<p>Simplest way is to use the <code>Stroke</code> Effect on a solid layer with separate letters as masks.</p>
<ul>
<li>Create a new solid</li>
<li>Write your text in Illustrator</li>
<li>Convert it to a path</li>
<li>Separate all letters  with the path finder or ungroup it</li>
<li>Setup same document size as in After Effects</li>
<li>Import your paths into after effects, pasting should also work with <kbd>CTRL</kbd>+<kbd>V</kbd>. Requirement is to have all of your <strong>paths from Illustrator as separate masks on the solid</strong> in After Effects.</li>
<li>Note: you can create separate paths from an image of letters within After Effects with the <code>auto trace</code> option <em>(Layer &gt; Auto Trace)</em> - use black and white option and set it to the current frame <em>(Note: Tracing letters isn't really accurate)</em></li>
<li>Apply the stroke effect to the solid layer which should be full of masks now</li>
<li>Tick <code>All Masks</code> option to make use of all masks</li>
<li>Set the paint style to <code>transparent</code></li>
<li>Go to your <strong>first frame</strong> and set the <code>End</code> value of the effect to <code>0%</code></li>
<li>Click the stop watch of it to enable animation</li>
<li>Go to your <strong>last frame</strong> and set the <code>End</code> value to <code>100%</code></li>
</ul>
<p>You can play with the settings of the effect, but in general this should do what you want to achieve.</p>
<p>Note: The order of masks determines the order of the animation. To reverse the effect simply duplicate the first keyframe and move it behind the second one.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-25T15:14:46.193Z
This answer is brilliant, thanks a lot. I would however like each letter to be independent from another (so I followed the steps separately for each letter's outline). Also, I was hoping for it not to be a linear 0 to 100 stroke being drawn across the letter but instead continuous looping portions of the outline's strokes moving across the letter's outline. If the letter's outline was a train track the strokes would be several trains moving along it, with gaps in between.
sstaccato
CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-25T16:59:16.027Z
@sstaccato Nice - to loop it you can write an expression for the `end value` with something like `loop_out("cycle",0)` or you can simply **loop the composition**, but to clarify that would be a new question :)
p2or
CC BY-SA 4.0
2015-02-19T21:51:03.823Z
2022-11-21T18:51:54.173Z
2022-11-21T18:51:54.173Z
p2or
<p>This process is mostly manual, but it shouldn't take long to accomplish.  I'll assume the background of your finished video is going to be a solid color, as it is in your example.</p>

<ol>
<li>Create your text.  Make the "body" of each letter either transparent or matching the background color.  Add a stroke (outline) around all the text.  (This can be done in Photoshop; I'm not sure about After Effects.)</li>
<li>As a separate file, create a small circle or other shape that matches the background color.  (This can be done in Photoshop or even in MS Paint.)</li>
<li>In After Effects or Premiere, place your text.  Also place several instances of the small circles/shapes, which should be impossible to see unless they are over a text stroke.</li>
<li>Animate the small circles/shapes so they travel around the text strokes.</li>
</ol>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T21:22:50.317Z
2015-02-18T21:22:50.317Z
BrettFromLA
<p>In After Effects,</p>

<p>-Create the text.</p>

<p>-Right-click on text > 'Create Shapes from Text'.</p>

<p>-Hide the fills of the shapes, unhide the stroke of the shapes.</p>

<p>-Expand the layer properties. Beside 'Contents, 
click "Add: ►" > 'Trim Paths'.</p>

<p>-Playing with the 'Start', 'End', and 'Offset' properties.</p>

<p>that's all.</p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2018-01-30T11:59:14.623Z
2018-01-30T11:59:14.623Z
Lun Chok Tan
<p>Is there a method in After Effects of animating the outlines of text as seen in the example below?</p>

<p><img src="https://i.sstatic.net/9gIXZ.gif" alt="Outlines"></p>

CC BY-SA 3.0
2015-02-18T15:48:58.577Z
This question is relevant: http://video.stackexchange.com/q/14592/2178
Saaru Lindestøkke
<after-effects>
How to animate the outlines of text (After Effects)
sstaccato
# How to animate the outlines of text (After Effects)

(Asked by: username_0 on 2015-02-18)

Is there a method in After Effects of animating the outlines of text as seen in the example below?

![Outlines](https://i.sstatic.net/9gIXZ.gif)

**Tags:** after-effects

> **Comments:**
> **username_1**: This question is relevant: http://video.stackexchange.com/q/14592/2178  

---

## 3 answers

### Answer by username_2 on 2015-02-19. Score: 2 | Accepted answer

Simplest way is to use the `Stroke` Effect on a solid layer with separate letters as masks.

* Create a new solid
* Write your text in Illustrator
* Convert it to a path
* Separate all letters with the path finder or ungroup it
* Setup same document size as in After Effects
* Import your paths into after effects, pasting should also work with `CTRL`+`V`. Requirement is to have all of your **paths from Illustrator as separate masks on the solid** in After Effects.
* Note: you can create separate paths from an image of letters within After Effects with the `auto trace` option *(Layer > Auto Trace)* - use black and white option and set it to the current frame *(Note: Tracing letters isn't really accurate)*
* Apply the stroke effect to the solid layer which should be full of masks now
* Tick `All Masks` option to make use of all masks
* Set the paint style to `transparent`
* Go to your **first frame** and set the `End` value of the effect to `0%`
* Click the stop watch of it to enable animation
* Go to your **last frame** and set the `End` value to `100%`

You can play with the settings of the effect, but in general this should do what you want to achieve.

Note: The order of masks determines the order of the animation. To reverse the effect simply duplicate the first keyframe and move it behind the second one.

> **Comments:**
> **username_0**: This answer is brilliant, thanks a lot. I would however like each letter to be independent from another (so I followed the steps separately for each letter's outline). Also, I was hoping for it not to be a linear 0 to 100 stroke being drawn across the letter but instead continuous looping portions of the outline's strokes moving across the letter's outline. If the letter's outline was a train track the strokes would be several trains moving along it, with gaps in between.  
> **username_2**: @username_0 Nice - to loop it you can write an expression for the `end value` with something like `loop_out("cycle",0)` or you can simply **loop the composition**, but to clarify that would be a new question :)  

---

### Answer by username_3 on 2015-02-18. Score: 0

This process is mostly manual, but it shouldn't take long to accomplish. I'll assume the background of your finished video is going to be a solid color, as it is in your example.

1. Create your text. Make the "body" of each letter either transparent or matching the background color. Add a stroke (outline) around all the text. (This can be done in Photoshop; I'm not sure about After Effects.)
2. As a separate file, create a small circle or other shape that matches the background color. (This can be done in Photoshop or even in MS Paint.)
3. In After Effects or Premiere, place your text. Also place several instances of the small circles/shapes, which should be impossible to see unless they are over a text stroke.
4. Animate the small circles/shapes so they travel around the text strokes.


---

### Answer by username_4 on 2018-01-30. Score: 0

In After Effects,

-Create the text.

-Right-click on text > 'Create Shapes from Text'.

-Hide the fills of the shapes, unhide the stroke of the shapes.

-Expand the layer properties. Beside 'Contents,
click "Add: ►" > 'Trim Paths'.

-Playing with the 'Start', 'End', and 'Offset' properties.

that's all.


---

