How To Adjust Text Size and Font in After Effects?

After Effects, a powerhouse in the motion graphics realm, allows you to breathe life into your animations with compelling visuals and impactful text. But what if the default text size or font doesn't resonate with your creative vision? Fear not, animators! After Effects provides intuitive ways to adjust both text size and font, empowering you to craft the perfect message for your project.

This comprehensive guide will equip you with the knowledge to manipulate text size and font in After Effects, ensuring your typography complements your overall animation design.

Understanding Text in After Effects:

Text in After Effects exists within text layers. These layers behave similarly to image or shape layers, allowing for animation and manipulation. To modify text size and font, you'll primarily interact with two key panels within After Effects:

• The Character Panel: This panel houses a plethora of text formatting options, including font selection, size adjustment, and character styling.
• The Properties Panel: While not the primary location for text editing, the Properties panel also displays the current font and size information for your selected text layer.

Adjusting Text Size:

There are two primary ways to adjust text size in After Effects:

• Using the Character Panel:
  1. Select Your Text Layer: Ensure the text layer containing the text you want to modify is selected within the After Effects timeline or composition panel.
  2. Open the Character Panel: Navigate to the Window menu and select "Character" (or press Ctrl+Alt+T on Windows and Command+Option+T on Mac).
  3. Locate the Font Size Value: Within the Character panel, look for the "Size" property. This value displays the current point size of your text.
  4. Resize with Precision: Click on the numerical value next to "Size" and enter your desired font size in points. Alternatively, use the up and down arrows to adjust the size incrementally.
• Using the Properties Panel (Secondary Method):
  1. Select Your Text Layer: Similar to the Character Panel method, ensure your text layer is selected.
  2. Open the Properties Panel: Navigate to the Window menu and select "Properties" (or press P on your keyboard).
  3. Locate the Font Size: Within the Properties panel, under the "Text" section, you'll find the "Size" property displaying the current font size.
  4. Resize as Needed: Click on the numerical value next to "Size" and enter your desired font size or use the up and down arrows for adjustments.

Choosing the Right Text Size:

The ideal text size depends on various factors:

• Readability: Ensure your text is large enough to be easily read by your audience, especially when considering viewing distance and screen size.
• Visual Hierarchy: Use text size strategically to create a visual hierarchy. Larger text can emphasize important information, while smaller text might be used for details.
• Compositional Balance: Consider the overall composition and ensure the text size complements other visual elements.

Changing Text Font:

After Effects allows you to choose from a vast library of fonts to match your creative vision. Here's how to change the font of your text:

1. Select Your Text Layer: As always, make sure the text layer you want to modify is selected.
2. Open the Character Panel: Navigate to the Window menu and select "Character" (or press Ctrl+Alt+T on Windows and Command+Option+T on Mac).
3. Locate the Font Menu: At the top of the Character panel, you'll find a dropdown menu displaying the currently applied font.
4. Explore the Font Library: Click on the dropdown menu to reveal a comprehensive list of available fonts on your system.
5. Choose Your Font: Scroll through the list and select the font that best suits your creative needs.

Additional Text Formatting Options:

The Character panel offers a treasure trove of text formatting options beyond size and font selection. You can explore options like:

• Character Styling (Bold, Italics, Underline): Emphasize specific text elements using these tools.
• Alignment (Left, Center, Right): Control the horizontal alignment of your text within the text layer.
• Leading (Line Spacing): Adjust the spacing between lines of text for improved readability.

Conclusion:

By mastering the techniques outlined above, you've gained the power to manipulate text size and font in After Effects. This empowers you to craft impactful messages that resonate with your audience and seamlessly integrate within your animation design. Remember, experiment with different font sizes and styles to discover what works best for your project. Now go forth, tell your story through.