Photo overlays are branded layers placed on top of your team photos: a logo, a frame, the event name, the team name or the finish time. Design each overlay on a fixed artboard, preview it on one of your own photos, and let automation rules apply the right overlay to the right photo without anyone picking it by hand.
Getting started
Navigate to Photos > Photo settings from the sidebar. The page has two tabs:
| Tab | What's on it |
|---|---|
| Overlays | Your overlay library with search, filters and a Create overlay button |
| Settings | Photo preferences that aren't per overlay: the Taking photos section with the Review photos before saving and Require confirmation before deleting a photo toggles, the Camera choice and a Save button. See Taking photos settings below |
How it works
Every overlay is designed on an artboard whose size is fixed by its aspect ratio (for example 1920 by 1080 pixels for 16:9). Layer positions and sizes are stored in artboard pixels, so an overlay looks the same on every screen and every time you reopen it. When the overlay is applied to a photo, the whole artboard is scaled to fit the photo and centered, keeping its proportions. A photo of a different shape gets a centered overlay, never a stretched one. Turn on Crop photo to overlay and the saved photo is cut to the overlay's shape instead, keeping the center of the picture, so the overlay covers the whole image.
An overlay has two kinds of layers. Text layers hold static text or dynamic variables such as [Team Name], which are replaced with the event details when the overlay is applied. Image layers hold logos, frames or badges you upload. Layers stack in the order shown in the Layers panel, top of the list in front.
Automation rules connect an overlay to one or more events with a condition (event completed, not completed, or always). When a photo is taken for a matching event, the overlay is added on its own. Staff can still swap or remove it on the photo.
Step-by-step guide
Browse and manage your overlay library
Open Photos > Photo settings. The Overlays tab lists every overlay in a table with three columns: Overlay (name, with the description underneath), Aspect ratio, and Automation. The Automation column reads Manual, Always applies automatically, or Applies automatically when the event was completed (or not completed), with an event count underneath; hover the count to see the event names. Click a column header to sort.
Filter the list with the Name search and the Aspect ratio select at the top, or open More filters for the Automation filter (Applies automatically or Manual). Save a combination as a view with the Views menu. The result count and the per page selector sit on the right.
Click any row to open the editor. The three-dot menu on a row offers Edit overlay and Delete overlay. The empty state reads "No overlays created yet" with a hint about what overlays are for, or "No overlays match these filters" when a filter hides everything.
Create a new overlay
- On Photos > Photo settings, click Create overlay at the top right
- In the Overlay section on the right, fill in Name of overlay and pick an Aspect ratio that matches your photos (see the Reference section). Turn on Crop photo to overlay if the saved photo should be cut to that shape (see Crop the photo to the overlay below). Description is optional and shows in the overlay list
- Add layers with the Text and Image buttons above the Layers panel
- Optionally click Sample to preview on one of your own photos
- Set up the Automation section if the overlay should apply on its own
- Click Create overlay at the bottom
The artboard starts as a checkerboard, which shows where the photo will be. The bar under the artboard shows the artboard size in pixels, the position of the selected layer, and the zoom controls.
Add and edit a text layer
- Click Text above the Layers panel. A layer named "New text" appears in the middle of the artboard
- With the layer selected, the Text layer section on the right shows its settings
- Type the content in Text, or double click the layer on the artboard to edit it in place
- Pick a Font family and a Size in pixels. Each font in the list is shown in its own typeface, so you can compare them before choosing
- Pick a Color from the preset swatches, type a hex value, or open the full picker with the chevron
- Pick a Text alignment: anchor left, center or right. A dashed marker on the artboard shows the anchor, the point the text grows from, which matters for dynamic variables (see the next section)
- Drag the layer on the artboard to place it, or use the Align to artboard buttons (left, center, right, top, middle, bottom)
Arrow keys nudge the selected layer by 1 pixel, or 10 pixels with Shift held. Dragging a corner handle resizes the text, which updates the Size field.
Insert a dynamic variable
With a text layer selected, scroll to the Insert dynamic variable section and click a variable chip, for example Event Name or Team Name. The variable is added to the end of the text in square brackets. Hover a chip for a description of what it inserts. Variables are replaced with the event details when the overlay is applied to a photo; the full list is in the Reference section.
A variable's real value is usually a different length from its name: [Custom Time] becomes something like "57:45". Set Text alignment to center (or right) on that layer, then center it with Align to artboard. The text is anchored on its middle, so it stays centered no matter how long the value turns out. A left-anchored layer keeps its left edge instead, so a shorter value ends short of center.
Add and edit an image layer
- Click Image above the Layers panel and choose an image file. Transparent PNG files work best for logos and frames
- The image is placed on the artboard, scaled down if it is larger than the artboard, and selected
- The Image layer section shows the file name, Width and Height in pixels, and a Lock proportions toggle. With the toggle on, changing one dimension updates the other and corner dragging keeps the shape
- Drag the layer to place it, or use the Align to artboard buttons
Reorder, rename and delete layers
The Layers panel on the left lists every layer, top of the list in front. Drag the handle on a row to change the stacking order. Click a row to select that layer on the artboard. Remove a layer with the X on its row, with the trash icon in the layer's section on the right, or by pressing Delete with the layer selected on the artboard.
Preview on a sample photo
- Click Sample above the Layers panel and choose a photo from your device
- The photo replaces the checkerboard behind the layers, scaled and centered the same way a real photo would be
- If the photo's shape differs from the overlay's aspect ratio, the bar under the artboard shows "Aspect differs, the overlay fits and centers"
- Click Remove sample to go back to the checkerboard
The sample photo is only used for previewing. It is never uploaded or saved with the overlay.
Zoom the artboard
The zoom controls sit at the bottom right of the artboard: - and + change the zoom in steps, the percentage shows how large the artboard is drawn on screen, and Fit sizes it to the available space. Zoom only affects what you see on screen, never the photo.
Change the aspect ratio
Changing Aspect ratio on an overlay that already has layers asks "Change aspect ratio?" and explains that layers are repositioned proportionally. Confirm, then check the artboard before saving.
Crop the photo to the overlay
By default the overlay is fitted onto the full photo, so a 4:3 overlay on a wide 16:9 photo leaves a strip of plain photo on each side. For a frame or full-bleed design you usually want the photo cut to the overlay's shape instead.
- In the Overlay section, turn on Crop photo to overlay, right below Aspect ratio. The info icon explains: "The saved photo is cut to this overlay's shape, keeping the center of the picture. Leave this off for overlays that sit on the full photo, like a logo in a corner."
- Save the overlay
From then on, every photo that gets this overlay is cut to the largest centered area with the overlay's aspect ratio, and the overlay covers the whole saved image. The original capture is kept in full, so Clear overlay or switching to an overlay without the crop brings the full photo back. With the live overlay camera, the area that will be cut away is dimmed in the camera view, and the Review photo and Adjust overlay panels show only the kept area. Leave the switch off for overlays that belong on the whole photo, such as a logo in a corner.
Set up automation
- In the Automation section, turn on Apply automatically. The info icon explains that the overlay is added when a photo is taken for one of the selected events, and that staff can still remove or swap it on the photo
- In To photos from, select one or more events
- In When, pick Event was completed, Event was not completed, or Always
- Save the overlay
Read top to bottom, the section is the rule: apply automatically, to photos from these events, when this condition holds.
Save or discard
Click Create overlay for a new overlay or Save overlay when editing. The status next to the title reads "Unsaved changes" while you work and "All changes saved" afterwards. Cancel returns to the library; if you have unsaved changes it asks "Discard changes?" first. Saving without a name shows "Give the overlay a name before saving".
Delete an overlay
- On Photos > Photo settings, open the three-dot menu on the overlay row
- Click Delete overlay
- The prompt reads "Delete overlay?" and explains that photos which already have this overlay applied keep it, while new photos will not be able to use it
- Confirm. The success message is "Overlay deleted"
Taking photos settings (Settings tab)
The Settings tab holds the Taking photos section with two toggles and a Save button below the section. Changes apply when you click Save; the success message is "Photo settings updated".
| Element | Notes |
|---|---|
| Review photos before saving | Toggle, off by default. When on, every photo taken or uploaded on the Photos page and in both event trackers opens in a Review photo panel before it is saved. Staff can pick or change the overlay, move or hide its layers, retake the photo, or click Use photo. Popover help: "When on, every photo taken or uploaded opens with its overlay before it is saved. Staff can move or hide overlay layers, retake the photo, or accept it. Off means photos save as soon as they are taken." |
| Require confirmation before deleting a photo | Toggle, off by default. When on, staff are asked to confirm before a team photo is deleted from the Photos page. Popover help: "When on, staff are asked to confirm before a team photo is deleted. This helps prevent accidental deletions on touch devices." |
| Camera | Two choices, System camera (default) or Live overlay camera. System camera opens the device's own camera or photo picker. Live overlay camera opens a camera view inside the console with the overlay drawn over the live picture, on the Photos page and in both event trackers. Devices that cannot share their camera with the browser use the system camera either way, and staff can switch to the system camera for a single shot with the Use system camera link inside the live view. Popover help: "System camera opens the device's own camera or photo picker. Live overlay camera opens a camera view inside the console with the overlay drawn over the live picture, so staff can frame the group around it. Devices that cannot share their camera with the browser use the system camera either way, and staff can switch to the system camera for a single shot from inside the live view." |
With the delete confirmation on, tapping the trash icon on a team photo opens a "Delete photo?" prompt. When it is off, photos delete immediately. The event trackers always confirm before deleting a photo, regardless of this setting.
With the review on, the trackers open the review with the overlay the automation rule would have applied already selected; the Photos page opens it with no overlay, because a new photo there has no event yet. Accepting an untouched review saves the photo exactly as it would have saved without the review.
With the live overlay camera, the overlay is drawn over the camera picture at the same size and place as on the saved photo, so staff frame the group around it. The shutter then follows the review setting: the Review photo panel with the review on, a direct save with it off. The live view has no flash or zoom; see the Photos article for the full flow.
Reference
Overlay library
| Element | Description |
|---|---|
| Create overlay | Top right button |
| Name filter | Search by overlay name |
| Aspect ratio filter | Select from the ratios in use |
| Automation filter | Under More filters: Applies automatically or Manual |
| Views | Save and reopen filter combinations |
| Columns | Overlay (name and description), Aspect ratio, Automation. All three sort |
| Row menu | Edit overlay, Delete overlay |
Editor layout
| Area | What it holds |
|---|---|
| Tool buttons | Text, Image, Sample |
| Layers panel | Every layer with a drag handle, a type icon, its label and a remove X. The count sits at the right of the title |
| Artboard | The design canvas at the fixed size for the aspect ratio, on a checkerboard or your sample photo |
| Stage bar | Artboard size, selected layer position, sample status, Zoom controls and Fit |
| Inspector | Text layer or Image layer section for the selection, then the always visible Overlay and Automation sections |
| Footer | Cancel, and Create overlay or Save overlay |
Overlay fields
| Field | Required | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Name of overlay | Yes | Shown in the library and in the Select overlay dropdown on photos |
| Aspect ratio | Yes | One of seven ratios, sets the artboard size |
| Crop photo to overlay | No | Toggle, off by default. On: photos that get this overlay are cut to its aspect ratio, keeping the center, so the overlay covers the whole saved image. Off: the overlay is fitted and centered on the full photo |
| Description | No | Shown under the name in the library |
Aspect ratios and artboard sizes
Pick the ratio that matches the photos your camera produces. A photo of a different shape still gets the overlay, scaled to fit and centered, or cut to the overlay's shape when Crop photo to overlay is on.
| Ratio | Artboard size | Where you'll see it |
|---|---|---|
| 1:1 | 1600 by 1600 | Square photos for social sharing |
| 2:1 | 2000 by 1000 | Wide promotional shots |
| 3:2 | 1800 by 1200 | Classic camera ratio |
| 4:3 | 1600 by 1200 | Default rear camera ratio on most phones |
| 9:16 | 1080 by 1920 | Portrait phone photos, stories and reels |
| 16:9 | 1920 by 1080 | Widescreen, landscape phone video |
| 20:9 | 2000 by 900 | Ultra wide phone screens |
If you're not sure, 4:3 matches most rear camera photos and 9:16 matches most portrait phone photos. Take one test photo and use Sample to check.
Text layer settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Text | The content, including any dynamic variables in square brackets |
| Font family | Searchable list of fonts, each shown in its own typeface. A few families are excluded for readability |
| Size | Font size in artboard pixels |
| Color | Preset swatches, an editable hex value, and a full picker with transparency |
| Text alignment | Anchor left, center or right. The anchor is the point the text grows from when a dynamic variable is filled in |
| Align to artboard | Left, center, right, top, middle, bottom |
Image layer settings
| Setting | Description |
|---|---|
| Width and Height | Size in artboard pixels |
| Lock proportions | Keeps the image from stretching when you change a dimension or drag a corner |
| Align to artboard | Left, center, right, top, middle, bottom |
Keyboard shortcuts
| Key | Action |
|---|---|
| Arrow keys | Nudge the selected layer by 1 pixel |
| Shift and arrow keys | Nudge by 10 pixels |
| Delete or Backspace | Remove the selected layer (when not typing in a field) |
| Escape | Clear the selection |
| Double click a text layer | Edit the text in place |
Automation controls
| Control | Description |
|---|---|
| Apply automatically | Toggle. Off means the overlay is only applied by hand from a photo |
| To photos from | Multi-select of events |
| When | Event was completed, Event was not completed, or Always |
Dynamic variables
| Variable | Inserts | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| [Event Name] | The customer facing name of the event | |
| [Team Name] | Team name | Requires the photo to be tied to a tracker form |
| [Company Name] | Your company name | |
| [Location Name] | The name of the location where the photo was taken | |
| [Completion Time] | Recorded time of event completion | Requires a tracker form |
| [Custom Time] | Custom completion time set by the event host | Requires a tracker form |
| [Time Remaining] | Remaining time of the total event duration | Requires a tracker form |
| [Number Of Hints] | The number of interactions provided during the event | Requires a tracker form |
Overlays created before the rename may still contain [Game Name]. It keeps working and inserts the same value as [Event Name].
Good to know
- The overlay keeps its proportions on every photo. On a photo with a different shape it is scaled to fit the shorter side and centered, so layers placed at the artboard edges end up inset on that photo. Use Sample with a real photo to check, or turn on Crop photo to overlay so the photo is cut to the overlay's shape instead.
- Crop photo to overlay only affects photos taken or re-applied after you turn it on. Photos already saved keep their current shape until the overlay is applied again. The crop is centered; there is no way to choose which side is kept, so frame the group in the middle.
- With the crop on, a layer that was dragged outside the overlay's designed area on a photo (with Adjust overlay) is cut off along with that part of the photo. The Sample preview in the editor still shows the overlay fitted on the sample photo; the crop applies when the overlay is put on a real photo.
- Overlays saved in the old editor are converted when you open them. Check the artboard once and save to store them in the new format.
- Applying an overlay to a photo stores a copy of the photo with the overlay on it. Changing the overlay design later does not change photos that already have it; apply it again to pick up the new design. Clear overlay on a photo always returns the original capture.
- Staff can move, resize, hide or reorder the layers on a single photo with Adjust overlay on the Photos page and in the event trackers. That adjustment lives on the photo; the overlay design here is untouched. Design overlays with separate layers for anything staff may need to nudge, such as a character next to the group.
- Changing Text alignment does not move the layer on screen; it only moves the dashed anchor marker to the left edge, the middle or the right edge of the text. Overlays made before this setting existed are anchored left.
- Dynamic variables that depend on a tracker form (Team Name, Completion Time, Custom Time, Time Remaining, Number Of Hints) are empty on photos that are not tied to one.
- When more than one overlay's automation rule matches a photo, the one whose aspect ratio is closest to the photo is used. Choosing an overlay by hand on a photo always wins over automation.
- The sample photo is never saved. Reopening the editor starts on the checkerboard again.
- Deleting an overlay does not touch photos that already have it applied.
FAQ
Q: Can I have several overlays for the same event?
A: Yes. Give each its own automation condition (for example one for completed, one for not completed), or leave some manual and pick them from the Select overlay dropdown on a photo.
Q: Why does the overlay sit inside the photo instead of reaching the edges?
A: The photo has a different aspect ratio from the overlay, so the overlay is scaled to fit and centered rather than stretched. Turn on Crop photo to overlay on that overlay and the saved photo is cut to the overlay's shape instead, so the overlay reaches every edge. Otherwise pick the ratio that matches your camera, or design with that inset in mind. Sample shows the fitted result.
Q: The live overlay camera takes wide photos but my overlays are 4:3. How do I avoid the strips on the sides?
A: Turn on Crop photo to overlay on those overlays. The live camera then dims the strips that will be cut away so staff can frame inside the clear area, and the saved photo is 4:3 with the overlay covering it. Overlays like a corner logo can stay uncropped.
Q: I changed an overlay after photos were taken. Do old photos update?
A: No. A photo keeps the overlay it was saved with. Open the photo, re-apply the overlay from the Select overlay dropdown, and it picks up the new design.
Q: I centered a variable like [Custom Time] but it isn't centered on the photo. Why?
A: The layer is anchored on its left edge, so when the variable resolves to a shorter value the text ends before the middle. Select the layer, set Text alignment to center, then use Align to artboard to center it. From then on it stays centered for any value.
Q: My automation rule isn't kicking in. Why?
A: Check three things: Apply automatically is on, the event is listed under To photos from, and When matches the outcome. A photo with no tracker outcome only matches rules set to Always. Automation also never replaces an overlay that was already chosen on the photo.
Q: A layer needs to sit in a different spot on one particular photo. Do I have to make another overlay?
A: No. On that photo, click the Adjust overlay pencil beside the Overlay dropdown, move the layer, and click Apply. The overlay design stays as it is for every other photo.
Q: Can I use a video or animated GIF as an image layer?
A: No. Image layers are static; animated formats show their first frame.
Q: Why are some fonts missing from the Font family list?
A: A small list of fonts is excluded to keep overlays readable: Libre Baskerville, the Material Icons families, and M PLUS Rounded 1c.