Title Animation: Write-On Text Effect

Topics covered in this After Effects tutorial:

Creating a Write-On Text Effect

Exercise Preview

Exercise Overview

In this exercise you’ll create a write-on effect, which is a common animation that is often used to reveal text or decorative elements like flourishes.

Previewing the Final Video

1. Let’s see a preview of what you’ll be making. If you’re in After Effects, keep it open but switch to your Desktop.

2. On the Desktop, navigate to Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation > Preview Movie and double–click Title Animation.mp4.

3. Notice the following:

   • The line animates in first, likes it’s being drawn on.
   • The top line of text flies in, as if from behind the line.
   • The bottom line of text appears to write–on letter by letter.

4. Replay the video if you need to, and close it when done.

Getting Started

1. You should still have Your Name - Title Animation.aep open in After Effects. If you closed it, re-open it now by going to File > Open Project then Desktop > Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation. We recommend you finish the previous exercise (4B) before this one. If you haven’t, do this sidebar.

   If You Did Not Do the Previous Exercise (4B)

   1. Go to File > Open Project and navigate to Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation > Finished Projects.
   2. Double–click on Title Animation - Ready for Write-On.aep.
   3. Go to File > Save As > Save As. Name the file Your Name - Title Animation.aep and save it into Desktop > Class Files > After Effects Class > Title Animation.

Adding Masks for the Write-On Text Effect

The write-on effect uses masks combined with the Stroke effect to achieve the impression that a layer is being written on piece by piece. To save time we already added masks to the Accuse layers, but you’ll add masks to the Me layers.

1. At the bottom left of the Composition panel there’s a menu showing the current percentage of zoom. Click on that menu and choose 200% to make things larger.

2. If you cannot see the word Me on the right anymore:

   • In the Tools panel, choose the Hand tool .
   • Drag in the Composition panel until you can see the word Me.
   • In the Tools panel, choose the Selection tool .

3. In the Timeline, select the Me_M layer.

4. In the Tools panel, select the Pen tool (or press the G key).

5. We’re going to use the pen to create single path that runs through the center of the letter form. As you draw the path, you don’t have to be perfect, just do your best to trace through the middle.

   As shown below, position the cursor just outside the top left of the M, make sure the cursor looks like this and click once to create the first vertex (anchor point).

   

   NOTE: Most Adobe apps call this point an anchor point, but After Effects refers to the controls points on masks as a vertex.

6. To create the second vertex, drag at the top of the letter (a curved line segment will automatically be created between them).

   

   NOTE: Clicking with the Pen tool creates a straight line, while dragging creates a curve.

7. Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and drag the handle down a bit so it points down the letter.

   

   NOTE: For curved paths, the direction handle controls the angle of the curve. You want the handle to point in the direction of the next curve.

8. Drag at the base of the M to create the next vertex.

   

9. Hold Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) and drag the handle up so it’s pointing back upwards (as shown below).

   

10. Continue to create vertices (anchor points) and adjust the handles until you’ve created a path that follows the shape of the letter M as shown below (place the final point outside the end part of the M):

    

11. In the Timeline, select the Me_e layer.

12. Position the cursor at the crossbar of the letter e, make sure the cursor looks like this and click once to create the first vertex.

    

13. On the right of the e, drag up to make the next vertex.

    

14. Continue to create vertices and adjust their handles to follow the shape of the letter. You don’t need to be perfect, just try to keep the line approximately in the middle of the letter form.

    

15. Chose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).

Creating the Write-On Text Effect

Now that the masks are done, we can create the write-on effect.

1. Move the playhead to the beginning of the timeline.
2. At the bottom left of the Composition panel click on the zoom menu (which currently says 200%) and choose Fit to see everything.
3. In the Timeline, select the Accuse_A layer.
4. If you don’t see the Effects & Presets panel on the right of the window, choose Window > Effects & Presets
5. In the Effects & Presets panel’s search field type stroke
6. Double–click on the Stroke effect (in the Generate category).

7. In the Effect Controls panel (at the top left of the window) set:

   • Brush Size: 25 (it has to be wide enough to cover the thickness of the letter)
   • Paint Style: Reveal Original Image
   • End: 0
   • Click the End stopwatch .
8. Hit the U key to reveal the keyframed property in the Timeline.
9. Move the playhead to 0;10
10. Change the End value to 100 (in either the Effect Controls panel or the Timeline).

11. Use the Spacebar to preview the animation of the A (the crossbar doesn’t animate but we’ll do that next).

Copying the Effect to the Other Letters

1. At the top of the Effect Controls panel, click on the Stroke effect name.

2. Choose Edit > Copy or press Cmd–C (Mac) or Ctrl–C (Windows).
3. Move the playhead to the beginning of the timeline.
4. Select the Accuse_A cross layer.
5. Hold Shift and click on the Me_e layer (this is all the yellow layers) to select them.
6. Choose Edit > Paste or hit Cmd–V (Mac) or Ctrl–V (Windows) to paste the Stroke effect onto all the layers.
7. Choose Edit > Deselect All or press Cmd–Shift–A (Mac) or Ctrl–Shift–A (Windows).

8. Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.

   The write-on effect all happens at the same time.

Manually Sequencing Layers

To make the write-on effect look convincing for a script font like this, each letter’s animation needs to pick up after the previous letter has finished.

1. Hit Cmd–A (Mac) or Ctr–A (Windows) to select all the layers.
2. Hit U to reveal the keyframes of all layers.
3. Hit Cmd–Shift–A (Mac) or Ctrl–Shift–A (Windows) to deselect all layers.

4. Drag the Accuse_A layer over so its beginning lines up with the last keyframe of the BEFORE YOU layer above it (hold Shift as you drag so it will snap).

   

5. Drag the Accuse_A cross layer over so its beginning lines up with the last keyframe of the Accuse_A layer above it (hold Shift as you drag so it will snap).

   

6. Because the cross part is so small, we should speed up the animation. Move the playhead to 1;16
7. Drag the Accuse_A cross layer’s second keyframe towards the playhead, and hold Shift after you start dragging to snap it to the playhead.
8. Use the Spacebar to preview the animation, focusing on just the A and its crossbar.

9. For all the remaining layers, drag the layer over so its beginning lines up with the last keyframe of the layer above (hold Shift as you drag so it will snap). You should end up with a layer stack like this.

   

10. Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.

    All the letters should draw on one after another. Nice!

11. Hit Cmd–A (Mac) or Ctr–A (Windows) to select all the layers.
12. Press Cmd ~ (Mac) or Ctrl ~ (Windows) to hide the properties of the all the layers.

13. Choose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).

Optional Bonus: Animating the Background Image

If you have extra time, you can animate the background image to add a bit more movement.

1. Move the playhead to the beginning of the timeline.
2. Select the bg image layer.
3. Show the bg image layer by clicking in the eye icon column for the layer.
4. Press P to reveal Position.
5. Hold Shift and press T to reveal Opacity as well.
6. Change the second Position value to 1100
7. Click on the Position stopwatch .
8. Change Opacity to 0
9. Click the Opacity stopwatch .
10. Move the playhead to 4;15
11. Change Opacity to 100
12. Change the second Position value to -350
13. Click on the Position property name.

14. Hold Shift and click the Opacity property name.

    This selects all of the keyframes for both properties.

15. Ctrl–click (Mac) or Right–click (Windows) on any of the highlighted keyframes and choose Keyframe Assistant > Easy Ease.
16. Use the Spacebar to preview the animation.
17. Choose File > Save or hit Cmd–S (Mac) or Ctrl–S (Windows).
    

18. You’re done, so choose File > Close Project.