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A glass text effect — transparent, embossed lettering that lets the background shine through — normally takes layer styles in Photoshop. With the Glass Maker app you can build it directly in Canva and get a transparent PNG you can place over any photo or video.
Glass text GLASS placed over a photo in a Canva design

The finished glass text placed over a photo in Canva

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Make glass text in Canva

1

Open Glass Maker and switch to Text glass

In the Canva editor, open Glass Maker from the left sidebar, then click the Text glass tab. You don’t need an image selected for this tab.
Text glass tab in Glass Maker with the default Glass preview

The Text glass tab: Text box, Font, Bold, Style, and glass controls

2

Type your text

Enter your word or phrase in the Text box. The preview updates as you type, and multi-line text is supported.
3

Pick a font and weight

Click the Font box to browse 100+ Google fonts (default is Playfair Display). Toggle Bold for heavier letterforms — bold glass reads better at small sizes.
4

Choose the style: Crystal or Neon

Crystal is clear embossed glass. Neon adds a glowing colored outline — pick the glow color with the Neon color swatch (Neon is a Glass Maker Pro style).
Crystal glass text GLASS in Rubik Bold

Crystal style: GLASS in Rubik Bold

5

Tune the glass look

Adjust Tint and opacity (glass body color and transparency), Depth and rim (3D depth and edge lighting), and Glow (soft halo) until the preview looks right. Both color swatches open Canva’s color picker, with your design colors and Brand Kit.
Neon glass text style with the Neon color control

Neon style with its Neon color swatch

6

Add to design

Press Add to design. The lettering lands on your page as a transparent PNG — drag it over your photo, resize it, and layer it like any image.

Open Glass Maker in Canva

Crystal and Neon glass text, plus 5 glass effects for photos.

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Tips for better glass text

Busy backgrounds love glass

Glass text stays readable over detailed photos because the background shows through the letters with a frosted sheen.

Match the neon to the scene

Pick a Neon color that already exists in the photo — a cyan glow over a night city, warm amber over sunset shots.

Pair with a frosted pane

Place a subtle frosted frame (Photo glass tab) behind the text for extra contrast on bright images.

Scale freely

Render the text large, then scale down in Canva — downsizing keeps the edges crisp.

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Frequently asked questions

Yes. The result is a PNG with a fully transparent background — only the glass letters are visible, so it works over any photo, color, or video.
The added element is an image, so you can’t retype it. Go back to the Text glass tab, change the text or settings, and add a new version.
Yes. Crystal style with every font and slider is free. The Neon style is part of Glass Maker Pro.
Yes — the font list includes Vietnamese-friendly Google fonts, and accented characters render as glass just like any other text.