Animating Text That Follows a Moving Object in After Effects

Introduction – Make Text Stick to Moving Objects

Sometimes, you need text to follow a moving person or object in your video to add clarity or style. In After Effects, this is done using motion tracking and parenting. This tutorial will show you how to create this effect step by step using the built-in Tracker and Null Object tools.

Step 1: Open Your Project

Start by opening your After Effects project with the video where you want the text to follow an object. Make sure your footage is on the timeline and ready for tracking.Step 2: Create the Text

Use the Type Tool (Ctrl/Cmd + T) to create the text that you want to attach to the object. Place it above your footage layer on the timeline.

Step 3: Center the Anchor Point

Right-click on the text layer and choose Transform > Center Anchor Point in Layer Content. This ensures your text scales and moves more smoothly from its center point.Step 4: Open the Tracker Panel

Go to Window > Tracker to open the tracking panel. Then, select your video layer and click Track Motion. This will activate the motion tracking interface.Step 5: Set the Track Point

Adjust the Track Point 1 over a visible, high-contrast area of the object you want to track. This could be an edge, logo, or feature that stays visible throughout the motion.Step 6: Analyze the Motion

Press the Play (Analyze Forward) button in the tracker panel to let After Effects follow the object’s movement. Wait for the analysis to complete, making sure the track stays accurate.

Step 7: Create a Null Object

Go to Layer > New > Null Object. This object will receive the tracking data. Then go back to the tracker panel and click Edit Target, choose the null object, and click Apply to apply the tracking data to it.

Step 8: Parent the Text to the Null Object

Now, parent the text layer to the null object using the pick whip or dropdown in the Parent & Link column. The text will now follow the null, which is tracking the motion of your object.Step 9: Adjust and Preview

Position the text where you want it to appear in relation to the object, then preview the animation by pressing the spacebar. The text should now move naturally with the object.Conclusion

Using motion tracking in After Effects, you can easily attach text to any moving object in your video. This technique is great for creative labels, names, or emphasis in music videos, vlogs, or cinematic edits. Once everything looks good, export your animation and you’re done!