Gradient on text brush

[Dick Nelson]

Can someone explain to me how I can apply a color/transparency gradient to a text brush? I can't figure it out, and, of course, the manual is of no help whatsoever.

[Scott Bates]

I picked the following off one of the forums last fall. Unfortunately I forgot to copy and paste the contributors so can't give proper credit. The last technique is the one I've used with success.

1) set the text on a fresh layer at the size you want with white as the color.
2) make this layer a stencil by clicking on the upper dark tan colored block (to make it a brighter yellow color) in the "S" column on the timeline of the project window.
3)Create a new layer above the layer with the text.
4)Double click on the rectangle tool so it is filled (Main Panel, Top row, 3rd from the right)
5)check 'gradient' in the 'Filling Shape' panel and set up your gradient how you want it to appear
6)click-drag a rectangle covering your text (be sure you are doing this in the new, empty layer you created)
7)after you have the rectangular area defined, you will see a star shape with a question mark, this is for you to set the from-to and direction extents by click-dragging

Method 2:
Toaster CG has great gradient controls in the Fills tab. You can have the gradient repeat for each letter (character) or stretch across the entire word (string).

Another way , similar to Randy's method:
Draw your text on a new layer,
Activate the "Preserve transparency" button.
do the step 4,5,6,7 of Randy's method
Deactivate the "Preserve transparency" button.

Another option is to use Photoshop..this allows you to setup consistent styles for Text then bring/load the rasterized layers into Aura to animate or do other effects with...

And yet another way is to set up the gradient on the bottom layer, fill the middle layer with a color, lay your text on the top layer, then merge the text to the middle layer, then the middle layer to the bottom gradient layer, all while in the erase mode. A couple more steps I know, but another option.

[Dick Nelson]

Thanks, Scott. If I can't figure out at least one of those methods, then I don't deserve have a Toaster.

[Scott Bates]

:D