Prepare a banner from a photo for a client proposal

A photo can give a client proposal a more personal feel, but a picture stretched across the top of a page can crowd the headline or hide the subject. A little planning helps you make a wide banner that fits the proposal and still looks like the original photo.

Use the Photo Editor to arrange the image, add text on its own layer, and make careful adjustments. Before you start, check where the banner will appear and ask for the required dimensions or aspect ratio. That determines how much of the photo will fit.

Build the banner

1. Open the Photo Editor and load a copy of the photo, so the original remains unchanged. If the client has a required banner size or aspect ratio, keep it nearby while you work.
2. Decide where the image will sit in the proposal. A banner for a slide, a page header, and a website preview can use different proportions. Look for a crop or canvas option if you need to change the frame, and keep the main subject inside the part that will remain visible.
3. Choose a photo with room for the proposal headline. If the subject is near the middle, place the text in an open area to one side. If the photo is busy throughout, consider using a shorter headline or choosing a simpler image rather than covering important details.
4. Add the headline as a separate text layer. Use the exact approved wording, keep it brief, and place it where it does not cover a face, product, or other important subject. A separate layer makes it easier to revise the wording or move it later.
5. Adjust the image only as much as needed. Use adjustments or filters to improve brightness and contrast, then check the text against the photo at the size it will appear in the proposal.
6. Save or export a finished copy in a format the proposal software accepts. Keep an editable project as well if you expect the client to request wording or layout changes.

Before sending it, view the banner at its actual display size. Details that look clear when zoomed in can disappear when the image is reduced to a short page header.

Choose the right layout and finish

The photo is already wide

A wide photo may fit the banner with little reframing. Keep the main subject away from the top and bottom edges, where a later crop or a different page layout could cut it off. Add the headline in an area with fewer details, and avoid placing small text close to the image edges.

The photo is portrait or square

A tall or square image may lose important content when forced into a narrow banner. Look for a wider source image if one is available. Otherwise, choose a frame that preserves the subject and use a short headline in the open area that remains. Do not stretch the photo to fill the width, because stretching changes the shape of people and objects.

The photo is visually busy

Fine patterns, bright lights, and detailed backgrounds can make text hard to read. Try a different text position, a simpler headline, or a less busy photo. You can also use a separate layer for a brush treatment behind the text if you can create one that fits the design, but keep it subtle enough that the photo remains the focus.

The banner will be reviewed on screen and printed

Check the final banner in both contexts if the proposal may be printed. Screen brightness and paper can change how colors appear. Keep the text large enough to read at the intended size, and do not rely on a very subtle contrast difference to separate the headline from the picture.

Fix common banner problems

1. Keep the subject in frame. If a face, product, or key detail is cut off, change the framing or choose a different photo. Do not resize the image by pulling only one side, because that distorts it.
2. Make the headline easier to read. Move it to a less detailed part of the photo, shorten the wording, or choose a text color with stronger contrast. Check the result at the actual banner size, not only while zoomed in.
3. Reduce competing details. If the image and headline both demand attention, simplify the composition. A smaller amount of text and one clear subject usually work better than adding extra labels or decorative elements.
4. Correct an image that looks too dark or too bright. Use the Photo Editor's adjustments in small steps and compare the result with the original. Avoid pushing contrast so far that shadows lose detail or bright areas turn into blank patches.
5. Use the correct shape for the destination. If the banner looks cropped in the proposal, confirm the destination's dimensions and aspect ratio. Rework the frame for that space instead of stretching the finished image to fit.
6. Keep the original and an editable version. Save a separate final copy and retain the layered project for changes. For more on keeping edits flexible, see how to use layers without flattening.

Keep the client review simple

For a first proposal draft, the banner should support the message rather than carry every project detail. Use one photo, one short headline, and a clear point of focus. If the wording is not approved yet, keep it separate from the image so you can update it without rebuilding the composition.

Check that the exported copy opens correctly in the proposal file and that the image is not blurry at its final size. If the client has brand colors, fonts, or image guidelines, confirm those before presenting the design as final.

The Photo Editor runs in your browser, and the photos and project files you open stay on your device.