text. Design the essential words for the small view where people will first encounter them.
Reduce the message before reducing the type
Write the main idea in a short, direct form. If a full explanation is needed, place it in the post text or an accessible linked page rather than shrinking everything to fit. Keep a clear hierarchy between the main message and any genuinely necessary supporting detail.
Use a typeface with recognisable letterforms and enough weight to survive reduction. Avoid making every line a different style. Read a realistic preview on a phone-sized display, checking names, numbers, and punctuation. A layout that works only when enlarged is not yet ready for the feed.
Measure contrast where the words sit
Text over a photograph needs sufficient contrast across the whole area behind it, not only at one convenient point. A plain panel or controlled overlay may provide a more dependable background than an outline around each letter. Check the lightest and darkest areas that cross the text.
WCAG provides useful contrast guidance for text and images of text, including a 4.5:1 minimum for ordinary text with specified exceptions. Use a suitable contrast checker when choosing solid foreground and background colours, and consult the guidance for large text. A passing colour pair alone does not establish that the complete graphic is accessible or readable at every size.
Leave room for the destination’s presentation
Keep essential words away from likely crop edges and areas covered by interface elements. Inspect the destination’s current preview rather than trusting a generic safe-area template. A design may need a separate crop for another placement instead of one file stretched or cut into every shape.
Avoid communicating a distinction only through colour. Add wording, shape, or another clear cue where needed. Keep a text equivalent of the message available in the accompanying content and use the platform’s supported alternative-text features appropriately. The image should not be the only place important instructions exist.
Check the final uploaded result
Export the required format and inspect the actual file for blurred text or unexpected artefacts. Then review the uploaded preview at ordinary viewing size. If the message is hard to read, simplify or enlarge it rather than assuming viewers will zoom in. Preserve the editable source so another format can be produced without degrading the finished image.
Ask someone unfamiliar with the design to read the essential message at its intended size. Their hesitation can reveal a problem hidden by your familiarity with the words. A useful graphic gives the message space, maintains clear contrast, and offers another way to access information that should not depend on reading an image.
