How to draw a neon effect in Adobe Illustrator?

Forum|Forum|5 years ago
January 12, 2021
3 replies
1027 views

Hello everyone !

I need help and I hope you can help me!

So, after using photoshop I switched to illustrator to switch to vector drawing, but I am stuck at a stage of my drawing, around my logo I have a shape (hexagon) that I would like to make neon effect.
But impossible to find the tool or the option that allows it.
Before drawing on Illustrator I made my model with an iPad Pro on Procreate and I have the neon effect on it and I was pretty sure it was there on Illustrator too.

I tried to search on the net but I only found the neon effect for text.

Awaiting a response from the Adobe community, I wish you a good day

Thanks !

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B

Bobby Henderson

Community Expert

There are various ways to "skin that cat," but one approach worth trying is applying a gradient to the outline of a path. It's possible to change the colors and even fiddle with transparency levels. The effect will have its limitations on tight bends however. Usually the most convincing looking effects involve raster-based outer glows. Those can be applied to vector paths representing the neon tubes. Really a combination of these approaches can be used for a much more convincing looking effect.

Ton Frederiks

Community Expert

You may have a look at the Graphic Styles panel and open the Neon Effects to see how they are created in the Appearance panel.

Mylenium

Brainiac

It might help to get your terminology right. I have no idea what a "neon" effect is supposed to be, but of course there is such a thing as glow. however, unless you care to re-create it using elaborate blends or other techniques, the glow in AI or for that matter blur effects that can be used to manually create feathered edges to such effect are pixel-based just like in PS, so I'm not sure what you are trying to achieve here. Technically there would be no difference to how it would look in PS.

Mylenium