Elegant 3D Text Effect in Photoshop
In this tutorial you’ll learn how to create an elegant 3D Text effect using simple the shape tool, layer styles and paths.
Step 1: Setting Size
Make a new document. I’m choosing a standard desktop resolution of 1280×1024 so this can be used as a wallpaper.
Step 2:
Now press "U" and select the rectangle tool. Create a rectangle that is the size of the document. Name this rectangle layer "Gradient". Now apply a layer style with a gradient overlay using these colors #af1854, #f0d6c0 and #ffffff. Be sure the gradient is set to Radial.
Important
Make sure to turn on the "Shape Layer" instead of the default path layer when using the Rectangle Shape Tool.
Step 3:
Now transform the rectangle named "gradient" and increase it’s size from all sides. The gradient will stretch along with rectangle and the background will look like this:
Step 4:
Now click on type tool and write "Think" on a new layer. Name this layer "Think". I used Helvetica Neue 75 bold. Apply an inner glow with these settings:
Blend Mode: Multiply
Color – black
Opacity – 8%
Size – 13 px
Note: These values may change depending on the size of your font. Use the image below for reference.
The text will look like this:
Step 5: Creating 3D Text
Duplicate the text layer and position it behind "Think" layer. Name this layer "3D". To give it a 3D look, we need to extract all the highlighted 3D faces of text . Let’s start with letter "T".
Press "U" and create a rectangle of equal width above the letter "T". Don’t forget to turn on "shape layer". Fill this rectangle with any color and give opacity 20%.
Press "A" and select the direct selection tool. Select the upper two anchor points and align them by pressing the right arrow to give the top of your "T" a 3D look. Name this shape "T1".
Create other faces shown below using the same process. Name these T2 and T3.
Step 6: Giving Shadows
Select the face T1 and change it’s color to white. Hold Ctrl and click on layer T1 to get selection of layer. Create a new layer and name it "T1shadow". Select a brush, and using the color black, hardness 0% and size 50 px. Drag from left to right to give it depth.
Step 7:
Repeat step 5 & 6 to the rest of the characters. Give shadows to other letters carefully. If everything is done correctly, the result will look like this.
You may decide to apply your shadows differently. I’ve applied shadows that gives the text a bit of a soft glossy feel.
Step 8:
Select all layers except the background layer, group them and name the group "Think". Copy the group and merge all the layers of this group copy. This layer will be automatically named as "Think". Duplicate the Think layer and change the blending mode to multiply with 50% opacity.
Step 9:
To create a perfect shadow we need to establish a perspective viewport. Create a new document of size 900 x 600 px. Press ctrl + " to show the grid. Press print screen to copy the entire desktop. Open new document, paste the image and remove the area without the grid.
Copy this grid and paste it in our work document. Change it’s blending mode to multiply to see through it. Transform it to create a plane on which the shadow will fall.
Step 10: Shadowing
Duplicate the Think layer and fill it with black. Transform it to make it fall onto our grid.
Fill in empty spaces where we added extra faces on our characters with black and merge them with the think shadow layer. Now our shadow will look like this:
Step 11:
Apply a Gaussain Blur to our shadow layer "think shadow" and change it’s blending mode to multiply. Now add a layer mask to the “think shadow” layer to fade out the shadow using a gradient (or use a soft eraser).
Step 12:
Looking pretty good! Now let’s add some lighting effects. Press P to select the pen tool and create a Path like this.
Now select a brush of size of 5px with 100% hardness. Select White as your foreground color. Select the pen tool again—the path you drew before should still be there. Right click and select "stroke path" tool. Select Brush from drop down menu and turn on "stimulate pressure". You will get stroke like this:
Step 13:
Name the this stroke layer as "Wave 1" and duplicate the layer. Go to filter > Distort > Wave and apply filter with these settings:
This will give an extra wavy look to the stroke.
Step 14:
Create some more waves by following the steps 12 & 13 and arrange them around the text. Apply a light gussian blur to some waves to give them a sense of depth. If everything is done correctly then it will look like this:
Step 15:
As an optional step, we can add some stars to our text. Press "U" to select the custom shape tool and select 5 point star.
Make a new document of size 100 x 100 px and make a star with the 5 point star shape. Fill it with black and then ctrl + click the same layer to get selection of star. Go to Edit > Define Brush Preset, create the brush and name it star brush.
Step 16:
Press F5 to access the brush panel and apply these settings:
Brush tip shape – spacing 30%
Shape Dynemics – size jitter & angle jitter 100%
Scattering – 578% on both axis
Other Dynemics – opacity 100%.
Step 17:
Select this star brush and keep its size to 15 px. Set foreground color to "#ff62ad". Create another path with the pen tool, right click to select "stroke path". Turn on stimulate pressure and create a wave of stars. Name this new layer something like “Star Wave”.
Step 18:
Now we just need to hide this star wave layer from some places to make it seem as if it is passing through layers. I prefer to use a mask, and manually filling in the areas I want to hide.
115 Comments
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Flag as inappropriateitx looking very nice effect…
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very nice this is
Flag as inappropriatevist for basic training of photoshop
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hi can u plz do me a same 1 but with “Fashion Forward” to my webcast !!!
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Very nice. Have been looking to work on a tutorial just like this one.
Flag as inappropriateGreat tutorial, love the the sparkly stars effect at the end :)
Flag as inappropriateVery nice. Have been looking to work on a tutorial just like this one. Of course you probably make it look easier than it really is.
Cheers!
Flag as inappropriateSimple Simple Simple Best
Flag as inappropriatenice, learn a lot, thx
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Flag as inappropriateThank you for the informative post :)
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Just excellent, i love it, thanks for all.
Flag as inappropriatebeyond me
Flag as inappropriateI really love this page, but you must explain better. When you told me to copy the group and merge the layers and copy again…blablabla. It wasn’t good enought
Flag as inappropriateI really thanks to you because you are really giving very informative and useful content free.
Flag as inappropriateDear Sir or Madam;
I really enjoy with your effect. and I have one more thing to ask you. if your could help me please E_mail me?
1- How to repair a old picture to be a new beautiful one.
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Thank you
Monkol
Flag as inappropriateI didn’t got your email address so if you want to talk to me just shoot a mail to me, I usually check it within 24 hrs. Here is my email address.
captonjohn(at)gmail(dot)com
narendra(at)narendrakeskar(dot)com
(do replace the words with appropriate symbol in email)
Flag as inappropriateI love this page … the way a little
Flag as inappropriateingenuity can do many things. part of a good style.
Great tutorial, Thanks!
Flag as inappropriateIt’s very interesting
Flag as inappropriateExcellent tute.
Flag as inappropriateThis was great for a base to an idea I had and it implemented perfectly. I did use a script type font so it made for a slightly more difficult 3D effect…I used the pen tool and adjusted the curves to join the front text to the back. Time consuming but worked well.
Thanx I Love It .
Flag as inappropriateI’m having trouble with step 6. I’m not sure how to move the grid so it’s on the angle for the shadow. Does anyone know how?
Flag as inappropriateI didn’t got understood your problem. In step 6 there is only an area is selected where shadow has to be given. Probably you are talking about the lower grid where shadow of text has been created. I just kept visible grids on a blank document and pressed print screen button and isolated this grid for setting proper shadow.
Flag as inappropriatei love all of ur tut
i want to know that may i share these on my forum?
Flag as inappropriateThanks for liking tutorial and sure you can share it in any blog or forum but can’t copy it. You’ll have to provide direct link of full tutorial posted in tutorial9.
Flag as inappropriateThanks for the good tip and posting
Flag as inappropriateWhat a nice tutorial. Luv the last step. ;p
Flag as inappropriateit´s great!
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wow, this is actually really cool, i like your attention to detail.
Flag as inappropriateThanks.How do you get good results so I’m wondering
Flag as inappropriateGood Stuff! Thanks a lot in sharing!
Peter
Flag as inappropriateVery nice text effect!
Flag as inappropriateThanks a lot in sharing this great tutorial with us. Love this one
Flag as inappropriateThanks, You couldn’t make it look more easyer
Flag as inappropriateReally great looking Font, seems simple to re-create thanks to your instructions, I’ll use this tutorial in the near future. Thanks
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In curvy letters like “h” & “n” I just added some shadow and lighting effect by simply brushing the area. I brushed some grey to darken the area and some light color to highlight it. Simple.
Flag as inappropriateGreat tut. But I think the “T” letter somehow is different from the rest (The edge color is not as contrasted, and it seems “blueish” to me, i’m not sure if it’s my screen or something)
Flag as inappropriateIt would be great if you showed how to do the curved letters. Those look a lot trickier than the plain old straight ones!
Flag as inappropriatethe 3d text its a lot easy to do with Repouseé in SC5
Flag as inappropriateWOW! Stunning is all I can say, simply stunning.
Flag as inappropriateNice tutorial! looks very elegant!
Flag as inappropriateilike the step 13, creating wave lines!
Flag as inappropriatethanks for sharing!
Hi,
Flag as inappropriateNice tutorial! Thanks! Best Regards…
very good work ..thank you .. i am a graphic designer ….doing in flex work….
Flag as inappropriateNice effects… u r job is superb….
Flag as inappropriategood.thank you for sharing.
Flag as inappropriateIt’s so beautiful!!!
Flag as inappropriateI like it
Thanks a lot
Awesome tutorial! Love how the shading and shadows look very realistic. Thanks for this tutorial.
Flag as inappropriateI am stuck on step #5. I selected the direct selection tool but his doesn’t seem to do anything. Can anyone point me to what I might be doing wrong?
Also it would have been nice if this tutorial would have shown how to create the 3d effect in the rounded letters like the h and the n.
Flag as inappropriateYou are facing problem because all edges of rectangle is already selected. When we click with “selection tool” it selects whole path or shape and hence needs to deselect the shape before or after selecting “direct selection tool”.
Select direct selection tool then deselect the rectangle by clicking anywhere outside the rectangle. and after that select the edges of rectangle. This will work.
Flag as inappropriateThx alot, great tut’. But with Ai it’s alot easyer :D
Flag as inappropriateTHX Great TuT
Flag as inappropriateWow, thank you!
Flag as inappropriateGreat Tutorial! :D