How to add a gradient to text in Illustrator
Select the text with the Selection tool, open the Appearance panel, click Add New Fill, and apply the gradient to that new fill. The type's own fill, the Characters row, takes solid colours only, so a gradient dropped there turns the text black, which is the usual snag. JuicyType's Gradient rows add gradients to faces and strokes together.
The manual way, in Illustrator
- Select the text object (not the characters) with the Selection tool.
- Open Window › Appearance and click Add New Fill. Keep the new fill above the Characters row.
- With that fill selected, pick a gradient in the Gradient panel or build stops. Drag with the Gradient tool (G) for angle and length.
- Double-click Characters and set its Fill to None, or a thin edge of the old colour shows around the letters.
- To gradient each letter separately, outline a copy, set each letter as its own one-character text object, or use JuicyType's per-letter option.
One gradient spans a whole live text object; per-letter gradients need outlines, separate one-letter objects, or the plugin. Freeform gradients are fill-only and are documented by Adobe for objects, not type.
Menu paths checked against Adobe's current Illustrator documentation; hands-on verification and screenshots are still to come.
2 effects in JuicyType
Gradients themselves are Illustrator swatches: give the face a gradient swatch and JuicyType's Gradient rows appear with type (Linear / Radial / Mirror) and angle, for the fill and for each stroke band. Then add Highlight for the shine.
Common questions
Why will the gradient not apply to my text?
The fill is not targeted. Use the Selection tool and click Fill in the Appearance panel.