How to Create Spherical Logos in Adobe Illustrator
Projecting text (or other media) onto the surface of a sphere is a graphic design technique that's used a lot in advertising, in making billboard displays and in designing flyers. Some clients might also ask you to do this for business cards. It's one technique in the arsenal of tips and tricks that a graphic design professional needs to know, and Adobe Illustrator makes it very easy.
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Instructions
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Select the "Type" tool, and type the text you want to appear on the spherical logo. Be sure to select a font with bold strokes, something thick and high contrast. Double-check the spelling because the next step is going to make the text uneditable.
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Click the "Object" menu, and select "Expand" to convert your text to Illustrator drawing objects. Apply any effects on the text that you want to use, such as beveling and embossing, a stroke or an outer glow.
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Click the "Symbols" icon in the docked palettes to bring up the "Symbols" palette. Drag your text into the palette area, and give the newly created symbol a name that you can easily remember.
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To set the fill color to the color you want the sphere to be, double-click the color-picking tools at the bottom of the floating toolbar on the left side of the work area.
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Click the "Rectangle" tool, and select "Ellipse."
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Hold down the "Shift" key, and draw a circle.
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Click the "Direct Selection" tool (the white arrow on the floating toolbar), and select the rightmost part of the circle you just drew. Press the "Delete" key.
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Click the "Effect" menu, and select "3D." From the secondary menu, select "Revolve." On the "3D Revolve Options" menu that comes up, make sure that the drop-down that says "Left Edge" is set to "Right Edge" so that you'll end up with a sphere. You can also use the drop-downs to adjust for texture, lighting and more. (Selecting the check box for "Preview" lets you see what the sphere will look like with a different option.)
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Click the "Map Art" button in the 3D Revolve Options" dialog box. You will see a mapping of the surface of the sphere, and at the upper right, you can select a symbol to map to the surface of the sphere. Choose the symbol that has the text you created earlier. A small representation will show up on the mapping area. Drag this to the area you want (in general, on the front of the sphere, towards the left of the mapping area), and click "OK" to get back to the "3D Revolve Options" dialog.
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Click "OK." You'll see your sphere with the logo text embossed on it. If you need to adjust the placement of the logo text, double-click the icon for the "Appearances" palette, and double-click the entry for "3D Revolve." This opens the "3D Revolve Options" dialog again, and you can adjust it as you see fit.
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References
- Photo Credit Brand X Pictures/Brand X Pictures/Getty Images
