Creating Vibrant Neon T-Shirt Designs In Illustrator

Creating a neon colour T-shirt in Illustrator involves a few steps, from setting up your document to creating the neon effect itself. Firstly, you'll need to create a new document and select the RGB colour mode, ensuring that Align Art to Pixel Grid is unticked. Next, you'll want to create a sketch of your design, using the DynamicSketch tool with the necessary settings, such as selecting the black colour for the stroke and setting the stroke weight. After sketching, you'll create a background and then move on to the crucial step of making neon brushes. This involves creating line segments with specific stroke weights and colours, duplicating and blending them to achieve the desired neon effect. Finally, you'll apply these neon brushes to your design, creating a glowing neon text or graphic effect on your T-shirt design.

Using the Appearance panel to create a neon glow effect

To create a neon glow effect using the Appearance panel in Illustrator, follow these steps:

First, open Illustrator and create a new file of any size. You can then select the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle that covers the whole artboard, choosing any colour you like. Next, use the Type Tool (T) to type your text. You can use any font you like, but in this example, we'll use the Neon Tubes font at 350 pt.

In the Tools Panel, set the fill and stroke to none. With your text selected, go to Window > Appearance and add two new strokes by clicking on the "Add New Stroke" icon. Select the first stroke and set the Stroke Weight to 8, choosing a white colour.

Now, click on the "Add New Effect" icon and select Blur > Gaussian Blur from the dropdown menu. In the Gaussian Blur window, set the Radius to 4 and click OK.

For the second stroke, set the Stroke Weight to 4 and again, choose a white colour. With the second stroke still selected, click on "Add New Effect" and select Stylize > Drop Shadow from the dropdown menu. Apply the following settings and click OK.

With the second stroke still selected, click "Add New Effect" once more and this time, select Stylize > Outer Glow. In the Outer Glow window, set the Mode to "Screen" and choose a white colour. Set the Opacity to 70% and the Blur to 20 px, then click OK.

You can now use this style on any other graphic by going to Window > Graphic Styles and clicking on the "New Graphic Style" icon with your graphic or text still selected. To test the new graphic style, select the Rounded Rectangle Tool and draw a rectangle around your text. With the rectangle selected, simply click on the new style in the Graphic Style window.

Another method to create a neon glow effect is to use the Gaussian Blur effect. First, select the object or text you want to apply the effect to, then go to the overhead menu Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to between 3 and 5 pixels. Copy and paste the object or text, then click on the Gaussian Blur option on the Appearance panel to edit the effect. Increase the Radius, for example, by doubling the value. Repeat these steps a few times until you achieve a soft glow lighting effect. Finally, copy and paste again, but this time, change the object or text colour to a lighter shade to create a neon glow effect.

Using blend objects, art brushes, blending modes and the DynamicSketch plugin

To create a neon light text effect in Illustrator using blend objects, art brushes, blending modes, and the DynamicSketch plugin, follow these steps:

Step 1: Create a New Document

Start by creating a new illustrator document by going to "Cmd/Ctrl + N" and selecting the RGB color mode. It is important to note that the desired effect cannot be achieved in CMYK color mode. Make sure to untick the "Align Art to Pixel Grid" option to prevent any strange behavior during the process.

Step 2: Create a Sketch of the Inscription

Double-click on the DynamicSketch icon in the Tools panel and select the Pencil Tool preset in the Settings Manager. Untick the "Keep Selected" option and choose black as the stroke color with a Stroke Weight of 0.5pt. Now, draw a rough sketch of the desired inscription. Group all the sketch paths and turn off their visibility in the Layers panel as you will need them later.

Step 3: Create a Background

In the DynamicSketch panel, set the Accuracy Level to 10 and the Smoothness Level to 0. Draw a rectangular brick shape with uneven edges. Select a gray color (K = 17) for the fill. Create slightly lighter (K = 6) and darker (K = 27) shapes above and below the brick. Use the Shape Builder Tool to remove the protruding parts of the bricks. Select all the brick elements, go to "Object > Pattern > Make", and choose the "Brick by Row" tile type. Adjust the Width and Height values in the Pattern Options panel to move the bricks. Save the seamless pattern and create a rectangle with a radial gradient fill, ranging from burgundy (R = 171, G = 12, B = 74) to maroon (R = 50, G = 11, B = 42). Duplicate this rectangle and apply the created pattern. Set the blending mode to Multiply and the opacity to 75%.

Step 4: Create Neon Brushes

To create neon brushes, start by drawing a straight-line segment of arbitrary length with a Stroke Weight of 37pt in black (R = 0, G = 0, B = 0). Duplicate this path, set the Stroke Weight to 8pt, and change the color to gray (K = 30). Select these paths and go to "Object > Blend > Make" to create a blend object. Duplicate the blend object and adjust the properties of the paths. For the lower path, set the Stroke Weight to 11pt, Color to K = 87, and Opacity to 30%. For the upper path, set the Stroke Weight to 1pt, Color to K = 0, and Opacity to 100%. Apply the Color Dodge blending mode to both blend objects. Create another copy of the blend object for the shadow effect, adjusting the properties accordingly. Save each blend object as an art brush in the brushes panel, selecting the "Stretch Between Guides" option to ensure the round ends of the brushes do not deform.

Step 5: Create a Neon Text Effect

Place the sketch above the background and turn on its visibility. Lock it in the Layers panel. Adjust the settings of the DynamicSketch tool by restoring the default settings for Accuracy and Smoothness levels. Set the String option to 10px and disable the "Edit and Continue Path" button. Press Enter, then select "Create Points at Tangencies" in the opened dialog window. Select brush #1 and start drawing with DynamicSketch, following the sketch. Cut the paths at the intersections using the Scissors Tool and edit the paths as needed. Group all the neon paths, copy the group, and paste it back. Apply neon brush #2 to the bottom group to create a glow around the neon tubes. Duplicate the inscription again, move the lower group aside, and apply brush #3 to create a shadow effect.

Step 6: Add Light Accents

To add light accents, draw three circles with a radial gradient fill from dark gray (K = 76) to black (R = 0, G = 0, B = 0). Apply the Color Dodge blending mode to the circles to complete the neon inscription.

Creating a neon text effect

Firstly, create a new Illustrator document (Cmd/Ctrl + N) and select the RGB colour mode. Untick the "Align Art to Pixel Grid" option to prevent any issues. Now, create a sketch of your desired text using the DynamicSketch plugin. You can do this by double-clicking on the DynamicSketch icon in the Tools panel and selecting the Pencil Tool preset in the Settings Manager. Untick the "Keep Selected" option and select black for the stroke with a Stroke Weight of 0.5pt. Draw your text and group all the sketch paths, turning off their visibility in the Layers panel.

Next, create a background by setting the Accuracy Level to 10 and the Smoothness Level to 0 in the DynamicSketch panel. Draw a rectangular brick shape with uneven edges and fill it with a grey colour (K=17). Create two more shapes, one slightly lighter (K=6) and one slightly darker (K=27), above and below the brick. Select all three objects and use the Shape Builder Tool to remove any protruding parts of the bricks. Select all the brick elements, go to Object > Pattern > Make, and select the "Brick by Row" tile type. Adjust the values for Width and Height in the Pattern Options panel to move the bricks. Save the pattern and create a rectangle with a radial gradient fill from a burgundy colour (R=171, G=12, B=74) to a maroon colour (R=50, G=11, B=42). Duplicate this rectangle and apply the created pattern, then apply the Multiply blending mode and set the Opacity to 75%.

Now, create the neon brushes by making a straight-line segment of any length with a Stroke Weight of 37pt in black (R=0, G=0, B=0). Duplicate this path, set the Stroke Weight to 8pt, and change the colour to grey (K=30). Select these paths and go to Object > Blend > Make. Duplicate the blend object and adjust the properties: for the lower path, set the Stroke Weight to 11pt, Colour K=87, and Opacity to 30%; for the upper path, set the Stroke Weight to 1pt, Colour K=0, and Opacity to 100%. Apply the Colour Dodge blending mode to both blend objects. Create another copy of the blend object for the shadow, with two straight-line segments of equal length: the lower path should have a Stroke Weight of 37pt, Colour K=0, and Opacity of 0%, while the upper path should have a Stroke Weight of 7pt, Colour K=30, and Opacity of 100%. Apply the Multiply blending mode to this blend object. Save each of the three blend objects as art brushes, selecting the "Stretch Between Guides" option and positioning the guides to prevent deformation of the round ends.

Place your sketch above the background and turn on its visibility, locking it in the Layers panel. Adjust the settings of the DynamicSketch tool by setting the Accuracy and Smoothness levels to default. Set the String option to 10px and disable the "Edit and Continue Path" button. Press Enter, then select "Create Points at Tangencies" in the dialog window. Select Brush #1 and start drawing the neon text using DynamicSketch, following your sketch. Cut the paths at the intersections using the Scissors Tool, and trim or extend the paths using the Extend Path Tool of the VectorScribe plugin. Group all the neon paths, copy and paste the group, and apply Neon Brush #2 to the bottom group to create a glow. Duplicate the inscription again, move the lower group aside, and apply Brush #3 to create a shadow. Finally, add light accents by drawing three circles with a radial gradient fill from dark grey (K=76) to black (R=0, G=0, B=0). Apply the Colour Dodge blending mode to the circles, and your neon text is complete!

Using the Rectangle Tool to create a rectangle of any colour

To create a rectangle of any colour in Illustrator, start by selecting the Rectangle Tool. You can do this by clicking on it towards the top of the Tool Panel or by pressing 'M' on your keyboard.

Once you have the Rectangle Tool selected, you can create a rectangle by click-and-dragging. If you want to create a square, hold the Shift key while you drag.

To add colour to your rectangle, you will need to access the Appearance settings in the Properties panel. If you can't see the Properties panel, you can find it by going to Window in the menu bar.

In the Properties panel, click on the white Fill swatch to open the swatches panel. From here, you can select the colour you want, or the colour closest to what you want.

If you want to adjust the colour, double-click on the Fill swatch in the colour panel to open the colour picker window. Here, you can use the hue slider and selection circle to find the perfect colour.

Once you have selected your colour, click OK, and the new colour will be applied to your rectangle.

Using the Appearance panel to create a basic neon glow effect

To create a basic neon glow effect in Illustrator, you can use the Appearance panel. This panel allows you to create a range of effects, from drop shadows to 3D effects, while keeping your original design intact.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to create a basic neon glow effect using the Appearance panel:

Step 1: Set Up Your Document and Rectangle

Open Illustrator and create a new file of any size you want. For example, you can make it 1800 x 1200 px.

Next, select the Rectangle Tool (M) and draw a rectangle that covers the entire artboard. You can choose any colour you like; for instance, #f5cbd7.

Step 2: Add Your Graphic or Text

Now, you can either draw your graphic or use the Type Tool (T) to type your text. If you're following this tutorial exactly, you can use the Neon Tubes font at 350 pt, but feel free to use any font you prefer.

Step 3: Set Fill and Stroke to None

In the Tools Panel, set the fill and stroke to none for your graphic or text.

Step 4: Open the Appearance Panel

With your graphic or text selected, go to Window > Appearance.

Step 5: Add New Strokes

Add 2 new strokes by clicking on the "Add New Stroke" icon.

Step 6: Adjust the First Stroke

Select the first stroke and set the Stroke Weight to 8, with a white colour.

Step 7: Add Gaussian Blur to the First Stroke

Click on the "Add New Effect" icon and choose Blur > Gaussian Blur from the dropdown menu.

In the Gaussian Blur window, adjust the Radius to 4 and click OK.

Step 8: Adjust the Second Stroke

Select the second stroke and set the Stroke Weight to 4, keeping the colour white.

Step 9: Add Drop Shadow to the Second Stroke

With the second stroke still selected, click on "Add New Effect" again and choose Stylize > Drop Shadow.

Apply the desired settings in the Drop Shadow window and click OK.

Step 10: Add Outer Glow to the Second Stroke

With the second stroke still selected, click "Add New Effect" once more and choose Stylize > Outer Glow.

In the Outer Glow window, set the Mode to "Screen", using a white colour. Adjust the Opacity to 70% and the Blur to 20 px, then click OK.

Step 11: Save and Test Your Style

To save this style for future use on any other graphic, go to Window > Graphic Styles. With your graphic or text still selected, click on the "New Graphic Style" icon.

To test the new graphic style, you can draw a rectangle around your text using the Rounded Rectangle Tool and then simply click on the new style in the Graphic Style window.

And there you have it! A basic neon glow effect that you can use and modify as you like in your Illustrator projects.

Frequently asked questions