How to add a shine to text in Illustrator
Add a second fill in the Appearance panel, give it a white-to-transparent gradient, and move it above the base fill. JuicyType's Highlight effect adds an adjustable shine in one step.
The manual way, in Illustrator
- Select the text. In Window › Appearance click Add New Fill.
- Set the new fill to a linear gradient from white to white at 0% opacity.
- Set the angle in the Gradient panel, or drag with the Gradient tool (G), so the shine crosses the letters.
- Lower the fill's opacity or set it to Screen for a softer look.
Target the text object's added fill in the Appearance panel, then edit that fill's stops and angle in the Gradient panel. A gradient dropped on the Characters row turns the text black.
Menu paths checked against Adobe's current Illustrator documentation; hands-on verification and screenshots are still to come.
Highlight with JuicyType
Select the text, open the JuicyType panel, choose Highlight, and drag. It is a live effect, so the text stays editable and every control can be changed later.
- Margins0–100, default 2
- Size0–100, default 4
- Roundness0–10
- ColourTC1 / TC2 / Black / White / spot; default White
Common questions
Can I move the shine later?
Yes. Select the fill in the Appearance panel and drag with the Gradient tool, or change Margins and Size in JuicyType.