Meme Generator

How to use this tool

1. Choose a local image. Browse for or drop a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or GIF up to 50 MB. GIF files use their first frame as a still image.
2. Write top and bottom captions. Enter your text in the matching fields. The Force uppercase (classic) checkbox starts enabled and changes only how text is drawn, not what remains in the fields.
3. Style the captions. Set the maximum font size, outline width, text color, and stroke color. Long captions wrap into centered lines and shrink only as needed to keep the two blocks apart.
4. Export the finished image. Choose JPEG for a smaller photo export or PNG for crisp text and flat colors, then download your still image.

Tips

• Use a white text with a thick black stroke for readability on any background.
• The font size slider sets the maximum size. Long captions wrap into centered lines; the type scales down only when the top and bottom blocks need more room.
• GIF uploads use only their first frame. The preview and JPEG or PNG download are still images, not animated GIFs.
• Force uppercase (classic) starts checked. Turn it off for mixed-case text; either way, the fields keep the original letters you typed.
• Your image is never uploaded to any server. Everything runs in your browser.

History of internet memes

The word "meme" was coined by evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins in his 1976 book The Selfish Gene to describe a unit of cultural transmission - an idea that spreads and evolves like a gene. The first internet memes predate modern social media: "Dancing Baby" (1996) and "All Your Base Are Belong to Us" (2001) circulated via email and early forums.

The classic meme format - image with bold white Impact font text top and bottom - became dominant around 2007–2010 with sites like 4chan, Reddit, and Cheezburger. Impact font's thick strokes and condensed letterforms make text readable over almost any background, which is why it became the default.

Classic meme formats

These are examples from meme history, not built-in templates or layouts. This tool adds two captions to the image you choose; it does not include stock meme artwork or create multi-panel formats such as Drake or Distracted Boyfriend.

Impact font history

Impact was designed by Geoffrey Lee in 1965 for Stephenson Blake foundry, originally as a display typeface for headlines. Its extremely condensed, ultra-bold letterforms pack maximum visual weight into a narrow column. When internet memes adopted it as a standard, they typically added a thick black or colored stroke via canvas strokeText() to ensure legibility on both dark and light backgrounds - a technique replicated here.

File format guidance

The canvas redraws one still image with your captions. If you choose an animated GIF, only its first frame is used; downloading the result as JPEG or PNG does not preserve animation.

• JPEG: smaller file size; good for photographic memes where a small amount of compression is invisible. Avoid for memes with sharp text over flat colors - JPEG compression creates visible artifacts (blurring) around text edges.
• PNG: lossless; ideal for memes with text, flat colors, and transparency. Larger file size than JPEG for photos, but text stays crisp.