A strong, vibrant photo can be the star player in your design. But what if the photo is so strong that it overshadows everything else on the page? That's when it's time for a little strategic "swiping"; using an image editor, you erase part of the image so that text is visible, but the image's power remains. After seeing all the examples in this how-to, you'll be inspired to try it yourself.

"Here, a horizontal image is incompatible with the vertical space. Solution? Follow the image's natural lines, and fade it into a sweeping composition. The panoramic backdrop fades slowly into the distance, leaving the viewer's attention on the buffalo. The dressy, willowy typeface, colored to match the grass, is a sophisticated contrast to the heavy, earthy scene."

We've posted this story as a PDF file. All you do is click this link "Balance Type and Photos" to open the PDF file in your Web browser. You can also download the PDF to your machine for later viewing. This how-to is formatted for easy onscreen reading. However, if you prefer paper, see pages 13 through 18 of the PDF, which repeat the information in a format suitable for printing.

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