Recently I was scrolling Pinterest just out of boredom, and I found this "SUPERSTAR" piece (below) I made back in 2023. Back when I was creating these pieces, I would literally have to set up a random layer style in Photoshop, save it as a PNG, load it into After Effects, create a some background noise that would animate, and then load in a stack of 3 different plugins to get the effect going before finishing things off with what is probably the only plugin I've ever bought that was worth the money, Deep Glow. I still highly recommend Deep Glow if you're ever working in AE, but that workflow was too complicated!
When seeing the work again out in the wild on Pinterest, I basically realised immediately that Dither Boy v6 would do a better job at creating these effects and so I set up the tutorial straight away.
Below you can get:
- Free download for PSD file for setting up the text that goes into the dithering effect
- Preset file download for Dither Boy that creates the effect for you, with my exact settings
- A tutorial for setting it all up yourself
I would recommend watching the tutorial this time though, because its a useful one!
Free Glitch Text Preset & PSD File Template
If you'd like to just get started without watching a tutorial, you can do so by downloading my preset and loading it up in Dither Boy. If you need help with presets then you can click here to watch a video about presets and Dither Boy
If you create anything with this effect, please tag us on social media or share this effect with a friend!
If you like indie software free updates regular tutorials retro effects advanced dithering then meet Dither Boy!
Dither Boy
Original price was: £60.00.£45.00Current price is: £45.00.Dither Boy is all-in-one software for authentic retro image, video, and animation dithering. Featuring 63 unique dithering algorithms, a stackable effects pipeline, and full color support, Dither Boy gives you unrestricted access to advanced creative error diffusion, bitmap, halftone, and modulation effects like never before!
Dither Boy is designed to turn any dithering algorithm from a functional compression tool into a granular, editable, malleable effect.
Completely crush your image detail without losing resolution, or create fine and delicate dithering patterns in your work without compromising on style.
- Dither your work at any scale without losing your image quality
- Full color support with built-in palettes, automatic palette extraction from your images, or download and share user created palettes
- Video and animation support built in, with a timeline editor and live preview
- Work with 63 dithering algorithms, all animation and vector compatible, including custom algorithms you won’t find anywhere else
- Stack and reorder effects like Epsilon Glow, JPEG Glitch, Chromatic Aberration, and more
- Effects designed and created specifically for Dither Boy
- One purchase includes all future updates, no subscription required
- Export black vectors for print and embroidery files
- NEW: CMYK Halftone added in update version 6.0!
True to the visual era it was inspired by, Dither Boy requires no recurring subscription, and all future updates will be included in your purchase at no extra cost.
We have already completed an entire year of free updates in 2025!