In this video tutorial, you learn how to use background layers + opacity to stylize your Instagram Story / Reels / Social Template outputs so your copy becomes more readable and visually prioritized against busy images.
This is extremely important for quote style formats, news commentary formats, sports story formats, music artist highlight formats, or anytime you need contrast between copy + background image.
You can watch the full tutorial here:
Video:
https://www.loom.com/share/a8709ee6b6cf4248855631f2606aaa0a
Open your Media Agent editor + choose the template you want to modify.
Add a new Layer.
Stretch / Span that layer across the entire canvas
(same width / height as your main background image).
Now choose your color.
The trick: You set opacity at the end of the color hex value.
Example:
#00000020 → black with ~20 opacity
#00000013 → black with very light opacity
#00000080 → black with very heavy opacity (much darker)
You can use any color — just add opacity in hex at the end.
Color
Meaning
#RRGGBBAA | AA is opacity hex |
Good rule of thumb for news designs: 14–28 opacity looks best.
Bring your text layer forward (above this background opacity layer).
This makes the copy crisp / foreground / readable.
Press Save.
Now every time this Media Agent runs, your template will automatically apply this opacity background effect. No extra steps per article needed.
better readability
more professional story aesthetic
consistent brand layer logic
you can reuse at scale for dozens/hundreds of drafts daily
To create backgrounds + opacity inside Media Agent templates:
add second layer
span it full size
set opacity via hex ending
bring copy forward
save template
That’s it. You now have full control over contrast + hierarchy inside Editor.
