Creative Video Overlays: Top 10 Essentials

Just like you use video effects to make your regular videos attractive, you need to use text effects to make your regular texts and titles visually appealing. Text effect is generally a combination of colors, textures, and styles. By tweaking these three parameters, different types of eye-catching text effects are created and used in videos so that the viewers get awestruck. Due to the popularity of certain text effects, they come in presets so that you can apply them instantly to your text.

There is no doubt that After Effects is considered to be a great editor to apply text effects and animations. You can go through After Effects text tutorial and apply different text presets available. However, you should first know the popular text effects that can grab the attention of the viewers instantly. Thereafter, you can use them in your video as and when applicable. Here is the list of the top 10 best text effects that you should know.

1. Underwater Text Effect
2. Flame Text Effect
3. Glitch Text Effect
4. 3D Text Effect
5. Comic Book Text Effect
6. Blurry Fade on Text Effect
7. Type on Text Effect
8. Animate Along a Path
9. Slide Text Effect
10. Stripe Text Effect

• How to Create Text Effects

Part 1. Popular Text Effects

There are certain text effects that you generally come across whether you are watching movies, web series, and videos on social media or video streaming platforms. We have compiled a list of the most popular text effects that are extremely relevant in the current times in videography.

1. Underwater Text Effect

Opening a video with the view of a beach and blue water is definitely stunning. But when you add an underwater text effect to display any title, it instantly grabs the attention of the viewers. In the underwater text effect, your text seems to be fixated or floating under the water. The text generally has a darker shade of blue over the light bluish water.

The text also has some distortion effect due to the waves in the water body so that it looks more realistic. There are different variations of that underwater text effect such as the text emerging out of water when there is a side view of the water body is taken. Another example of the variation is that text is floating over the water and having a watery gel or bubbly texture.

2. Flame Text Effect

Flame text effect is extremely common in the opening and closing credits of a video especially when it is an action video. Generally, a dark background is set against the fiery text so that the flame effect is more prominent and eye-catching. In fact, some video creators prefer a fiery background out of which the text with flame text effect emerges and make the required impact.

There are different variations of the flame text effect available which make the effect relevant even today. Instead of the flame text effect spread outside of the text, the effect is contained within the text when the text is large enough to accommodate flames prominently within it. Sometimes, the text is distorted as if the fire is burning the text.

3. Glitch Text Effect

Glitch text effect is an extremely popular effect in modern times where retro video effects are reaching a new high. The glitch text effect is designed to get the attention of the viewers instantly. In the glitch text effect, the text is divided into different sections and they are distorted or dispersed slightly as if your screen has a display issue.

Glitch text effect is more prominent when it is applied to a large text having a light color against a dark background. The use of shadow and blur effect to get the desired glitch effect is common. More often than not, some short straight lines like strokes are placed around the text to enhance the glitch effect. Some creators prefer glitch text effect on 3D texts for a better visual appeal.

4. 3D Text Effect

3D text effect has been popular ever since its inception and its popularity has been steady in the videography world even today. Of course, with time, the effect has changed a lot to match the different niches of videos, and hence, you will come across a wide variety of 3D text effects. Starting from full screen texts and titles to adverts and promotional texts, 3D text effects find a place everywhere.

Starting from 3D texts coming out of the background wall to 3D hologram text effect with retro look, you can apply any 3D effect to the texts and titles of your video as per relevancy. Most importantly, there is a wide scope for customization and personalization to captivate the viewers and get the message across clearly. You can go through 3D text After Effects tutorial and embed 3D texts in your video easily.

5. Comic Book Text Effect

Comic book text effect is an old-school style but its application in funny segments of a video is quite popular. Comic book typography has a superhero feel and it is mostly used while making the transition from one segment of a video to another. You will find several interview videos where the comic book text effect is used to show titles of different segments.

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Similarly, it is used for displaying texts and titles in anime videos. The text effect has a cartoonish look and a comic background to enhance the text effect. There could also be a blasting effect in the background that can act as a highlighter. The text color in the comic text effect also has a retro feel but bright in outlook.

6. Blurry Fade on Text Effect

Blurry fade on is such a pleasing effect for the human eye especially when it is in animated form. The blurry fade on effect is like looking at a word with your specs on while the words in its surrounding come with blur effect. This text effect is widely used when there is a need to highlight certain words in a sentence.

In fact, the text effect is used to highlight a few characters in a word while the others remain blurred. You can also use the effect when you are making transitions between different texts and titles. It is more like an add-on to the usual fade on effect as it adds a blurring effect. It is important to get the attention of the viewers to specific texts.

7. Type on Text Effect

The type on text effect is also referred to as the typewriter effect. In this effect, the characters in the text appear one by one as if someone is typing it in real-time with a typewriter. A blinking cursor is placed at the end for the characters for a more realistic look. The text effect is useful for both one-liners as well as paragraphs.

It breaks the monotony of showing an entire paragraph at once. Sometimes, a modified version of the type on text effect is used whereby some characters are shown and they are deleted backward and re-typed. This helps in getting the immediate attention of the viewers and they focus on the re-typed characters or words.

8. Animate Along a Path

If you are looking for a customized animation for the texts in your video, you should opt for animate along a path effect. The text will move in the pre-defined path while moving along the path, there can be additional animation for the words and characters. The text is widely used for showing one-liner that comes out of nowhere and moves out of the frame following its path.

You can use the effect to show certain lines that are common throughout the video. Besides, you can use it while making transition from one scene to another. Some video creators use them for opening and editing credits so that it can keep the audiences hooked instead of the usual opening and ending credits.

9. Slide Text Effect

If you have watched any informational video, you must have seen small notes sliding in from a bar at the bottom left corner. That is what the slide text effect is all about. The text slides into the video frame from a border or a stripe. The sliding in effect can be from any direction as per your preference.

Generally, the slide effect for text is accompanied by a highlighted background so that the text is legible. It is suitable for showing important notes in a few sentences such as showing some facts about a place. The effect is widely used in videos related to news or videos where there are more photos and texts and less voice narration.

10. Stripe Text Effect

Just like the slide text effect, the stripe text effect is equally common in today’s informational videos that you get to see on social media and video streaming platforms. The text appears on the screen out of nowhere and the text gets surrounded by stripes on both sides.

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This effect is suitable to introduce titles and topics in a video. Generally, in the stripe text effect, the text style is kept as simple as possible. But you can always tweak it and add stripes within the text to make it more eye-catching.

Part 2. How to Create Text Effects?

For text effects, amateur video editors generally search for Adobe After Effects text animation tutorial. However, After Effects has a steep learning curve, and hence, an easier alternative is always in high demand. Wondershare Filmora is the best After Effects alternative where you can get a wider range of text effects. You can apply them to your texts and titles in your video instantly without prior experience. You can customize the text effects and even create effects as per your requirements. Here are the steps to add text effects to your video.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Download and install Wondershare Filmora on your computer. Filmora is available for both Windows and Mac users. Launch Filmora and click on New Project option.

Step2 Import your video clip under Project Media folder to which you want to add text effects.? Drag and drop it onto the timeline and go to Titles menu option. You will see different categories text effects on the left panel. Some of them are static effects while others are animations.

Step3 Select a text effect template of your liking and drop it on the timeline. Adjust its place on the timeline to make it appear exactly where required. You can also reposition the text from the view. Double-click on the text layer and edit the text.

Thereafter, you can edit the style of the text as well as modify other settings. Moreover, you can go to Advanced section to edit out the text effect and animation easily.

The Bottom Line

We have listed the most popular text effects that are widely used in today’s videos. You can find text animation tutorial related to these effects online for After Effects. However, you may find After Effects slightly complicated due to its interface. That is why we have recommended Wondershare Filmora as the best alternative to apply all the popular and common text effects and tweak them for customization and personalization.

Part 1. Popular Text Effects

There are certain text effects that you generally come across whether you are watching movies, web series, and videos on social media or video streaming platforms. We have compiled a list of the most popular text effects that are extremely relevant in the current times in videography.

1. Underwater Text Effect

Opening a video with the view of a beach and blue water is definitely stunning. But when you add an underwater text effect to display any title, it instantly grabs the attention of the viewers. In the underwater text effect, your text seems to be fixated or floating under the water. The text generally has a darker shade of blue over the light bluish water.

The text also has some distortion effect due to the waves in the water body so that it looks more realistic. There are different variations of that underwater text effect such as the text emerging out of water when there is a side view of the water body is taken. Another example of the variation is that text is floating over the water and having a watery gel or bubbly texture.

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2. Flame Text Effect

Flame text effect is extremely common in the opening and closing credits of a video especially when it is an action video. Generally, a dark background is set against the fiery text so that the flame effect is more prominent and eye-catching. In fact, some video creators prefer a fiery background out of which the text with flame text effect emerges and make the required impact.

There are different variations of the flame text effect available which make the effect relevant even today. Instead of the flame text effect spread outside of the text, the effect is contained within the text when the text is large enough to accommodate flames prominently within it. Sometimes, the text is distorted as if the fire is burning the text.

3. Glitch Text Effect

Glitch text effect is an extremely popular effect in modern times where retro video effects are reaching a new high. The glitch text effect is designed to get the attention of the viewers instantly. In the glitch text effect, the text is divided into different sections and they are distorted or dispersed slightly as if your screen has a display issue.

Glitch text effect is more prominent when it is applied to a large text having a light color against a dark background. The use of shadow and blur effect to get the desired glitch effect is common. More often than not, some short straight lines like strokes are placed around the text to enhance the glitch effect. Some creators prefer glitch text effect on 3D texts for a better visual appeal.

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4. 3D Text Effect

3D text effect has been popular ever since its inception and its popularity has been steady in the videography world even today. Of course, with time, the effect has changed a lot to match the different niches of videos, and hence, you will come across a wide variety of 3D text effects. Starting from full screen texts and titles to adverts and promotional texts, 3D text effects find a place everywhere.

Starting from 3D texts coming out of the background wall to 3D hologram text effect with retro look, you can apply any 3D effect to the texts and titles of your video as per relevancy. Most importantly, there is a wide scope for customization and personalization to captivate the viewers and get the message across clearly. You can go through 3D text After Effects tutorial and embed 3D texts in your video easily.

5. Comic Book Text Effect

Comic book text effect is an old-school style but its application in funny segments of a video is quite popular. Comic book typography has a superhero feel and it is mostly used while making the transition from one segment of a video to another. You will find several interview videos where the comic book text effect is used to show titles of different segments.

Similarly, it is used for displaying texts and titles in anime videos. The text effect has a cartoonish look and a comic background to enhance the text effect. There could also be a blasting effect in the background that can act as a highlighter. The text color in the comic text effect also has a retro feel but bright in outlook.

6. Blurry Fade on Text Effect

Blurry fade on is such a pleasing effect for the human eye especially when it is in animated form. The blurry fade on effect is like looking at a word with your specs on while the words in its surrounding come with blur effect. This text effect is widely used when there is a need to highlight certain words in a sentence.

In fact, the text effect is used to highlight a few characters in a word while the others remain blurred. You can also use the effect when you are making transitions between different texts and titles. It is more like an add-on to the usual fade on effect as it adds a blurring effect. It is important to get the attention of the viewers to specific texts.

7. Type on Text Effect

The type on text effect is also referred to as the typewriter effect. In this effect, the characters in the text appear one by one as if someone is typing it in real-time with a typewriter. A blinking cursor is placed at the end for the characters for a more realistic look. The text effect is useful for both one-liners as well as paragraphs.

It breaks the monotony of showing an entire paragraph at once. Sometimes, a modified version of the type on text effect is used whereby some characters are shown and they are deleted backward and re-typed. This helps in getting the immediate attention of the viewers and they focus on the re-typed characters or words.

8. Animate Along a Path

If you are looking for a customized animation for the texts in your video, you should opt for animate along a path effect. The text will move in the pre-defined path while moving along the path, there can be additional animation for the words and characters. The text is widely used for showing one-liner that comes out of nowhere and moves out of the frame following its path.

You can use the effect to show certain lines that are common throughout the video. Besides, you can use it while making transition from one scene to another. Some video creators use them for opening and editing credits so that it can keep the audiences hooked instead of the usual opening and ending credits.

9. Slide Text Effect

If you have watched any informational video, you must have seen small notes sliding in from a bar at the bottom left corner. That is what the slide text effect is all about. The text slides into the video frame from a border or a stripe. The sliding in effect can be from any direction as per your preference.

Generally, the slide effect for text is accompanied by a highlighted background so that the text is legible. It is suitable for showing important notes in a few sentences such as showing some facts about a place. The effect is widely used in videos related to news or videos where there are more photos and texts and less voice narration.

10. Stripe Text Effect

Just like the slide text effect, the stripe text effect is equally common in today’s informational videos that you get to see on social media and video streaming platforms. The text appears on the screen out of nowhere and the text gets surrounded by stripes on both sides.

This effect is suitable to introduce titles and topics in a video. Generally, in the stripe text effect, the text style is kept as simple as possible. But you can always tweak it and add stripes within the text to make it more eye-catching.

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Part 2. How to Create Text Effects?

For text effects, amateur video editors generally search for Adobe After Effects text animation tutorial. However, After Effects has a steep learning curve, and hence, an easier alternative is always in high demand. Wondershare Filmora is the best After Effects alternative where you can get a wider range of text effects. You can apply them to your texts and titles in your video instantly without prior experience. You can customize the text effects and even create effects as per your requirements. Here are the steps to add text effects to your video.

Free Download For Win 7 or later(64-bit)

Free Download For macOS 10.14 or later

Step1 Download and install Wondershare Filmora on your computer. Filmora is available for both Windows and Mac users. Launch Filmora and click on New Project option.

Step2 Import your video clip under Project Media folder to which you want to add text effects.? Drag and drop it onto the timeline and go to Titles menu option. You will see different categories text effects on the left panel. Some of them are static effects while others are animations.

Step3 Select a text effect template of your liking and drop it on the timeline. Adjust its place on the timeline to make it appear exactly where required. You can also reposition the text from the view. Double-click on the text layer and edit the text.

Thereafter, you can edit the style of the text as well as modify other settings. Moreover, you can go to Advanced section to edit out the text effect and animation easily.

The Bottom Line

We have listed the most popular text effects that are widely used in today’s videos. You can find text animation tutorial related to these effects online for After Effects. However, you may find After Effects slightly complicated due to its interface. That is why we have recommended Wondershare Filmora as the best alternative to apply all the popular and common text effects and tweak them for customization and personalization.