How to Easily Create a Bitmap Text Effect in Illustrator

Illustrator Text Effects

Originally seen in classic video games and retro computer interfaces, bitmap text has now become a trendy design choice, often used on posters and digital art to evoke a sense of nostalgia. Perfect for adding a retro look to your designs, this effect is ideal for projects that need a digital, old-school vibe, such as logos, posters, social media graphics, or even game design assets. It is a very simple effect to replicate in Illustrator, and you can create your own in less than 5 minutes using only default Illustrator tools.

Step 1

Open Illustrator and make a new file at any size you want. Today, I will make mine at 1800 x 1200 px.

Step 2

Select the Type Tool (T) and type your text using any font you wish. I will be using "CocoSharp Heavy" at 800 pt.

Step 3

Go to Type > Create Outlines.

Step 4

Now go to Object > Compound Path > Make.

Step 5

Go to Window > Gradient.

Step 6

In the Gradient panel, click on the "Linear Gradient" icon.

Step 7

Go to Effect > Blur > Gaussian Blur. Set the Radius to about 50 pixels and click OK.

Step 8

Lastly, go to Effect > Rasterize, apply the following settings and click OK.

Some Final tips:

Now that you've learned how to create a bitmap text effect in Illustrator, with the effect complete, you can adjust the gradient type, angle, opacity, and even the color locations to customize a bitmap gradient that suits your needs. You can use this over any background you like, since we used a transparent background when rasterizing the gradient, as shown in the following example.