3D Layered Blocks Text Effect in Photoshop CC 2014

This tutorial will show you how to play around with Photoshop’s Shape and 3D options and settings, to create a simple clean 3D text effect pretty easily and quickly.

The Final Result

Tutorial Details

• Software Used : Photoshop
• Version : CC 2014
• Time : 0:45 – 1:45

Resources

• Titillium font (Titillium Black).

Purchase the File: You can purchase the PSD file for this for the price of a cup of coffee (just $4).

Step 1

Create a new 1360 x 1240 px document and fill the Background with the color #fcfcfc.

Then, create the text in All Caps using the font Titillium. If you’re creating more than one line of text, make sure to adjust the font Size for each line, as well as the Leading value.

Here, the font Sizes used are 467 and 360, and the Leading value is set to 250.

Right click the text layer and choose Convert to Shape. Then duplicate the shape layer and make it invisible by clicking the eye icon next to it.

Pick the Ellipse Tool, make sure that the Shape option is active in the Options bar, then click the Geometry Options icon. Set the Fixed Size‘s W and H values to 35, and check the From Center box.

Click the Subtract Front Shape icon (if this changes the shape just go to Edit > Step Backward), then start clicking and dragging slightly to subtract some circles from the letters’ corners.

Create a new layer, click the Geometry Options icon again, and change the Fixed Size‘s W and H values to 33. Choose the Combine Shapes option, then start clicking and dragging inside each circle to fill it with the slightly smaller one. You might need to zoom in quite a bit to be able to place the circles precisely.

Step 2

Once you’re done, go to 3D > New 3D Extrusion from Selected Path. This will convert the shape layer into a 3D layer.

To access the 3D mesh Settings and properties, you’ll need to open two panels: The 3D panel, and the Properties panel (both found under the Window menu).

The 3D panel has all the components of the 3D scene, and when you click the name of any of those, you’ll be able to access its Settings in the Properties panel. So make sure to always select the name of the element you want to modify in the 3D panel before you change its Settings in the Properties panel.

Select the 3D Mesh‘s name tab in the 3D panel, then change its Extrusion Depth value to 250 in the Properties panel.

Click the Cap icon at the top of the Properties panel, then change the Sides to Front and Back, the Width to 5%, and the Contour to Half Round.

Step 3

Select all the 3D Mesh Material tabs in the 3D panel, then click the Diffuse texture icon in the Properties panel and choose Remove Texture.

Change the rest of the Settings as shown below – the color values used in RGB are:

Diffuse : 231,231,231
Specular : 51,51,51
Illumination : 0,0,0
Ambient : 0,0,0

Create two more copies of the 3D layer you’ve just modified.

Step 4

Select the Ellipse 1 layer, then go to 3D > New 3D Extrusion from Selected Path. Change the Mesh’s Extrusion Depth to 1375.

Under the Cap tab, change the Sides to Front and Back and the Width to 2%.

Select all the Material tabs, remove the Diffuse texture, then change the rest of the Settings as below:

Diffuse : 235,134,157 – But you can use any other color you like as well.
Specular : 211,211,211
Illumination : 0,0,0
Ambient : 0,0,0

The low Opacity value can increase the rendering time a lot. So you can keep it at a 100% if you want to get a much quicker render.

Step 5

Make the original shape layer visible by clicking inside the empty box next to it, then go to 3D > New 3D Extrusion from Selected Path, and change the Mesh’s Extrusion Depth to 20.

Under the Cap tab, change the Sides to Front and Back, the Width to 2%, and the Contour to Half Round..

Apply the same Ellipses‘ material to this mesh as well.

Step 6

Drag the original shape layer to the top, then select all the 3D layers you have.

Go to 3D > Merge 3D Layers to place all the meshes in one scene.

Select the Move Tool and check its Options bar. You’ll find a set of 3D Modes for the tool to the right of the bar. When you choose one of those, you can then click and drag to perform any changes (on the selected element in the 3D panel).

Click the Current View tab in the 3D panel to change the camera angle.

Then, select all the 3D mesh tabs in the 3D panel, click the Coordinates icon in the Properties panel, and change the X Rotation Angle to 90. After that, go to 3D > Move Object to Ground Plane to make sure it is not floating above the ground.

Click the Current View tab in the 3D panel again, then choose Front from the View drop down menu.

Zoom in if needed, pick the Move Tool, and start placing the meshes as you like vertically. Click the mesh in the 3D scene (or select its name in the 3D panel), and use the 3D Axis to make any changes.

The arrows at the ends of the axis move the mesh, the part below them is used for rotation, and the cubes are used for scaling. The cube in the center is used to scale the object uniformly. All you need to do is click and drag the wanted part.

You might as well need to check the Top view to make sure all meshes are in place.

Click the Default Camera tab in the 3D panel when done, then click the Infinite Light 1 tab, and change its Shadow Softness value to 30%.

Use the Move Tool to get a camera angle you like for the final render, and when done, go to 3D > Render.

The rendering might take some time, especially if you are using transparent materials. But you can stop it any time by pressing the Esc key.

When the rendering is done, click the Add new fill or adjustment layer icon down the Layers panel and choose Brightness/Contrast, then change the Contrast to 15.

And you’re done!

Hope you enjoyed the tutorial and found the tips and tricks used helpful 🙂