In this guide we are going to experiment with various Effects applied to text to create a moody, halloween-themed graphic.

Step 1
Import your background image. *See our tutorial to learn how to import images.

Step 2
Create a new vector layer (Layers > New > Vector Layer) and use the Text tool (T) to type your text.

Step 3
Adjust the font, size and color of your text and position it as desired.

Now we’ll add some Effects to get the desired Halloween look.

Step 4
Drop Shadow
The first step is to add a drop shadow to help the orange text stand out from the orange pumpkin. With the text selected, click on the “fx” tab in the Effects window (press f4 to open the Effects window if it is not already open).

Next, click on the “+” button in the Effects window and select Effects > Drop Shadow from the menu.

Here are the settings we used:
- Softness: 0
- Offset: 2.5
- Opacity: .70 (70%)
- Noise: .55

Press OK when you have selected your settings.

Step 5
Outer Glow
Next we’ll add an evil red glow around the text. Click the “+” button again and choose Effects > Outer Glow.

Here are the settings we used:
- Size: 3
- Opacity: 1
- Noise: 0
- Glow Color: R slider all the way to the right, G and B sliders all the way off.

Press OK when you have selected your settings.

Step 6
Accented Edges
We want to distort the text a bit so it’s not so clean. Click the “+” button again and choose Paint > Accented Edges.

Here are the settings we used:
- Edge width: 2
- Edge Brightness: 20
- Smoothness: 7

Press OK when you have selected your settings.

Note: We also changed the font color to yellow to make the text more vibrant and readable.

That’s it!

The great thing about Effects in Expression Graphic Designer is that they are dynamic and you can edit them at any point. You can also re-arrange the order of Effects to achieve different results by dragging the effect name(s) in the Effect Window.