• Adobe After Effects

  Animate a Gradient in a Letter

  Posted by Rob Wolford on November 14, 2014 at 5:25 pm

  Hello!

  I am new to this forum and pretty new to After Effects.

  I am trying to animate a gradient inside of a letter. I need it to start solid gray and then have an orange color fade down it about halfway resulting in a gradient on top of the letter.

  Does that make sense? Hopefully this isn’t a dumb question but I have poked around quite a bit and cannot figure it out.

  Thanks!

  John Cuevas replied 11 years, 10 months ago 2 Members · 1 Reply
• 1 Reply

• 

  John Cuevas

  November 14, 2014 at 6:22 pm

  Probably a few ways to achieve this effect but here’s one method. Create a solid, apply Generate > Ramp Effect and create your gradient. Now use the text tool to create your letter and place it above your solid. Change the track matte of the solid/Ramp layer to “Alpha Matte”(press F4 if the track mattes aren’t currently visible). Now animate the position of the solid layer, or animate the position of the start end of the gradient. Then parent the solid to the Text/Letter, so if you move it, the gradient will move with it.

  Johnny Cuevas, Editor
  Thinkck.com

  “I have not failed 700 times. I have succeeded in proving that those 700 ways will not work. When I have eliminated the ways that will not work, I will find the way that will work.”
  —THOMAS EDISON on inventing the light bulb.

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