Head over to the Swatches or Colorpanels and assign a bright hue - such as neon red - to the vector. With the Selection Tool (V) activated, click on the text path and hold down the Option key and drag across to make a copy.Ĭopy the text paths once again, and set the blend mode to Normal. Bring up the Transparency panel, and with your text path selected, click the dropdown menu and set the blend mode to Overlay. Now, it’s time to incorporate some “glitchy” overlays.

Step 4: Set Blend Modes and Duplicate Text

Set the Radius to around 5 pixels for a subtle blurred effect. Check off Preview for a glance at how the effect will look, then hit OK to return to the program. The Gaussian Blur menu presents a slider that indicates the radius of the blur. To give the typography some movement, we’re going to apply the Gaussian Blur effect to the letterforms. Select all text elements and group them back together with Command + G, then navigate to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. These movements can be subtle or drastic experiment with different approaches. Once you’ve grouped each cut portion together, click on an individual section with the Selection Tool (V) and move to the left or right with the arrow keys. Group each cut portion together with Command + G to make manipulating each section easier - especially if you’re working with multiple knife cuts. You’ll notice every shape is ungrouped when you can click on an individual shape.īring up the Selection Tool (V) once again and click and drag across similar sections, or hold down the Shift key while clicking each section. The more knife cuts you make, the more sections you will have in each letterform. With the Selection Tool (V), click on the text path, then ungroup all letterforms with Shift + Command + G. The more knife cuts you make, the more “glitchy” your text will appear.

To make a straight cut, hold down the Shift and Option keys before dragging across. Guides help you visualize where to position the Knife Tool cuts. Drag down a guide from the ruler at the top of the program if you don’t see it, bring it up with Command + R. Type out a short word or phrase, like “glitch.” (It’s best to keep your words to three or fewer when prepping for a digital glitch effect.) Head over to Object > Expand to convert your text path into individual vector shapes.Īfter you’ve created a Gaussian Blur effect, activate the text with the Selection Tool (V), then head over to the Knife Tool (found coupled with the Scissors and Eraser Tools). Once you’ve found your ideal typeface, drag out a text box with the Type Tool (T). Typefaces such as Open Sans, Montserrat, or Roboto all feature simple sans serif letterforms that are ideal for adding some glitch. If you use thinner serifs or frilly scripts, you may not get the same drastic glitch effect. When you apply a digital glitch effect to your typography, it’s best to stick with a bold, monoweight, sans serif font. There are several techniques for replicating a digital glitch effect let’s dive into how to make a typographical glitch in Adobe Illustrator using the Knife Tool, Gaussian Blur effect, and blend modes. Glitches are extremely versatile you can apply them to virtually any visual, from typography to photography. This technique intrigues designers with its balance of the imperfect and the futuristic. Glitch art is the practice of manipulating and distorting imagery and typography to create irregularity by incorporating unexpected visuals and chaos in an otherwise perfect, flat design. Discover how to mimic a digital glitch effect with just a few tools and techniques in this Adobe Illustrator typography tutorial.

Digital glitch overlay