Kinetic Typography: 7 Stunning Examples

Words are powerful on their own—but add some animation effects, and your viewers won’t be able to look away. Kinetic typography, or moving text, is an effective way to make your art or videos more compelling. Below, learn how to make kinetic typography and get inspired with seven stunning examples of it. 

What Is Kinetic Typography?

Kinetic typography is the technical term for moving text. Designers use animation techniques to make text move, fly, grow, shrink, or change in other ways. Kinetic typography is often seen in films, commercials, music videos, and online classes. 

Kinetic typography isn’t new. It’s been around since filmmakers began using moving text in the opening credits of their movies. Alfred Hitchcock’s North by Northwest is credited as the first feature film to extensively use kinetic typography—back in 1959.

Today, kinetic typography is used more widely than ever. Designers use kinetic typography to capture an audience’s attention and entertain in a range of different settings, from website graphics to commercials. 

Why Is It Important? 

Kinetic typography is a powerful tool to keep viewers engaged. By learning how to make kinetic typography videos, you can use text effects to emphasize important words or phrases to clearly convey your message. 

Plus, as much as 85% of videos are viewed without sound, putting text in the spotlight. By incorporating interesting, eye-catching text, you can make sure your message gets across even if there’s no sound to go with it. 

Is Kinetic Typography Hard to Create? 

Designers of all skill levels can make kinetic typography. Even if you have no design or animation experience, you can easily find kinetic typography generators that will do the work for you.

However, with Adobe After Effects, kinetic typography is fairly simple to create on your own. For designers and animators who want to learn how to do kinetic typography themselves, there are a number of kinetic typography tutorials available.  

How to Make Kinetic Typography 

In simple terms, making kinetic typography comes down to applying different animation effects to your text. This is possible in several different animation platforms, including Adobe After Effects, Adobe Animate CC, and Animaker. Possible text animations include:

• Using traditional cuts to introduce new words
• Revealing text with scale and position animation
• Rotating and flipping text onto the screen
• Using a wipe reveal to introduce text onto the screen

In addition to the text effects, you can also use backgrounds, texture, and camera-like motion to add interesting visual effects to your animations—ultimately allowing you to learn how to make a kinetic typography video that captures viewers’ attention. 

7 Examples of Kinetic Typography

1. Animated Stickers 

Effective kinetic typography can be subtle, like in this example of animated typography stickers.

2. Moving Textures 

This perfect loop is a playful take on the phrase, “You are slipping away from me”—with the letters literally sliding down the graphic. 

3. Disappearing Act 

A simple example of kinetic typography, this word gradually appears and then disappears—like magic. 

4. Fashion On My Mind

To create this example of kinetic typography, After Effects was key. Skillshare student Nathan Olson used a 3D text rotation effect to add spinning text around the model’ heads. 

5. Hand Lettering in Motion

<em>Skillshare student Elena Scott created this kinetic typography using the “write on” effect.</em>

This kinetic typography example demonstrates the “write on” effect—in other words, making the text appear as if it’s being written. 

6. Simple But Profound 

<em>The text takes center stage in this kinetic typography example. </em>

This example demonstrates how kinetic typography can create an emotional response. Though the words are simple, seeing them appear and then linger causes you to pause and reflect. 

7. Sizzling Summer

This animation of the word summer uses an effect that mimics a sizzling motion—perfect to represent the season. 

Adding motion to your text creates an engaging experience for your audience. Let these examples inspire you to bring your own words to life! 

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