Write on Effect Using Adobe After Effects

Make it Look Like You Are Handwriting a Name or Word on Screen

Neil Mey
Things you will need for this project

A logo or text with either an alpha channel on it or a psd file or an ai file.

Steps

  1. Open After Effects and create a new composition with a white background. Name it write
  2. Import your image file
  3. Drag your image file to your timeline
  4. With your newly created layer selected in the timeline move to your effects and presets panel and search for Write-on. Effect>Generate>Write-on. Place the effect by double clicking from your effects and presets panel
  5. In your Effect Controls Panel turn the stopwatch on at frame 1 for the following settings

    Brush position
    Brush Size

  6. Paint style put it to "on Original Image" so that when we paint we can see what we are tracing.
  7. In frame 1 place the brush position in your composition window to the start of where you would write your text or the start of where your logo begins to be drawn on
  8. With the position set change the brush size to make it wide enough to where it covers the line at that point.
  9. Using your timeline controls Window
  10. At this next frame move the brush position in you comp window to slowly follow along the path of your text or logo. Move forward frame by frame and move the brush position each time until you have traced your image. When doing this you will notice that the image starts to erase. This is what we want for now
  11. At this point your text or logo should animate to where it disappears over time or looks like it is being erased. Since we want this text or logo to appear to be painted on or written on we need to change a setting under write-on under effect control panel to the left of your screen. Change Paint Style to Reveal Original Image
  12. Now ram preview your animation or scrub through the timeline. It should now look like your text or logo is being written or painted on.

Published by Neil Mey

My name is Neil Mey. I am from Saint Louis Missouri and have a Master of Arts degree in Communications from Lindenwood University. I am currently an Instructor at Lindenwood University as well.  View profile

1 Comments

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  • ale8/4/2009

    I don't have write on, in my after... how I to do to get it?.. or where...? thanks

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