3D letters in Photoshop. Making three-dimensional numbers and letters with your own hands
In this tutorial, you'll learn how to create a glittery text effect using 3D tools, adjustment layers, and multiple textures. Let's begin!
This effect was inspired by the various layer styles available on GraphicRiver.
1. Create a text base
Step 1
We create new document size 3500 x 2000 pixels.
Then we add text using the HWT Artz font. Set the text size to 600 pt and Tracking(Tracking) at 150 pt.
Step 2
Name the text layer “Text”, right-click on it and select ConverttoShape(Convert to curves).
2. Create a stroke
Step 1
Duplicate the text layer (Ctrl+J) and name the copy “Stroke 1”.
Step 2
Let's take it DirectSelectionTool(A) (Partial selection) and go to the top toolbar.
Note: in some versions of the program the Direct Selection Tool is translated as “Arrow”
Install Fill(Fill) on None(No), Size(Size) to 25 and select black as the stroke color. Then click on the stroke type selection button and in the drop-down menu Align(Alignment) select Outside(Outside).
Step 3
Duplicate the “Stroke 1” layer and name the copy “Stroke 2”. Change the stroke width of the duplicate to 35.
Step 4
Duplicate the “Stroke 2” layer and name the copy “Stroke 3”. Then change the stroke width of the duplicate to 50.
3. Create 3D layers
Step 1
For each text layer we apply 3 D-New3DExtrusionfromSelectedPath(3D - New 3D extrusion from a selected path).
Step 2
Select all the 3D layers that we have and go 3 D- Merge3DLayers(3D - Merging 3D layers).
4. Working with a 3D scene
Step 1
To have access to the parameters of 3D objects, we must open two panels: the 3D panel and Properties(Properties) (both are in the main menu Window(Window)).
The 3D panel contains a list of all scene components and, if we select one of them, we can edit its parameters in the panel Properties(Properties). Therefore, always pay attention to whether the desired object is selected before editing it.
Step 2
If you activate MoveTool(V) (Move), a set of special 3D modes will appear at the top of the options bar.
If you select one of them, you can perform certain manipulations with the selected scene object (moving, rotating, scaling, etc.).
We will also use these modes to change the view from the camera.
5. Editing the mesh of a 3D object
Step 1
Select an element in the 3D panel Text(Text), then on the property panel set ExtrusionDepth(Extrusion depth) by 200.
Step 2
Select all three components with a stroke and install them ExtrusionDepth(Extrusion depth) to 35.
6. Editing the capital of a 3D object
Step 1
Select the component again Text(Text) in the 3D panel. Then click on the button Cap(Small Caps) at the top of the properties panel.
Install Sides(Parties) on FrontandBack(In the front and in the back), BevelWidth(Chamfer width) by 5%, Contour(Outline) on HalfRound(Semicircle) and Inflate-Strength(Bloat - Intensity) by 10%.
Step 2
Now click on the button Stroke(Stroke) on the properties panel. Install Sides(Parties) on FrontandBack(In the front and in the back), BevelWidth(Chamfer width) by 20%, Contour(Outline) on Ring(Ring).
7. Setting up the placement of scene objects
Step 1
In the 3D panel, select all the components of the text (the text itself and three strokes), then click on the menu icon in the upper right corner of the panel and select MoveObjecttoGroundPlane(Move the object to the ground plane).
Step 2
Let's take it MoveTool(V) (Move) and use the 3D axes to separate the strokes from each other.
The arrows at the ends of the axes move objects, the small arc that goes further is responsible for rotation, and using the cube you can scale the object. The central cube, from which the axes emerge, is needed to uniformly scale the object. To perform some action with the axes, simply click on them and drag with the mouse.
You can also go to the menu View- Show- 3DSecondaryView(View - Show - Secondary 3D View), click on the small arrow on the left side and select Top(Top view) to better control how strokes move.
Step 3
Make sure the widest stroke is at the back and the narrowest stroke is at the front of the text.
8. Apply a glitter texture
Step 1
On the 3D panel select TextFrontInflationMaterial(Front bulge material), then on the properties panel click on the icon Diffuse(Scattering) and select EditTexture(Edit texture).
Step 2
Place the glitter texture above the text layer in the Layers panel and scale it so that it covers all the text.
Step 3
Press Ctrl+U to open the settings window Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation), activate Colorize(Tinting) and install Hue(Color tone) at 37.
Let's move on File- Save(File - Save), then File-Close(File - Close) to return to the 3D scene.
9. Adjusting the convexity of the material
Step 1
Select components in the 3D panel TextFrontInflationMaterial(Front Bulge Material), TextFrontBevelMaterial(Front bevel material), TextBackBevelMaterial(Back bevel material) and TextBackInflationMaterial(Back bulge material). On the panel Properties(Properties) configure components:
- Specular(Highlight color): (221, 161, 32)
- Shine(Shine): 50
- Reflection(Reflection): 20
- Bump(Terrain): 3
- Refraction(Refractive index): 1.299
Step 2
We highlight TextFrontInflationMaterial(Front bulge material), click on the folder icon next to the parameter Bump(Relief) and select LoadTexture(Load texture) and find the metal texture.
Step 3
Click on the folder icon next to the parameter again Bump(Relief) and select EditUVProperties(Edit UV properties).
Step 4
Set both parameters Tile(Mosaic) on 1.
Step 5
Now select TextFrontBevelMaterial(Front bevel material), TextBackBevelMaterial(Back bevel material) and TextBackInflationMaterial(Back bulge material). Click on the folder icon next to Bump(Relief) and select the Metallic_Silver texture from the drop-down list.
10. Setting up the text extrusion material
Step 1
Selecting the component TextExtrusionMaterial(Extrusion material), click on the icon next to Diffuse(scattering) and select RemoveTexture(Remove texture).
Step 2
Configure other parameters:
- Diffuse(Scatter): (232, 226, 211)
- Specular(Highlight color): (153, 151, 137)
- Shine(Shine): 20
- Reflection(Reflection): 20
- Roughness(Smoothness): 31
- Refraction(Refractive index): 1.2
11. Editing the stroke material
Step 1
Select all front/back bump and bevel materials for all three strokes, then remove the texture Diffuse
- Diffuse(Dispersal): (92, 90, 83)
- Specular(Highlight color): (170, 168, 152)
- Shine(Shine): 50
- Reflection(Reflection): 20
- Refraction(Refractive index): 1.2
Step 2
Select the extrusion materials of all strokes, remove the texture Diffuse(Scattering) and configure other parameters:
- Diffuse(Scatter): (228, 183, 63)
- Specular(Highlight color): (51, 51, 51)
- Shine(Shine): 20
- Reflection(Reflection): 20
- Refraction(Refractive index): 1.2
12. Setting up stage lighting
Step 1
Selecting the component InfiniteLight(Endless light) and on the properties panel set Intensity(Intensity) by 50% and Shadow- Softness(Shadow - Anti-aliasing) by 30%.
Step 2
By using MoveTool(V) (Move) you can move the light source or click on the icon Coordinates(Coordinates) on the panel Properties(Properties) and enter numeric coordinate values.
Step 3
Selecting a component Environment (Environment), click on the icon next to the parameter IBL(ISBI), select ReplaceTexture(Replace texture) and upload a photo of the room.
Step 4
Click on the icons again IBL(ISBI), select EditTexture(Edit texture), then press Ctrl+U and set Saturation(Saturation) to -65.
Save and close the file.
Step 5
Install Intensity(Intensity) by 50%.
Step 6
You can move the texture with MoveTool(V) (Move) until you get the desired result.
13. Text visualization and preparation for further editing
Step 1
Having finished creating the 3D scene, move on 3 D- Render(3D - Rendering) to visualize the picture. Rendering can take quite a long time depending on the power of your computer, but you can stop the process at any time by pressing the Esc key.
Step 2
When rendering is finished, right-click on the 3D layer and select ConverttoSmartObject(Convert to Smart Object).
Step 3
Let's move on Image- ImageSize(Image - Image Size) and set Width(Width) by 1500 pixels.
14. Add adjustment layers
Step 1
Click on the button Createnewfilloradjustmentlayer(Create a new fill or adjustment layer) at the bottom of the layers panel and select SelectiveColor(Selective color correction).
Step 2
Transform the adjustment layer into a clipping mask for the layer with the inscription (Ctrl+Alt+G) and configure it:
Yellows(Yellow):
- Cyan(Blue): 9
- Magenta(Magenta): 6
- Yellow(Yellow): 13
- Black(Black): 3
Greens(Green):
- Black(Black): -80
Cyans(Blue):
- Black(Black): -50
Whites(White):
- Cyan(Blue): -15
- Magenta(Magenta): 10
- Yellow(Yellow): 20
- Black(Black): -90
Neutrals(Neutral):
- Cyan(Blue): -2
- Yellow(Yellow): 5
Blacks(Black):
- Cyan(Blue) : -5
- Magenta(Magenta): 5
- Yellow(Yellow): -20
- Black(Black): 5
Thus, we improved the colors of the picture.
Step 3
Levels(Levels), also transform it into a clipping mask and set Highlights(Bright colors) on 27, Gamma(Midtones) by 1.03 and Shadows(Dark tones) at 231.
This will improve the contrast of your work.
15. Create a background
Step 1
Add a gradient fill layer above the background layer. We use the following colors (from right to left): #8f8e8e, #ebeaea and #8f8e8e.
Install Angle(Angle) at 105 and Scale(Scale) by 250. You can use your mouse to move the gradient within the work area to find the best location.
Step 2
Above the gradient layer, insert a picture with a bokeh effect. If necessary, adjust its size, rename the layer to “Glitter” and set the blending mode to SoftLight(Soft light).
Step 3
Add an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) and transform it into a clipping mask for the glitter layer, activate Colorize(Tinting) and install Hue(Color tone) by 40.
Step 4
We find the image hybrid03 in the set with pictures of bubbles and paste it above the glitter layer. Name the bubble layer “Background Texture 1”.
Screen
Step 5
Add an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) and transform it into a clipping mask for the bubble layer, activate Colorize(Tinting) and install Hue(Color tone) at 38.
Step 6
Place the Platinafx4 image from the set with abstract pictures above the “Background Texture 1” layer and name it “Background Texture 2”.
Change the blending mode of this layer to Screen(Lightening) and, if necessary, adjust the size.
Step 7
Add an adjustment layer Hue/Saturation(Hue/Saturation) and transform it into a clipping mask for the “Background Texture 2” layer, activate Colorize(Tinting) and install Hue(Color tone) to 35.
16. Adding highlights
Step 1
Activate BrushTool(B) (Brush) and open the panel Window- Brush(Window - Brush).
Choose any brush you like from the set with stars and highlights. Then we configure ShapeDynamics(Shape dynamics): SizeJitter(Size variation) 50%, AngleJitter(Angle fluctuation) 100%.
Step 2
Set the Foreground color to #d6d6d6, create a new layer above all the previous ones, call it “Highlights” and set the blending mode to Overlay(Overlap).
Reduce the brush size to a diameter at which the highlights will look good on the text. We begin to make strokes in the brightest places.
17. Add a Gradient Map
Step 1
Add an adjustment layer GradientMap(Gradient Map) and change its blending mode to SoftLight(Soft Light) with opacity 15%.
In the gradient settings window, activate the parameter Dither(Dither), then select colors (from left to right): #5a5871, #b79787 and #fdcd90.
Step 2
Experiment with different colors and opacity to get a unique result.
Congratulations, we're done!
In this tutorial we created a text layer, converted it to an outline and added a stroke.
Then we converted the layers into 3D objects and configured them appearance. After that, we finalized the lighting and visualized the finished text.
Finally we refined the colors and background using adjustment layers, textures and a highlight brush.
In this lesson we will look at the basic tools of Photoshop for working with 3D objects, namely text.
In Photoshop, you can easily simulate a beautiful 3D inscription, for example, for a logo for a website or group on a social network. Three-dimensional text in Photoshop is created much easier than in 3D editors, so let's get started!
1) Let's create a new document of the size you need, I set the square size to 1024 by 1024 pixels. To do this, in the top menu on the left, select “File” - “Create” and set the necessary parameters. If you are not an experienced Photoshop user, then I recommend not changing anything, leaving all parameters at default, except for the document size.
2) Now let's write the text, which we will later make three-dimensional. To do this, in the left side menu of the program, select the “Text” tool by clicking on it with the left mouse button.
Now, having chosen necessary tool, left-click on our canvas and print the required text. To adjust the text size, font, color, etc., you need to select the “Symbol” tab in the panel on the right side.
If this tab is not displayed for you, then you need to enable it by selecting “Window” - “Symbol” in the top menu of the program. There should be a checkmark to the left of the “Symbol” item, which means this item is enabled. If there is no checkmark, just left-click on this item.
3) And so, we printed the text we needed, adjusted its size, color, selected a font, and now we convert it into a three-dimensional 3D model. To do this, in the top menu of the program, select the item “3D” - “New 3D - extrusion from the selected layer” and in the pop-up window simply click “OK”.
In this case, the layer with the text in the right panel below should be selected; if another layer is selected, then left-click on the layer with the text to select it.
4) Having completed all the steps described above, we find ourselves in the 3D editing mode of our text. You can rotate and move text in any direction using the 3 axes by selecting the one you want and holding down the left mouse button. You can also arbitrarily select the angle of the text; to do this, move the mouse outside the text (preferably above it), press the left mouse button and, while holding it, move the mouse.
5) When working in 3D editing mode, the settings panel in the upper right part of the program becomes available to us. Using this panel, you can configure various effects for our text; try changing something by moving the settings sliders in this panel. By experimenting with these settings, you can get an unusual and interesting result.
For example, by adjusting the “Twist” setting slider, I got this interesting effect:
6) Having created the text you need with effects and the desired angle, you can convert it into a “Smart Object” and work with it as with a regular layer, and not with a 3D object. To do this, in the lower right panel, go from the "3D" tab to the "Layers" tab and select the text layer, right-click on it and select "Convert to Smart Object". But keep in mind that after converting the text to a Smart Object, you will no longer be able to edit it, i.e. change the text of the inscription itself, change the font, change 3D effects, etc., so this action is best done after finishing the work.
7) If you want to make the inscription, say, half curled, and the second part of the inscription simply voluminous and turned sideways, then accordingly, initially you need to create two different layers in each of which will be part of this inscription and work with each of the layers separately, editing part of the inscription.
Denny Tang; Translator: John Jackson
Translator's note: Attention! Without the basics of 3D modeling, you will have a hard time understanding some of the steps in this tutorial. I recommend viewing the articles in the section "Photoshop Tutorial - Basics" before starting.
Video tutorial:
Required, free fonts:
Step 1
Create a document of 1920x1200 pixels. Based on the downloaded fonts, create a caption as shown below. Adjust the text to fit the overall width, then place it in the middle of the document.
To center text, select the tool Move Tool (V)(Move Tool), then in the Layers Panel, select the text layer and the standard background layer, click on the "Align Centers Horizontally" and "Align Centers Vertically" buttons in the tool settings.
Step 2
Let's start working with 3D modeling functions. Click on the text layer and select New 3D extrusion from layer
Keep in mind that if you used a different font, much more difficult, in your work, Adobe Photoshop can warn you about this. In this case you need help Adobe Illustrator, for font processing. Right-click on the text layer and click on Convert to Shape(Convert to curves). Then copy the shape Editing - Copy.
Open Adobe Illustrator, create a new document, then insert a shape, Edit - Paste. Further Object - Path - Simplify. Check the box next to the function Preview, configure Curve Precision And Angle Threshold, as shown in the image below. Copy and paste the shape back into Adobe Photoshop. When inserting, select Shape Layer(Like a shape layer). Delete the old text layer. Right-click on the new layer and select New 3D extrusion from layer(New 3D extrusion from selected layer).
The above steps are given specifically for the case if you used a different, more complex font.
Step 3
When converting a layer to 3D, Adobe Photoshop will automatically open the 3D Panel. Go back to the Layers Panel and select the standard background layer. Right click and select Postcard(Post card). Go back to the Layers Palette, select both 3D layers, click Ctrl+E, combining them into one 3D layer.
Step 4
Let's start by reducing the thickness of the text. Select the text layer in the 3D Panel.
In the Panel Properties(Properties) change the setting Extrusion Depth(Extrusion depth). To preview the result, you can render 3D - Render(3D - Rendering). At this point, Adobe Photoshop will begin the process of preparing the image for the final one. The completion percentage can be seen in the lower left corner of the document. The process is slow; if desired, it can be interrupted by clicking anywhere on the canvas. For the text shown in this tutorial, a depth of 100 was selected.
Step 5
In this step we will “golden” the text. In the 3D Panel, select the Material layers together, as shown in the image below.
In the Panel Properties(Properties) change color Diffuse(Scattering) to # FFC000.
Step 6
On at this stage we need to align the text relative to the background. In the lower left corner there is a camera control panel, right-click on it and select Left(Left). The camera will change view.
In the 3D Panel, select the background layer and the text layer while holding down the key Ctrl. Select a tool Move Tool (V)(Move Tool), align the layers to the left. Next, return the camera to its original position by selecting Default Camera view(Default camera).
Step 7
Render the image Alt+Shift+Ctrl+R to see how the work looks, in this moment. It looks good, you can leave it like that if you want. But we are not going to stop. It is necessary to work with lighting, which plays a big role when creating 3D objects.
To add a new light source, click on the button at the bottom of the 3D Panel New Light(Add New World to stage) and select New Point Light(New spot light).
You need to move the new light source to the upper right corner. Select a tool Move Tool (V)(Move Tool), select 3D mode from the top menu Rotate the 3D Object(Rotate 3D object).
Using the camera control panel, in the lower left corner, rotate the view so that you are looking at the text from the upper right corner. You will need to move the view back a little.
Or hold down the key Alt and move the mouse wheel down, or select another mode, in the 3D menu in the tool settings panel Move Tool (V)(Move Tool) - Mode Slide the 3D Object(Slide 3D Object) and move the view back. Once the camera is in the correct position, on the Panel Properties(Properties) click the button Move to view(To View) to move the light to the current view. To change the light intensity, work with the settings Point Light(Point light), namely color intensity.
Return the camera view to its original position, change the color intensity and turn on Render until you are happy with your work.
Step 8
At the moment the light is too bright and the shadow is too obvious. In the 3D Panel, select the layer Point Light 1(Spot light 1). IN Properties(Properties) activate light decay Light Falloff(Light decline). For convenience, reduce the scale of the document. Change the setting Outer(Outer Radius) so that the lines of light reach the bottom left of the document and the light Inner(Inner radius) reached the top right corner of the document. Run Render to view the result.
Below is the before and after result.
Step 9
Let's return to the text. Let's give it a streamlined look. Select the text layer in the 3D Panel, go to Panel Properties, select tab Cap(Capital), change the parameter Width(width) on 10% . This will create embossing on the edges of the letters.
Step 10
Next, select again in the 3D Panel and select the layers with Materials, then in Properties change Shine(Shine) on 0% , Reflection(Reflection) on 100% , Roughness(Smoothness) on 3% . Parameter Smoothness will make the text smoother, but not completely.
Step 11
select the layer separately Front Bevel Material(Front bevel material). Options Shine(Shine) change to 100% , Roughness(Smoothness) on 0% . Thus polishing your text.
Step 12
Let's make the text more shiny by adding a sparkle. In the 3D Panel, select a layer Environment(Environment). Go to Panel Properties and click on the menu IBL(ISBI) - Image Based Lighting(Image based light source). At the moment the text does not have a special texture. You can upload any image or create a new one. For a new texture, click New Texture(New texture), a window for creating a new document will appear, leave the width and height the same as the main document 1920x1200 pixels.
Click on the folder icon again, select Edit Texture(Edit texture). This will open the new document we just created for editing. Select a tool Rectangle Tool (U)(Rectangle Tool), color black, no stroke. Divide the canvas in half horizontally, making the bottom part black.
To soften, add an adjustment layer Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Brightness/Contrast(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Brightness/Contrast), turn on the parameter Use Legacy(Use the same), change the Contrast to -50
Step 13
Using a tool Move Tool (V)(Move Tool) Drag a circle in the middle of the document until the texture moves to the middle of the text. Render for preview.
Step 14
We're done with the text. Let's move on to the background. Let's create an imitation of a wall. In the 3D Panel, select the layer Background(Background). Go to Panel Properties, install White color Diffuse(Diffusion), Shine(Shine) and Reflection(Reflection) set to 0% , Roughness(Smoothness) on 100% .
In settings Diffuse(Scattering) the texture was automatically set the moment we converted the layer into a 3D object. Since we don’t need it, click on the corresponding button and select Remove Texture(Remove texture).
Click on the same button again and select New Texture(New texture). In the settings window for the new document, set 1920x1200 pixels as the main document.
Click on the texture icon again and select Edit Texture(Edit texture). A new document will open. Apply filter Filter - Noise - Add Noise(Filter - Noise - Add Noise), leave the default settings, click OK. Apply Autoton by pressing keys Shift+Ctrl+L. Save and close the document.
Now the background looks more like a wall, but is still very hard. Soften the surface by lowering the settings Bump(Relief) to 5% . Perform Rendering.
Step 15
Now it's ready. You can go back and change the settings if you wish. For example, you can change Intensity Spot light up 100% (Step 7). IN Properties layer Environment change Softness(Smoothing) parameter Shadow(Shadow) on 100% , smoothing out the shadow.
Step 16
If the result seems too perfect for you, use the following in an interesting way, giving the text a color film effect. In the Panel Layers create a new adjustment layer Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Curves(Layer - New Adjustment Layer - Curves). IN Properties adjustment layer select Blue Channel, move both points closer to the center, giving the image a blue tint and golden highlights.
Hello.
Recently, the so-called 3D text has been gaining popularity: it looks great and attracts attention (it’s not surprising that it is in demand).
To create such text, you need to either use some “big” editors (for example, Photoshop), or some special ones. programs (that’s what I want to focus on in this article). The programs will be presented that any PC user can understand without much difficulty (i.e., focus on ease of use). So…
I nsofta 3D Text Commander
In my humble opinion, this program is as simple as you can imagine for creating 3D text :). Even if you don’t have the Russian language (and this version is the most popular on the Internet) - figure it out 3D Text Commander won't be difficult...
After installing and launching the program, you need to write your desired inscription in the text window (red arrow in Fig. 1), and then simply change the settings by flipping through the tabs (see Fig. 1, red oval). Changes to your 3D text will be immediately visible in the viewing window (green arrow in Fig. 1). Those. It turns out that we create the text we need online, without any programming or tedious manuals...
Rice. 1. Insofta 3D Text Commander 3.0.3 - the main window of the program.
When the text is ready, simply save it (see green arrow in Fig. 2). By the way, you can save in two versions: static and dynamic. Both options are shown in Fig. 3 and 4.
The result obtained is not bad at all. It is a regular picture in PNG format (dynamic 3D text is saved in GIF format).
X ara 3D Maker
Another good program for creating dynamic 3D texts. Working with it is just as easy as with the first one. After starting the program, pay attention to the panel on the left: go into each fold one by one and change the settings. The changes will be immediately visible in the viewing window.
The huge number of options in this utility is captivating: you can rotate the text, change its shadows, edges, structure (by the way, the program has many built-in textures, for example, wood, metal, etc.). Overall, I recommend it to anyone interested in this topic.
In 5 minutes of working with the program, I created a small GIF image with 3D text (see Fig. 6). The mistake was made on purpose to give effect :).
By the way, I also want to draw your attention to the fact that in order to write a beautiful text, you don’t have to use programs - there are plenty of online services. I discussed some of them in one of my articles: . In order for the text to be beautiful, by the way, it is not necessary to give it a 3D effect; you can find more interesting options!
What other programs can be used to give a 3D effect to text:
- BluffTitler is, frankly speaking, not a bad program. But there is one “BUT” - it is somewhat more complicated than those given above, and it will be more difficult for an untrained user to understand it. The principle of operation is the same: there is an options panel where parameters are set and there is a screen where you can view the resulting text with all the effects;
- Aurora 3D Animation Maker is a great professional program. You can make not only inscriptions in it, but also entire animations. It is recommended to switch to this program when you become familiar with simpler ones.
- Elefont is very small (only 200-300 KB) and simple program for creating three-dimensional texts. The only point is that it allows you to save the result of your work in DXF format (which is not suitable for everyone).
Of course, this short review Large graphic editors were not included, in which you can not only create 3D text, but you can do EVERYTHING...