DRAWTEXT API Endpoint Documentation | PixLab Developers Handbook

API Endpoint Access URL

https://api.pixlab.io/drawtext

Description

Draw text on the top, center, or bottom of an image using the DRAWTEXT API endpoint. Perfect for developers and creators looking to enhance image content. Draw some text on Top, Center or Bottom of a given image.

HTTP Methods

GET, POST

HTTP Parameters

Required

Fields	Type	Description
`img`	URL	Input media URL. If uploading directly from your app, submit a `multipart/form-data` POST request.
`top`	String	Text to render at top center of the image.
`center`	String	Text to render at center of the image.
`bottom`	String	Text to render at bottom center of the image.
`key`	String	Your PixLab API Key ↗. Alternatively, embed your key in the `WWW-Authenticate:` HTTP header.

Optional

Fields	Type	Description
`blob`	Boolean	Returns image binary data when true (default: JSON response with output URL).
`font`	String	Font name (default: `Impact`). Available options: `impact`, `college`, `bold`, `square`, `arial`, `mario`, `vera`, `owl`, `wolf`, `gym`, `dotty`, `meth`, `puppy`. Register custom fonts via the dashboard ↗.
`cap`	Boolean	Capitalizes all text when enabled.
`size`	Integer	Font size in points.
`color`	String	Font color (default: white). Accepts hex codes (e.g., #cef45f).
`strokecolor`	String	Stroke/border color (e.g., `black` or hex code).
`strokewidth`	Float	Stroke width (default: 2 when strokecolor is set).
`strokeopacity`	Float	Stroke opacity (default: 0.9 when strokecolor is set).

POST Request Body

Supported Content-Type:

multipart/form-data (direct file upload)
application/json (requires pre-uploaded media via store)

Refer to the REST API code samples for implementation examples.

HTTP Response

Returns application/json if the optional blob parameter is not set.

This endpoint returns a JSON Object after each call only if the optional blob parameter is not set. Otherwise the image binary contents is returned instead. The following are the JSON fields returned in response body:

Fields	Type	Description
`status`	Integer	Status code 200 indicates success, any other code indicates failure.
`link`	URL	Link to the media output which is usually stored on the pixlab.xyz storage server unless you set your own S3 keys (refer to your dashboard ↗ on how to do that).
`id`	String	Unique media ID.
`error`	String	Error message if `status` != 200.

Code Samples


import requests


def generate_meme(
    img_url: str,
    top_text: str,
    bottom_text: str,
    capitalize: bool = True,
    stroke_color: str = "black",
    api_key: str = "PIXLAB_API_KEY",
) -> str:
    """Generate a meme by adding text to an image using PixLab API.
    
    Args:
        img_url: URL of the base image.
        top_text: Text to be displayed at the top.
        bottom_text: Text to be displayed at the bottom.
        capitalize: Whether to capitalize the text.
        stroke_color: Color of the text stroke.
        api_key: PixLab API key.
    
    Returns:
        URL of the generated meme.
    
    Raises:
        Exception: If API request fails.
    """
    params = {
        "img": img_url,
        "top": top_text,
        "bottom": bottom_text,
        "cap": capitalize,
        "strokecolor": stroke_color,
        "key": api_key,
    }

    try:
        response = requests.get("https://api.pixlab.io/drawtext", params=params)
        response.raise_for_status()
        data = response.json()

        if data["status"] != 200:
            raise Exception(data.get("error", "Unknown error occurred"))

        return data["link"]

    except requests.exceptions.RequestException as e:
        raise Exception(f"API request failed: {e}")


if __name__ == "__main__":
    try:
        meme_url = generate_meme(
            img_url="https://pixlab.io/images/jdr.jpg",
            top_text="someone bumps the table",
            bottom_text="right before you win",
        )
        print(f"Meme: {meme_url}")
    except Exception as e:
        print(f"Error: {e}")


fetch('https://api.pixlab.io/drawtext?img=https://pixlab.io/images/jdr.jpg&top=someone bumps the table&bottom=right before you win&cap=true&strokecolor=black&key=PIXLAB_API_KEY')
  .then(response => response.json())
  .then(reply => {
    if (reply.status !== 200) {
      console.log(reply.error);
    } else {
      console.log("Meme: " + reply.link);
    }
  })
  .catch(error => console.error('Error:', error));

<?php

$params = [
    'img' => 'https://pixlab.io/images/jdr.jpg',
    'top' => 'someone bumps the table',
    'bottom' => 'right before you win',
    'cap' => true,
    'strokecolor' => 'black',
    'key' => 'PIXLAB_API_KEY'
];

$ch = curl_init();
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_URL, 'https://api.pixlab.io/drawtext?' . http_build_query($params));
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_RETURNTRANSFER, true);
curl_setopt($ch, CURLOPT_SSL_VERIFYPEER, false);

$response = curl_exec($ch);
curl_close($ch);

$reply = json_decode($response, true);

if ($reply['status'] != 200) {
    echo $reply['error'];
} else {
    echo "Meme: " . $reply['link'];
}


require 'net/http'
require 'json'

uri = URI('https://api.pixlab.io/drawtext')
params = {
  'img' => 'https://pixlab.io/images/jdr.jpg',
  'top' => 'someone bumps the table',
  'bottom' => 'right before you win',
  'cap' => true,
  'strokecolor' => 'black',
  'key' => 'PIXLAB_API_KEY'
}
uri.query = URI.encode_www_form(params)

response = Net::HTTP.get_response(uri)
reply = JSON.parse(response.body)

if reply['status'] != 200
  puts reply['error']
else
  puts "Meme: #{reply['link']}"
end

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