Photo booth overlay, template and welcome screen, explained
A photo booth overlay is a transparent PNG that sits on top of the photos; a template is the whole saved layout, with the background, the photo frames, the overlay and the text; and a welcome screen is what guests see before they start.
The terms side by side
| Term | What it is | Usual file | Where it sits |
|---|---|---|---|
| Overlay | The decorated frame with clear windows where the photos show. | Transparent PNG, the size of the print | On top of the photos |
| Background | The picture or color behind the photos. | JPG or PNG | Under the photos |
| Template (layout) | The saved whole: background, photo frames, overlay and text. | A file the booth app saves, such as a Breeze pblt file | The finished print |
| Welcome screen | What guests see before they start. Also called a start or attract screen. | PNG or JPG sized to the device | On the booth's screen, not on the print |
| Animated overlay | An overlay for GIF, boomerang or video captures. | Depends on the app. Sized 1080 x 1920, 1920 x 1080 or 1080 x 1080 | Over the moving capture |
Overlay
Breeze Booth's help describes it plainly: the overlay is placed over the background and the photos, should be the same size as the print, and has transparent areas so the photos can be seen. Snappic's help calls for a transparent PNG. Because it is on top, it carries the art that has to stay visible.
The layers, bottom to top
Breeze lists the order for a print as a background color, an optional background image, the photos, then an optional overlay, QR codes and captions.
Template
A template is everything saved together. How it is stored depends on the app: Darkroom stores the graphics and fonts a template uses in one single file, and Breeze saves a Photobooth Print Layout, a pblt file. When people ask for a "photo booth template," they usually mean the files you load into the app to make this, as in a Kept Sets set.
Welcome screen
The welcome screen is the first thing a guest touches, and it is sized to the device, not to a print. Snappic calls its version the attract screen master overlay and asks for a transparent PNG of at most 5 MB, at least 1080 x 1920 pixels for portrait. TemplatesBooth lists iPad welcome screens at 1024 x 1366 or 1366 x 1024. Kept Sets booth screens, which come with the Milestone Birthdays sets, are 1920 x 1080 and include welcome, share, thank-you and capture screens.
GIF and animated overlays
A GIF or video capture needs its own overlay, because it sits over a moving picture and is sized to it: 1080 x 1920 for portrait, 1920 x 1080 for landscape or 1080 x 1080 for square, according to TemplatesBooth's size guide. A Kept Sets set includes a portrait GIF overlay at 1080 x 1920 as GIF, MOV with transparency and MP4.
See it on a real strip, first event free
Your Strip, Free gives you the overlay with clear windows, the background and the layered PSD for one finished strip, so you can open the pieces and see how they stack.
Questions
- What is a photo booth overlay?
- A transparent PNG that sits over the photos. Breeze Booth's help says it goes over the background and the photos, matches the print size and has transparent areas so the photos show. It carries the art that has to stay visible.
- What is the difference between an overlay and a template?
- The overlay is one layer; the template is the whole saved layout. A template holds the background, the photo frames, the overlay and any text. The app decides how it is stored: Darkroom keeps the graphics and fonts in one file, and Breeze saves a pblt file.
- What is a photo booth welcome screen?
- What guests see before they start, also called a start or attract screen. It is sized to the booth's screen rather than to a print. Snappic's master overlay for it is a transparent PNG, at most 5 MB, at least 1080 x 1920 pixels for portrait.
- Does the overlay go over or under the photos?
- Over. Breeze builds a print from a background color, an optional background image, the photos, then the overlay, QR codes and captions. The overlay's transparent windows are where the photos show through.
- Do I need a different overlay for GIFs?
- Yes, usually. A GIF or video capture is a different shape, so its overlay is sized to it: 1080 x 1920 portrait, 1920 x 1080 landscape or 1080 x 1080 square. A Kept Sets set includes a portrait GIF overlay at 1080 x 1920.
Sources
Opened October 13, 2026. Pages move, so check the vendor's current help page if a step looks different.
- Breeze Booth help: Print Layout Editor: page size, Import background, Import overlay, captions and tokens, layer order.
- Breeze Booth blog: customizing Breeze print layouts for beginners: a saved layout is called a Photobooth Print Layout (pblt file).
- Snappic help: how to create a magazine cover template: Photo Templates, Template Layout Creator, Upload Overlay, same resolution rule, 1200 x 1800 example.
- Snappic help: attract screen master overlay: App Experiences, Upload Master Overlay, PNG, 5 MB, 1080 x 1920 minimum.
- Imaging Spectrum: will my templates work with Darkroom Booth?: create a blank template in Booth, import graphics, save; one file holds graphics and fonts.
- TemplatesBooth: photo booth template sizes: 2x6 and 4x6 pixel sizes, the 72 dpi note, animated overlay sizes, iPad welcome screen sizes.