From Ver. 5.1, the new filters Inflate, Drop shadow, and Glow have been added to Quick Effects.

 

You can easily arrange illustrations and text just by selecting and adjusting filters without any complex processing. Give your illustration a plump, three-dimensional look, add shadows, or add a soft glow.

 

Inflate

The Inflate filter is ideal when you want to make a cute bubble-like effect for text or an embossed effect.

 

Drop Shadow

The Drop Shadow filter can be used when you want to emphasize text on flyers or banners, or easily add shadows to characters.

 

Glow

The Glow filter is useful when you want to add an ethereal vibe or rich light expressions to your illustration.

 

You can easily improve the quality of your work simply by incorporating them as a finishing touch.

Please check out these filters and enjoy creating your artwork.

 

1. How to use filters

Simple Mode

Select Effects from the filter icon on the toolbar.

 

Studio Mode

Select Quick Effects from the Filter menu.

You can choose to apply it to the entire illustration or only to the selected layer.

 

Note:

Filters can be applied to raster layers whose display color is set to Color. The effect is applied within the selected area or to the entire visible canvas.

 

If you try to apply a filter to a layer with a monochrome/gray expression color or a layer type that does not support filters, such as Text layer or Image material layer, a dialog will appear. If you tap the button suggested in the dialog, the layer will be converted to a raster layer with Color in expression color before the filter is applied.

 

2. Inflate

This filter adds a plump, three-dimensional effect to text and images. It can be used for text decoration, quilting effects, and embossing.

How to adjust the effect

 

(1) Shadow intensity

Adjusts the intensity of the shadow.

 

(2) Shine

Adjusts the intensity and size of the highlight. Larger the value, the light intensity increases and the highlight lessens, resulting in a very shiny finish.

 

(3) Height

This setting adjusts the depth. A larger value creates a more plump, inflated appearance, while a smaller value creates a flat, raised appearance like embossing or stamping.

 

(4) Smoothness

Larger the value, the smoother the effect.

 

(5) Light source

You can adjust the direction of the light by dragging the sun icon in the preview.

 

Tips for effective use

- Making the text three-dimensional

If you want to create that inflated effect, we recommend applying it to fonts or shapes with few sharp angles. The rounder the shape, the more natural the bulging texture can be expressed.

To emphasize the three-dimensional effect, increase the Shadow intensity value.

 

Top: Shadow intensity 50, Bottom: Shadow intensity 80

 

To give the text an embossed look, increase the Shadow intensity and set Height and Smoothness to lower values. Shift the light source slightly from directly above to make the shading on an uneven surface more visible. That way, the three-dimensional effect is enhanced.

 

Top: Before applying filter, Bottom: Shadow intensity 80, Height 30, Smoothness 2

 

- Creating a quilted texture

Applying Inflate with a grid pattern drawn in a transparent color allows you to create a three-dimensional effect like quilted fabric.

Incorporate it as a decoration into backgrounds to add textures to your illustration.

 

Decreasing Shine creates a soft, fabric-like texture, while increasing Shine creates a shinier texture like leather or vinyl. Adjust it according to the material you want.

 

Left: Shine 0, Right: Shine 100

 

- Adding a three-dimensional effect to dark objects

If the object color is dark, the shadows may not stand out, which makes the three-dimensional effect difficult to see. In this case, increasing the Shadow intensity brings out the three-dimensional effect even more.

 

Left: Shadow intensity 10, Right: Shadow intensity 100

 

- Using a combination of effects

We recommend applying the Inflate filter to separate layers for text and individual parts, rather than applying it to the entire illustration. By combining effects, you can create a better design.

When applying it to multiple parts, the key is to align the position of the light source. By unifying the direction of the light, you can express a natural three-dimensional effect.

3. Drop Shadow

This filter allows you to add a natural drop shadow to text and images. You can use it to make text or characters stand out, or overlapped objects.

 

How to adjust the effect

(1) Blur

You can adjust the blurriness of the shadow. A smaller value creates a sharper shadow, while a larger value creates a softer shadow.

 

(2) Angle

You can adjust the direction in which the shadow falls.

 

(3) Distance

You can adjust the distance between the shadow and the object.

 

(4) Opacity

You can adjust the intensity of the shadow.

 

(5) Shadow color

You can select the color of the shadow.

 

(6) Shadow position

You can adjust the position of the shadow using the handle in the preview. You can control both the angle and the distance.

 

Tips for effective use

- Creating a design that looks like overlapping text

In addition to adding shadows, it can also be used to create designs that look like overlapping text. By setting Blur to 0 and setting the shadow color to a different color, you can create a stylish layered text effect.

 

Simply incorporating it into titles and headings will make the text stand out and give a retro-pop vibe.

 

- Blending shadows into pale-colored illustrations

For designs with many pale colors, we recommend using a shadow color that blends with the surrounding colors. This prevents the shadow from standing out too much and show depth while maintaining the soft, pastel atmosphere of the artwork.

 

Left: Black shadow, Right: Light brown shadow

 

4. Combining Inflate and Drop Shadow

- Creating double-layered puffy motif

You can create an even richer look by applying the Inflate filter to your motifs first, then applying the Drop Shadow to the combined motifs.

 

Apply an Inflate filter to the isolated motif too add a 3D effect to the edges, creating an eye-catching playful design.

 

Apply the Inflate filter with the same settings to both the normal motif and the isolated motif. Place the isolated motif behind the normal motif, to accentuate the puffy outline.

 

For a more natural finish, apply the Drop Shadow filter only to the normal motif to add a shadow to the normal motif and the isolated motif.

 

For the Drop Shadow filter settings, we recommend decreasing Blur and setting Distance to 0. If the shadow stands out too much, try changing the Shadow color to a color that blends in.

 

Left: Without Drop Shadow filter, Right: With Drop Shadow filter

 

5. Glow

This filter softly illuminates brighter areas such as highlights of the skin or light sources. Using it to finish an illustration can give it a softer look or enrich the expression of light.

 

How to adjust the effect

(1) Strength

Adjusts the intensity of the glow effect. The larger the value, the stronger the glow.

 

(2) Effect area

Adjusts the range of the glow effect. A smaller value narrows the range, applying the effect only to bright areas. A larger value applies the effect to a wider area.

 

(3) Effect blur range

Adjusts the blur range. The larger the value, the more softly the light spreads over a wider area.

 

Tips for effective use

- Giving illustrations a vibrant look

If you want to give the entire illustration a bright and vibrant look, set Effect area and Effect blur range to larger values. The light will spread, creating a soft and glamorous atmosphere.

 

Left: Effect area 10, Effect blur range 10

Right: Effect area 100, Effect blur range 100

 

- Adjusting while retaining the original colors

If you want to retain the original colors, decrease the Strength value to suppress the glow.

Try to achieve a natural glow effect by adjusting it to match the atmosphere of your work.

 

Left: Intensity 50, Right: Intensity 200