How to Create 3D Text in Adobe Photoshop CS2
Typography is arguably the most important part in design. Recently there has been a surge in the use of three dimensional type treatments. Generally, 3D text is created with the aid of a vector or 3D program such as Illustrator or Xara3D and then imported into Photoshop. However, if all you have is Photoshop, you can still create custom three dimensional text, using a method to make your text appear to be 3D.
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Instructions
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Create a new document by selecting "File" then "New." Set the document size and resolution in the resulting dialog box.
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Select the "Text" tool from the tool palette (it looks like a serif “T”).
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Click on your document and type your text. Set the font and color before moving on to the next step.
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Apply any text effects you want by highlighting your text and clicking the warped text button in the tool bar across the top of your screen. The button shows a capital “T” with an arched line underneath it. Alternatively, use the move tool (looks like a black arrow) and click on one of the corner nodes, then right-click the same node to access a fly-out menu with different perspective and distortion effects.
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Open the layers palette and rename your text layer “Bottom.”
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Select the text layer in the layers palette and hit "Ctrl" and "J" to copy the layer. Rename the layer “Top.”
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Highlight the text on the bottom layer by double-clicking the “T” icon to the left of the layer in the layers palette. Change the text color to a darker hue than the original color. This bottom layer will be transformed into the sides of your 3D text, so you want it darker to create a shadow effect.
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Select the bottom, darker text and use your keyboard arrows to position it where you want the bottom of your 3D text to be. In most cases, you will want to move it down and a little to the right. The further down you move it, the taller your text will appear.
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Make a copy ("Ctrl" and "J") of both the Top and Bottom layers. Arrange the layers in this order: Top, Top Copy, Bottom Copy, then Bottom.
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Select the “Bottom Copy” layer and duplicate it about 60 times by repeatedly hitting "Ctrl" and "J."
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Scroll to the top of the layers palette and select the “Top Copy” layer (which should be the second from the top). Then scroll to the bottom of the layers palette, hold down the "Shift" key and select the “Bottom Copy” layer (which should be the second layer from the bottom). This action should highlight all the layers between the top and bottom layers.
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Right-click on the selected layers and click "Link Layers."
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Go to the Layer menu at the top of the screen, then Distribute Linked, and finally select "Vertical Centers." Repeat and select "Horizontal Centers." This should create the illusion of 3D text. If your edges are jagged, you need more layer copies in between the top and bottom layer.
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Go to the Layer menu again and select "Merge Linked." This will combine all the middle layers into a single layer.
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Tips & Warnings
Play with gradients, colors and textures to create truly unique text effects.
References
Resources
- Photo Credit http image by Julydfg from Fotolia.com
