Ink Type Effect in Bleeding Style in After Effects | Tutorial & Ideas

Creating dynamic and visually stunning effects in Adobe After Effects can elevate your animation projects. One such effect is the Bleeding Ink Reveal Effect, which mimics the organic spread of ink on paper. This effect is perfect for text reveals, artistic transitions, and complex motion graphics. In this step-by-step guide, we’ll break down how to achieve this effect using CC Time Blend Effects and a series of displacement maps.

What is the Bleeding Ink Reveal Effect?

The Bleeding Ink Reveal Effect simulates ink gradually spreading across a surface. It relies on CC Time Blend Effects, a hidden feature in After Effects, to create an evolving feedback loop that enhances the organic spread of ink. Despite not being available in the standard effects menu since 2015, this effect remains accessible via presets.

Step 1: Installing CC Time Blend Effects

Since CC Time Blend Effects is no longer in the Effects menu, you need to manually add it:

1. Download the FFX preset from a trusted source such as the Score Effects website.
2. Place the downloaded preset into your After Effects Presets folder.
3. Restart After Effects to load the preset.
4. Find the effect in your Effects & Presets panel and apply it to a layer.

Pro Tip: Each time you use this effect, you must apply two instances – the first set to Paste and the second set to Copy.

Step 2: Adjusting Preferences for Optimal Performance

CC Time Blend Effects relies on your disk cache to function correctly. To prevent errors:

1. Disable Multi-Frame Rendering:
   • Go to Edit > Preferences > Memory & Performance.
   • Turn off Multi-Frame Rendering.
2. Purge Memory Before Rendering:
   • Before previewing, go to Edit > Purge > All Memory & Disk Cache.
   • Assign a shortcut (e.g., Shift + X) to make this easier.

Step 3: Creating the Base Ink Stroke

1. Create a new composition (4K resolution, 24 FPS).
2. Add a white solid layer as the base.
3. Draw a stroke using the Stroke Effect:
   • Apply it to all masks.
   • Set color to black.
   • Increase brush size to 3 px.
   • Animate the stroke from 0% to 100% over 60-70 frames.

This stroke serves as the initial ink source, determining where the effect starts.

Step 4: Creating the Custom Displacement Map

The displacement map controls how the ink spreads. Follow these steps:

1. Duplicate your text layer and pre-compose it.
2. Apply the Fast Box Blur Effect:
   • Set blur to 20 for smooth falloff.
   • Prevent unwanted expansion using the Set Matte Effect.
3. Add Fractal Noise Effect:
   • Increase complexity to 10.
   • Set Sub Influence to 90%.
   • Change blending mode to None for better compositing.
4. Fill the background with a 50% gray Solid Composite Effect.
5. Add a secondary Fractal Noise Effect:
   • Reduce opacity to 8% to create organic ink bleeding beyond text edges.

Step 5: Setting Up Displacement Map Effects

1. Create four adjustment layers:
   • Apply the Displacement Map Effect to each.
   • Assign directions:
     • Up (0, 10)
     • Down (0, -10)
     • Right (10, 0)
     • Left (-10, 0)
   • Set blending mode to Darken.

Step 6: Applying CC Time Blend Effects

1. Create two adjustment layers:
   • Name them Time Blend Copy and Time Blend Paste.
   • Apply CC Time Blend Effects:
     • Set Copy on the top layer.
     • Set Paste on the bottom layer.
   • Change blending mode to Darken.
   • Increase Accumulation to 95%.

Tip: This setup loops the displacement effect over multiple frames, creating a seamless ink expansion.

Step 7: Refining the Effect

To remove rough pixels and enhance the realism:

1. Add a new adjustment layer.
2. Apply the Median Effect:
   • Set radius to 1 px.
   • This smooths out harsh edges.

Step 8: Rendering the Effect for Use in Larger Projects

Due to CC Time Blend Effects’ reliance on frame caching, it’s best to render the effect before using it in a larger animation:

1. Render the animation as a pre-composed file.
2. Apply time remapping to fine-tune playback speed.
3. Enhance colors using Curves or Tint Effects.