Creating 3D text effect does not always require using the 3D tools. This tutorial will show you a simple way of using the shape attributes in Adobe Photoshop CC, along with a couple of layer styles, to create a retro, leather-like, 3D text effect pretty easily and quickly. Let’s get started!
Tutorial Assets
The following assets were used during the production of this tutorial.
- Courgette font.
- Carbon Fibre Big pattern by Factorio.us Collective.
- Large leather pattern by Elemis.
- gradient-shapes for Photoshop by ilnanny (Load the CHROMES.grd and the CSP True Sky Gradients.grd files).
1. Create the Background
Step 1
Create a new 1000 x 750px document. Set the Foreground color to #e4e4e2 and the Background color to #0b0b0b. Pick the Gradient Tool, choose the Foreground to Background gradient fill, and click the Radial Gradient icon.
Then, click-drag from the center of the document to one of the corners to create the background gradient. Duplicate the Background layer.
Step 2
Double-click the Background copy layer to apply a Pattern Overlay effect, by changing the Blend Mode to Hard Light, and using the Carbon Fibre Big pattern.
Step 3
This will apply a simple pattern to the background.
2. Create the Text and the Shape
Step 1
Create the text placing each letter in a separate layer. The font used is Courgette, the color is #debc8b, and the Size is 350 pt.
Step 2
Pick the Rectangle Tool, and create a rectangle below the text. The rectangle’s fill color should be the same as the text color.
Step 3
Pick the Convert Point Tool, then start clicking and dragging each of the rectangle’s corners to convert the corner anchor points into smooth anchor points.
Step 4
Pick the Direct Selection Tool, then you can click and drag an anchor point to move it around, or you can click the Direction Points at the end of the two Direction Handles, then move them around to change the orientation of the curve, or drag them outwards and inwards to make the curve wider or narrower.
Step 5
Keep modifying the anchor points until you get a shape you like, then place the shape layer below all the text layers.
3. Group the Letters, Create Copy Layers, and Create the Shape Layers
Step 1
Place each letter’s layer in a group that has the letter’s name.
Step 2
Now you can either work on all the letters simultaneously, or work on each one separately. In this tutorial, only one letter will be used to demonstrate the process, and then you can follow the exact same steps for the rest of the letters, and copy and paste the layer styles and shape attributes as well.
So all the groups will be made invisible (by clicking the eye icons next to them) except for the first letter’s group.
Step 3
Duplicate the text layer, change the copy’s Fill value to 0, and duplicate it.
Step 4
Duplicate the original text layer, drag the copy below the original text layer, right click it and choose Convert to Shape, then rename it to [the letter] Shape.
Duplicate the shape layer and drag the copy below it.
Step 5
Duplicate the copy shape layer and drag the final copy on top of all the layers you have in the group.
So now the layers you should have from top to bottom in the group – the letter E’s group in this case – are:
- E Shape copy 2
- E copy 2
- E copy
- E
- E Shape
- E Shape copy
These names will be used throughout the rest of the tutorial, so please make sure you have a similar naming and order.
4. Modify the Shape Attributes
Step 1
Select the Shape copy 2 layer, and pick the Direct Selection Tool. In the Options bar, you’ll get a couple of shape attributes that you can modify.
Start off by changing the Fill to None, the Stroke color to #91741c, and the Stroke Width to 1. Then, click the Set shape stroke type icon, choose the dashed line preset, and make sure that the Align is set to Inside. This will create the stitches.
Step 2
Select the original Shape layer, change the Fill color to #e4e4e4, the Stroke color to #d4d4d4, the Stroke Width to 5, and change the Align to Outside.
Step 3
Select the Shape copy layer, make sure that the Fill color is #e4e4e4 and the Stroke is set to None, then go to Edit > Free Transform. Press the Right Arrow Key once and the Down Arrow Key once as well to move the shape 1px to the right and 1px downwards. Then hit Enter/Return to accept the changes.
Step 4
Now press the Alt-Ctrl-Shift-T or Option-Command-Shift-T keys 5 times to duplicate the layer and the transformation. This will result in a simple 3D extrusion.
5. Style the Stitches
Double-click the Shape copy 2 layer to apply the following Layer Style:
Step 1
- Size: 0
Step 2
Step 3
- Color:
#edd67b– but you can choose any other color you like as well.
Step 4
- Color:
#5b3e03 - Distance: 0
- Size: 1
Step 5
This will style the stitches.
6. Style the Main Text Layer
Double-click the original text layer to apply the following Layer Style:
Step 1
- Size: 18
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Shadow Mode – Color:
#93804d
Step 2
- Pattern: Large leather
- Depth: 60%
- Check the Invert box
Step 3
- Blend Mode: Linear Burn
- Noise: 65%
- Color:
#e6d842 - Source: Center
Step 4
This will create the leather-like part of the text.
7. Style the First Copy Text Layer
Double-click the first copy text layer to apply the following Layer Style:
Step 1
- Size: 21
- Soften: 5
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: -108
- Altitude: 58
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Shadow Mode – Opacity: 0%
Step 2
- Contour: Cove – Deep
- Check the Anti-aliased box.
Step 3
This will add some highlight areas to build up the 3D look of the leather.
8. Style the Second Copy Text Layer
Double-click the second copy text layer to apply the following Layer Style:
Step 1
- Size: 21
- Soften: 5
- Uncheck the Use Global Light box
- Angle: 99
- Altitude: 58
- Check the Anti-aliased box
- Highlight Mode: Hard Light
- Color:
#fffbe2 - Opacity: 100%
- Shadow Mode – Opacity: 0%
Step 2
- Contour: Half Round
- Check the Anti-aliased box.
Step 3
This will enhance the 3D look of the leather part and give it some more depth.
9. Style the Original Shape Layer
Double-click the original Shape layer to apply the following Layer Style:
Step 1
- Size: 1
- Check the Anti-aliased box
Step 2
- Contour: Ring
- Check the Anti-aliased box.
- Range: 100%
Step 3
This will style the edges of the extrusion.
10. Style the Extrusion
Double-click the first copy Shape layer to apply the following Layer Style:
Step 1
- Style: Reflected
- Angle: 45
- Choose the steel pipe 20 gradient from the CHROMES.grd file
Step 2
- Distance: 15
- Size: 7
Step 3
This will create a simple reflective 3D extrusion.
11. Adding a Gradient Map
Step 1
Repeat the same steps for the rest of the letters if you haven’t already, and place them as you like in the document. Making them overlap a bit will make the effect look more interesting.
Step 2
Once done, click the Create new fill or adjustment layer icon down the Layers panel and choose Gradient Map.
Step 3
Choose the CSP True Sky Sunradial gradient from the True Sky Gradients.grd file, then change the layer’s Blend Mode to Multiply and the Opacity to 10%. This will help slightly adjust the coloring of the final result.
And You’re Done!
In this tutorial, the text and a simple shape were created in separate layers, then grouped, duplicated, and re-arranged. After that, some more copies of the text layers were created after converting them to shape layers, in order to style them.
A couple of shape attributes were modified for the shape layers, and one was duplicated with a transformation, to create the stitches, the extrusion edges, and the 3D extrusion,.
After that, all the layers were styled to create the leather center and the metallic reflective extrusion.
Finally, the letters were placed in the document, and the coloring was slightly enhanced by adding a Gradient Map adjustment layer.
Please feel free to leave your comments, suggestions, and outcomes below.
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