Alt text is the short description that explains an image to people who cannot see it, including screen reader users and anyone whose image fails to load. It is also used by search tools to understand what an image shows. Because alt text is meant to be read aloud or indexed as plain meaning, it is the one place on Instagram where fancy fonts almost never belong. Styled characters in alt text can be announced as symbols, can confuse search, and can waste the limited space that should describe the image. The rule for alt text is simple: write it in plain, clear words, and describe the styled text in the image rather than copying the styled characters themselves. You can still use fancy fonts in the visible post at https://fontchangertool.com/ — just keep the alt text plain.
What alt text is for
Alt text answers a straightforward question: if someone cannot see this image, what do they need to know about it? A good answer names the subject, the action, and any text that matters, in one or two short sentences. For example, alt text for a birthday post might say “A birthday cake with candles and the words Happy Birthday Sara in script lettering.” That sentence tells a screen reader user what the image shows, without forcing them to listen to styled characters. Alt text is not a place for hashtags, keywords stuffed together, or a copy of the whole caption. It is a concise description, written for a person who is listening, and plain language serves that person best.
Why styled text fails in alt text
When styled characters are pasted into alt text, a screen reader may announce them as mathematical symbols, special characters, or a string of unrelated names, which tells the listener nothing about the image. A decorated phrase can become a long announcement of stars and dots, drowning out the actual description. Search tools also struggle with styled alt text, because they match plain words, not decorative characters, so a styled description is less useful for discovery. In addition, alt text is often shown when an image does not load, and styled characters in that fallback can look broken on some devices. Plain alt text avoids all three problems, and it is faster to write, because you describe the image in your own words instead of copying characters.
Examples: styled image, plain alt text
- Normal image text: Happy Birthday Sara
- Script image text: 𝐻𝒶𝓅𝓅𝓎 𝐵𝒾𝓇𝓉𝒽𝒹𝒶𝓎 𝒮𝒶𝓇𝒶
- Bold image text: 𝐇𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐁𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐒𝐚𝐫𝐚
- Double-struck image text: ℍ𝕒𝕡𝕡𝕪 𝔹𝕚𝕣𝕥𝕙𝕕𝕒𝕪 𝕊𝕒𝕣𝕒
- Gothic image text: ℌ𝔞𝔭𝔭𝔶 𝔅𝔦𝔯𝔱𝔥𝔡𝔞𝔶 𝔖𝔞𝔯𝔞
- Small caps image text: ʜᴀᴘᴘʏ ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ ꜱᴀʀᴀ
- Bubble image text: Ⓗⓐⓟⓟⓨ Ⓑⓘⓡⓣⓗⓓⓐⓨ Ⓢⓐⓡⓐ
For any of these images, good alt text would be: “A celebration graphic with the words Happy Birthday Sara in decorative lettering, with balloons in the background.” Notice that the alt text uses the plain words Happy Birthday Sara, names the style only in general terms, and adds the visual context. It does not copy the script, bold, or bubble characters, and it does not list every decoration. If the exact wording matters, such as a quote or a product name, write that wording in plain text in the alt text, because that is the version a listener and a search tool can use.
How to write good alt text for styled posts
Start with the main subject, then the important text in plain words, then one detail about the setting or mood. Keep it to one or two sentences, and avoid phrases such as “image of” or “picture shows”, because screen readers already announce that it is an image. If the image contains a lot of text, such as a quote graphic or an announcement, put the full plain wording in the alt text or in the caption, so the information is not lost. If the image is purely decorative, such as a background pattern with no message, a very short alt text or an empty description may be appropriate, depending on the platform’s guidance. For product images, include the product name and colour in plain words, because that is what a shopper using a screen reader needs to know.
Alt text, captions and hashtags together
Alt text, captions, and hashtags each have a different job, and keeping them separate helps all three. The caption can carry a styled headline, a story, and a call to action. The hashtags must stay plain to work as hashtags. The alt text must stay plain to describe the image. A common mistake is copying the styled caption into the alt text field, which creates a confusing announcement and wastes the description. Another mistake is leaving alt text blank for an image that carries a message, because Instagram’s automatic description may be vague or wrong. Take a few seconds to write alt text for each important image, especially for announcements, product photos, and quote graphics, where the text in the image is the message.
Mistakes to avoid with alt text
The most common mistake is pasting styled characters into alt text, which makes it harder to hear and harder to search. Another mistake is writing alt text that is just a list of keywords, which helps nobody and sounds unnatural when read aloud. A third mistake is describing only the style, such as “fancy text”, without giving the actual words, so the listener still does not know what the image says. A fourth mistake is forgetting alt text for carousel images beyond the first slide, even though each slide may carry a different message. Write alt text for each image that matters, keep it plain, and include the words that a sighted visitor would read in the image.
FAQ
Should alt text use fancy fonts?
No. Alt text should always be plain, clear words, because it is read aloud by screen readers and used by search tools that match plain text.
How do I describe a styled image in alt text?
Write the words from the image in plain text, and mention the style only in general terms, such as decorative or script lettering, if that detail matters.
What if the image text is long?
Put the full plain wording in the alt text or in the caption. Do not shorten it so much that the message is lost, and do not copy styled characters to save space.
Do I need alt text for every image?
Write alt text for images that carry a message, such as announcements, products, and quotes. Purely decorative images need only a very short description or none, depending on platform guidance.
Does plain alt text help search?
Yes, in the sense that plain words are easier for search tools to understand than styled characters. Good alt text supports both accessibility and discovery.
Conclusion
Alt text is the plain-meaning version of your image, and fancy fonts have no place in it. Describe the image in clear words, include the important text in plain form, and leave the styled characters in the visible design where they belong. That small habit makes your posts usable for screen reader users and easier for search tools to understand. Design your visible styles at https://fontchangertool.com/ and, when you publish, write plain alt text and copy any visible headline style you need from https://fontchangertool.com/instagram-font-generator/ — keeping the alt text itself always plain.