Learn how to add distressed textures to your next logo project in After Effects with the simple steps in this video tutorial.
Top image via GaudiLab.
If you’re trying to add a bit more flare to your own (or someone else’s) logo, Shutterstock’s latest freebie pack is here to help. These handmade distressed textures work perfectly with any Photoshop, Illustrator, Premiere, or After Effects project. You can download the free pack here.
So to use this in After Effects, you’ll need to first find an animated logo or graphic — or any type of animation. You’ll be applying the new texture on top of an existing logo or graphic.
So, you’re going to drag and drop the PNG file for whichever texture you decided to go with above the pre-comp that has the text animation. Then go to Effect > Generate > Fill. This will bring the texture into the source monitor. From here, you can scale down the texture to fill up the logo as you see fit. Feel free to resize it and make the individual details of the texture as big as you want.
So, with your layer selected, go to the Effects panel and delete the Fill Effect. Then go down to the text element or the pre-comp and select it. Then go over to the Track Matte dropdown and hit “Alpha Matte.” This will place your logo or graphic inside the texture, but if you hit “Inverted Matte,” then the texture will appear inside the graphic instead, giving you the “distressed” look that the freebie offers.
Last but not least, be sure to make the distressed texture file 3D, and then parent the file to the logo you’re working on. (If your graphic or logo is moving, you want the texture moving with it, creating a seamless animation. If it’s not animated, you don’t have to do this.)
For a full tutorial on using this freebie pack for Photoshop and Illustrator projects, check out this Shutterstock Tutorials video:
Looking for more After Effects tips and tricks? Check out these tutorials.