To begin, open a new canvas preferably with a black background.

Using a Pen Tablet or mouse, make your image. It can be script or an object. For this tutorial, I'm using just a simple script of my name, using the Line and Arrow tool with these settings:

I used several lines to make my name, then merged all lines as a single object.

R/C and duplicate.

Open the Easy Palette, go to Text/Path effect, Neon.

R/C on any thumbnail and choose Modify Properties and Apply.

When the dialog box open, use these settings with a color of your choice.

Align the two objects to look like this:

To further enhance your object, if desired, R/C and choose shadow.

R/C again, split shadow and move it under the object.

This method can be used in all sorts of ways. If you use more than one word in a script, make sure to connect the letters as in the header graphic so it looks as if you wrote with a light pen. Use different colors for your script and glow. A bright yellow looks like the light pen scripts you see in those car commercials (which gave me the idea for this tut).

Use this method for neon art:

Have fun!

Tutorials