Animating Text - Adobe AFTER EFFECTS CS3 PROFESSIONAL User Manual

Animating text

About text animation
As with other layers in After Effects, you can animate text layers. However, text layers offer additional animation
options. You can animate text layers by using any of the following methods:
• Animate the Transform properties, as you would any other layer, to change the entire layer, not its text contents.
• Apply text animation presets.
• Animate the source text of the layer, so that the characters themselves change to different characters or use
different character or paragraph formats over time.
• Use text animators and selectors to animate many properties of individual characters or a range of characters.
To see a video tutorial on animating text, visit the Adobe website at www.adobe.com/go/vid0226.
To smooth the edges and movement of animated text, enable motion blur for the text layer. See "Use motion blur"
on page 202 for more information.
See also
"About animation, keyframes, and expressions" on page 185
"Apply an effect or animation preset" on page 350
Text animation presets
Browse and apply text animation presets as you would any other animation presets.
The text animation presets were created in an NTSC DV 720 x 480 composition, and each text layer uses 72-point
Myriad Pro. Some preset animations move the text on, off, or through the composition. The animation preset
position values may not be appropriate for a composition that is much larger or smaller than 720 x 480; for example,
an animation that is supposed to start off-screen may start on-screen. You may need to adjust the text animator's
position values.
If the text isn't positioned as expected or the text disappears unexpectedly, adjust the text animator's position values
in the Timeline panel or Composition panel.
After you apply a 3D Text animation preset, you may need to rotate the layer or add a camera to rotate around the
layer to see the results of the 3D animation.
Text animation presets in the Paths category automatically replace the source text with the preset's name, change the
font color to white, and may change other character properties.
The Fill And Stroke category of animation presets contains presets that may change the fill color and stroke
properties of the preset that you apply. If the animation preset requires a stroke or fill color, the animation works only
if you have assigned one to your text.
See also
"About animation presets" on page 346
"Apply an effect or animation preset" on page 350
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