Halftone & Hatching Shader in After Effects No Plugins | Stylized 3D Text
In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to stylize 3D text in After Effects using a simple but powerful technique that lets us apply shading and stylized looks even in 3D compositions — where layer styles normally don’t work.
We’ll start by styling 3D text, then build a custom halftone and hatching shader from scratch, completely inside After Effects — no plugins, no scripts.
This shader can be applied to motion graphics, animations, AI-generated visuals, and even real footage, adding a stylized look inspired by films like Spider-Verse, with halftone and hatching details appearing naturally in highlights and shadows.
It’s been a few months since my last tutorial — I’ve been busy with client work — but I’m really excited to finally share this one with you.
What you will learn in this video:
• The 3D Workaround: How to use Layer Styles on 3D Compositions (The trick you didn't know!)
• Halftone Mastery: Building a custom shader that reacts to light and shadows.
• Hatching Effect: Creating a hand-drawn, sketchy look for a comic-book aesthetic.
• Spider-Verse Style: How to apply these looks to 3D text, motion graphics, or even real-life footage.
This effect is perfect for anyone wanting to achieve that Marvel Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse or Across the Spider-Verse aesthetic in their projects.
🎬 Software: Adobe After Effects
💡 Level: Basic, Intermediate
Assets: https://drive.google.com/file/d/108jV...
0:00 Intro
0:10 Section One (Styling)
8:08 Section Two (Halftone Shader)
14:22 Hatching Shader
18:00 Tips
18:55 End Screen
Thanks for watching, and enjoy!
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