Printing Captions on Pictures

The easy way you can write captions using Picasa is one of my favorite features.  I have a caption on every ‘keeper’ picture in my library.  Picasa also makes it easy to print captions, IF you’re using Picasa to do the printing.  Our member tutorial video: Add Captions to your Photos explains all about captions, another video explains printing: Printing Pictures.

Personally, I never print with Picasa to my printer.  If I want a print, I want it to be professional, so I use the Order Prints feature to send my pictures to Walmart, or Walgreens, or Snapfish etc.  When my pictures are uploaded, they include the text of the caption, but I have yet to find a print provider that includes the ability to print that caption.  If you have found one, please leave a comment below!

Meanwhile, here’s a pretty simple workaround.

Use Text on a Border

You start with a picture that has a caption, like the one below:

You may already know that you can use the text tool to copy the caption and stamp it right on the picture.  The problem is that it stamps it right on the picture!  Unless the picture includes a nice blank area where the text can be placed, it is difficult to read.  What we want is a border where you can place the text all by itself.  This is now available with Picasa 3.9. (see member tutorial video: Installing Picasa 3.9 and a Look at Borders)

Just choose the last tab of editing tools and click on the tool called ‘Border.’  Then notice the setting for ‘Caption Height’

Now you have an empty bottom area where you can put the text.  Go back to the first tab of editing tools, click the text tool and click the button to ‘Copy Caption.’  Then just drag the text into the bottom border area.  You may need to adjust the color – if your border was black, make the text white etc.  For more instruction on using the text tool, see our member video: Adding Text to Pictures.

Now, you have the caption written right on the picture itself.  Any service that prints the picture, will be printing the caption as well.

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