How to Make a Pixel Shadow Effect in Illustrator

Illustrator Vector Effects

A pixel shadow effect can add a touch of retro charm to your designs, making it versatile for various creative projects such as logos, illustrations, typography, social media graphics, or game design assets. This effect is a fantastic way to bring depth and character to your work, and creating a pixel shadow effect in Adobe Illustrator is surprisingly easy and quick, making it an excellent technique for designers of all skill levels (even beginners). Today, I will show you how to achieve this pixel shadow effect that you can use over any kind of design you wish, using only native Illustrator tools and in less than 5 minutes.

Step 1

Open the graphic you want to apply the effect to in Illustrator.

Step 2

Select the Gradient Tool (G) and apply a black-to-white gradient to all the shapes where you want to create the pixel shadow effect.

Step 3

Select all the shapes with the gradient you just applied.

Step 4

With the shapes selected, go to Object > Rasterize.

Step 5

In the Rasterize window, apply the following settings and click OK.

Step 6

Once again, go to Object > Rasterize. This time, apply the updated settings and click OK.

Step 7

Next, go to Object > Image Trace > Make and Expand.

Step 8

With the object still selected, select the Magic Wand Tool (Y) and click on any of the white areas.

Step 9

Finally, press the Delete key on your keyboard to remove the white areas.