If you are just throwing type at the screen, you are only doing a fraction of your job. Type can be one of the most important elements of motion design. Sadly can also be the one element that is often overlooked, next to sound.
creating 3D looking text using built in layer style effects & an animated reflection in After Effects
But how do you make type really pop on the screen? There are a number of ways for making type pop. One technique would be to add motion. Another would be to add layer styles to help bring the type to life in After Effects. Layer styles can also be layered for more complex looking type.
Here, Ukramedia.com’s Sergei Prokhnevskiy shows hot to bring type to life in After Effects and really make type pop. Sergei uses the often overlooked and underused layer styles in Ae to add subtle key lines and effects to the type. The tutorial finishes by showing how to create a nice reflection that can be animated easily for a realistic look.
The trend these days has been playing to more of a “flat” look, and this is more of the “rich” layered look that superseded it. However, it is still a great technique for making text pop in After Effects, that can be used anywhere.
Making Type Pop in After Effects
With such an important subject as type in Ae, thankfully there are no shortages of helpful resources out there. Here are a few that can help you with your next project.
- CreativeDojo’s VinhSon Nguyen had a look at creating an electric text animation effect in Ae – Electrifying Type in After Effects.
- Mt. Mograph Matt Jylkka offers a look at creating glitch affected animated letters in After Effects – Animating Glitch Affected Type in After Effects.
- Mikey Borup showed how to create long trails for animated words – Creating Trails for Flying Type in After Effects.
- Mt. Mograph also showed how to create a visually interesting text flip – Flipping Type with CC Twister in After Effects.
- Blow up your text with VinhSon Nguyen using Trapcode Particular in Ae – Create Fire Using Trapcode Particular That Disintegrates Type in After Effects.
- Matt Jylkka shows how to use mattes for interesting animated effects on text – Animating Type With Alpha Mattes in After Effects.
- Rich Aguilar shows how to have type look like its painted on a background image – Compositing “Painted Type” on a Background in After Effects.
- Evan Abrams shows the in’s and out’s of how to use the wiggle in Ae – Working With the Wiggly Selector for Text Animation.
- Bilal Marri shows how you can create a wide variety of text animation effects using one expression – Creating Expression Driven Text Effects.