Creating animations and videos in Canva is a great way to add engaging motion graphics to your projects. And just like with designs and images, you may want to highlight important text in your animations and videos to draw attention to specific words, phrases, or titles.
Unfortunately, the techniques for highlighting text in static Canva designs don’t work the same way for animations and videos. So how do you effectively highlight moving text in your Canva motion graphics?
Challenges with Highlighting in Motion Graphics
Applying highlights to animated text in Canva can be tricky for a few reasons:
- Effects and shapes applied to static text don’t move along with the animation.
- Color changes on animated text may be distracting in motion.
- The text itself is moving, making consistent highlighting difficult.
Because of these factors, you need to use different strategies when highlighting moving text in your Canva videos and animations.
Strategies for Highlighting in Animations
Here are some tips for effectively highlighting animated text in your Canva motion graphics:
Use Background Shapes
Add shapes behind the text that move along with the animation, creating a consistent highlight. Make sure to use shapes that fit the movement of the text.
Animate Effects
You can animate some text effects like shadows or outlines to create animated highlights. Keyframe the effect to match the animation of the text.
Shift Text Color
Subtly shift the color of the highlighted text during the animation to draw attention. Avoid changing the color too drastically.
Leverage Motion
Use the movement itself to your advantage. For example, zooming in/out on text as it animates naturally highlights it.
Add Indicators
Use graphics like arrows, circles, or underlines that move and point to the text you want to highlight.
Apply Light Effects
Use Canva’s video effects to add animated spotlight, flares or other lighting effects that highlight your text.
Best Practices for Animated Highlights
When highlighting animated text in Canva, keep these best practices in mind:
- Use subtle colors that complement your existing palette
- Make sure highlights don’t distract from the text
- Time indicators and effects to match text movement
- Keep animated highlights simple and minimal
- Avoid excessive movement of highlights
- Ensure text remains readable when highlighted
Examples of Highlighted Animated Text
Here are a few examples of effective text highlights in Canva animations:
- A circle shape behind zooming text that scales as the text moves
- An arrow graphic that rotates and points at each word in a rotating line of text
- Spotlight flares that track and illuminate spinning headlines
- A consistent color shift on text that slides across the frame
These examples demonstrate simple but creative ways to direct attention to important animated text using Canva’s tools.
Conclusion
Highlighting text in your Canva animations and videos requires some creativity and strategic techniques. By using properly layered and timed background shapes, animated effects, subtle shifts in color, motion, and added graphics, you can create highlights that draw viewers’ eyes to the right text.
Keep background textures minimal and practice good timing. With a bit of practice, you’ll be a pro at highlighting animated text in your Canva motion graphics.