Web Development: How to Create a Retro Long Shadow Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

How to Create a Retro Long Shadow Text Effect in Adobe Illustrator

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

In the following tutorial you will learn how to create long shadow text in Illustrator and some simple techniques that can be used to add text shadows in Illustrator.

For starters, you will learn how to create the text. Taking full advantage of the Appearance panel and using a neat Transform effect, you will learn how to add a shadow to the text in Adobe Illustrator. Some basic blending techniques and a simple Gaussian Blur effect will be the final touches for your long shadow effect.

What You'll Learn in This Long Shadow Illustrator Tutorial

How to add text in Illustrator
How to add a shadow to text in Adobe Illustrator

If you don't have time to learn how to add a shadow to text in Adobe Illustrator, you can always try Envato Elements, where you can find a massive collection of text effects, including long shadow effects. Check out this fully editable text effect, and apply a long shadow effect with a simple click.

What You Will Need

You will need the following font in order to complete this long shadow effect:

Insaniburger font

1. How to Create the Text

Hit Control-N to create a new document.

Select Pixels from the Units drop-down menu, enter 850 in the width box and 610 in the height box and then click that More Settings button. Select RGB for the Color Mode, set the Raster Effects to Screen (72 ppi) and then click that Create Document button. Don't forget to set the unit of measurement to pixels from Edit > Preferences > Units.

Now that you're set, let's see how you can add a shadow to text in Illustrator.

Step 2

Pick the Type Tool (T) and open the Character panel (Window > Type > Character). Select the Insaniburger font and set the size to 200 px.

Move to your artboard, click on it, and add your piece of text about as shown below. Make it black.

Step 3

Use the same tool and character attributes to create the last letter of your text. Make it blue and place it right above the black one.

Keep adding separate blue letters until you cover all your black text. Once you're done, go to the Layers panel (Window > Layers) and remove your black text.

2. How to Add the Long Shadow Effect in Illustrator

Step 1

Select one of your letters, focus on the Swatches panel (Window > Swatches) and click that [None] swatch to remove the blue text color.

Move to the Appearance panel (Window > Appearance) and add a new fill using the Add New Fill button. Select that new fill and set the color to R=255 G=245 B=225.

Step 2

Make sure that your "S" is still selected and focus on the Appearance panel. Add a second fill and select it. Drag it in the bottom of the panel, set the color to R=0 G=146 B=69 and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Drag both Move sliders to 0.5 px, enter 700 in that Copies box, click OK, and that's how you add a long shadow in Illustrator.

Step 3

Make sure that your "S" is still selected and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a third fill and select it.

Drag it between the existing two fills and set the color to black. Lower its Opacity to 10% and then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -10 px Offset, click that OK button and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Drag both Move sliders to 15 px, click that OK button and then go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 5 px Radius, click OK, and that's the second method that you can use to add a shadow to text in Illustrator.

Step 4

Focus on the Layers panel, open your layer, and use those target icons to easily apply the Appearance attributes used for your first letter for the rest of your letters. Target icons are the little round icons displayed at the far right of each individual layer or shape.

Hold the Alt button from your keyboard, click the target icon that stands for your "S", and then drag it into the target icon that stands for your "T". Select your "T", focus on the Appearance panel and replace the green used for that bottom fill with R=255 G=154 B=9.

Step 5

Move to the "O", apply the same Appearance attributes, but replace the green with R=244 G=54 B=44.

Select that "P", apply the same Appearance attributes and replace the green with R=7 G=132 B=170.

3. How to Create a Background and Add More Text Shadows in Illustrator

Step 1

Pick the Rectangle Tool (M) and create a shape that covers your entire artboard. Fill it with R=42 G=27 B=67 and send it to back (Shift-Control-[).

Step 2

Pick the Type Tool (T) and focus on the Character panel. Make sure that the Insaniburger font is still selected and set the size to 50 px.

Add the "DON'T" piece of text and place it as shown in the following image. Again, remove the text color and then focus on the Appearance panel. Add a fill using that Add New Fill button, select it and set the color to R=255 G=245 B=225.

Step 3

Make sure that your "DON'T" text stays selected, focus on the Appearance panel, and add a second fill.

Select the bottom fill, set its color to R=255 G=80 B=145 and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform to add a shadow effect in Illustrator. Enter the attributes shown in the following image, and then click that OK button.

Step 4

Make sure that your "DON'T" text is still selected, and keep focusing on the Appearance panel. Add a third fill and select it to add a subtle text shadow in Illustrator.

Drag it between the existing two fills and set the color to black. Lower its Opacity to 10% and then go to Effect > Path > Offset Path. Enter a -2 px Offset, click that OK button and then go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Transform. Drag both Move sliders to 5 px, click that OK button and then go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Enter a 3 px Radius and then click that OK button.

Step 5

Pick the Type Tool (T) and add the "BELIEVING" text. Set the text color to R=255 G=245 B=225 and place it as shown in the following image. Make sure that this new piece of text is selected, and this time go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow to add a subtle shadow effect in Illustrator. Enter the attributes shown below, click OK, and with this final touch your Illustrator long shadow text effect is complete.

Congratulations! You're Done!

Here is how your long shadow effect should look. I hope you've enjoyed this tutorial and can apply these techniques in your future projects. Don't hesitate to share your final result in the comments section.

Feel free to adjust the final long shadow effect and make it your own.

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