In this tutorial, you will learn how to create a colorful and fun 3D isometric text effect in Adobe Photoshop. Convert your 2D text into a 3D layer using Photoshop's 3D workspace. Using the 3D workspace, you can change and edit a variety of advanced settings such as lighting, color, materials, size, camera angles, and more!
As for color, we will be celebrating the Pantone Color of the Year by using PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri. Find out more about this Pantone color by visiting the official Pantone website.
Short on time but still need to create a 3D effect in Photoshop with isometric text? Check out what's available on Envato Elements, where you can find a wide variety of 3D isometric Photoshop actions for you to download and use quickly and easily.
A good example of this would be the 3D Isometric Photoshop Action. This pack works with text layers, vector shapes, pixel layers, smart objects, and folder groups. It's easy to customise and fully editable, so check it out and download the pack using the link below:
Are you a visual person who prefers video over written tutorials? Then I'm sure you'll like this new video from the Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel. Learn how to create this cool Photoshop 3D isometric text effect by watching this video:
What You'll Learn in This Photoshop 3D Isometric Tutorial
In this tutorial, I will show you step by step how to create a Photoshop 3D isometric text effect from scratch using the basic 3D tools available in Adobe Photoshop. Topics we cover will include:
- How to turn text into a 3D object in Photoshop
- How to use 3D layers in Photoshop to edit the materials, color, size, and depth
- How to navigate around the 3D workspace to move objects
- How to choose a camera angle
- How to create lighting effects and shadows
- How to apply the Pantone Color of the Year PANTONE 17-3938 Very Peri
What You'll Need
To follow along with this tutorial, you'll need your own version of Adobe Photoshop. We will also be using the geometric typeface Visby CF—click on the image below to download it:
1. How to Create a Background Using Pantone Veri Peri
Step 1
Create a new file in Adobe Photoshop. For this tutorial, we will be creating a file size of 1920 x 1080, so feel free to use the same values below to follow along.
Step 2
Create a new layer for the background, and then select the Paint Bucket Tool (G). Use the Color Picker and choose the Color of the Year Pantone Veri Peri #6667AB.
Step 3
Then click on the layer to create the background.
2. How to Convert 2D Text Into 3D
Step 1
Use the Text Tool to create a text layer and type in some text. We'll be using the geometric typeface Visby CF.
Step 2
Decide what color you want to use for the text. For this tutorial, we will be using PANTONE 11-4201 TPX Cloud Dancer #f1f0ec, which is a good complementary color.
You can find more color combinations that are complementary to Pantone Veri Peri by going to the official Pantone website.
Step 3
To create the 3D effect in Photoshop, select one of the text layers and then go to 3D > New 3D Extrusion From Selected Layer. You may be prompted to switch to the 3D workspace, so click Yes.
Step 4
Repeat this for both text layers.
3. How to Merge 3D Layers in Photoshop
Step 1
In the Layers panel, select both 3D text layers and then go to 3D > Merge 3D Layers.
Step 2
Go to the 3D panel and make sure that both text objects are contained within the layer.
4. How to Work With the 3D Scene
Step 1
To access the 3D mesh settings and properties, you’ll need to open two panels:
- the 3D panel
- the Properties panel
The 3D panel has all the components of the 3D scene. Click the name of any of the components and you’ll be able to access its settings in the Properties panel. So make sure to always select the tab of the element you want to modify in the 3D panel before you change its settings in the Properties panel.
Step 2
Select the Move Tool and you’ll find a set of 3D Modes to the right of the Options bar that can be used to navigate around the 3D space.
Click and drag to perform changes on the selected element in the 3D panel.
Select the Current View and use those modes to move it at an angle.
Step 3
Select the Orthographic View in the Properties panel to produce the isometric text Photoshop look.
5. How to Adjust and Position the 3D Text
Step 1
Go to the Properties panel and select the Deform tab. From there, increase or decrease the Extrusion Depth to your liking. For this tutorial, we will set the depth value for the large text to 34 and the small text to 11.
Step 2
In the Properties panel, select the Coordinates tab and set the X angle to 90° for both the large text and the small text. You can also experiment with the other values here to move the 3D objects around the scene.
Step 3
Make sure to repeat the above steps for both the large and the small text by selecting them in the 3D panel. You can also use the Move Tool (V) to move objects using the colored 3D move widget.
Step 4
You can use the Coordinates tab to move the 3D objects down along the Y axis so that they meet the floor.
Step 5
Select the Cap tab and for the contour choose Half Round. Make the width 10% to create a nice edge to your text. Repeat this for both 3D objects.
6. How to Save the Camera View
Step 1
Choose a camera view you like for the final result.
Step 2
Then, click the Current View tab, and choose Save from the View menu.
Step 3
Type in a name for the view and click OK.
Step 4
This will add the saved view to both the 3D panel and the View menu.
You can now change the camera view to check that there are no issues with the meshes or the materials, and go back easily to the saved final view after that.
7. How to Adjust the Lighting
Step 1
Select the Infinite Light tab, and choose Infinite Light from the Type menu in the Properties panel.
Step 2
Change the light direction with the mouse paying close attention to the shadows. For this tutorial, we have the light originating from the top left.
Step 3
To change the look of the image further, go to the Properties panel (whilst the environment is selected in the 3D panel) and have a play with the options available here. In this tutorial, we have changed the opacity of the shadows to 60% and the color of the shadows to a darker shade of purple:
- R - 29
- G - 29
- B - 52
8. How to Render the 3D Scene
Step 1
Once you're done modifying the scene, go to 3D > Render 3D Layer. The rendering might take a while, but you can stop it any time by pressing the Esc key.
After the rendering is finished, right-click the 3D layer, and choose Convert to Smart Object. This will prevent any accidental changes on the 3D layer.
Step 2
You can also change the color of the text and the background before committing to the render. It is recommended to save a pre-rendered version of the PSD file so that it is safe to experiment with the different options.
Congratulations, You're Done!
Congratulations! And that is how you can create an isometric Photoshop text effect using the 3D settings. In this tutorial, we created a text layer and learnt how to convert it into 3D.
After that, we worked on their settings to increase or decrease their depth, as well as the lighting and camera angle of the scene.
Finally, once we were happy with the way our image was looking, we rendered the scene.
Please feel free to create your own Photoshop 3D isometric text effects, and I'll see you next time here on Envato Tuts+!
Top 5 3D Isometric Action Effects From Envato Elements
Want to create cool 3D text effects, but short on time? Then head on over to Envato Elements, where you can download many different isometric action effects that you can use and customise. Here are five of my favourites.
3D Isometric Photoshop Action (ATN, PDF)
This pack works with text layers, vector shapes, pixel layers, smart objects, and folder groups. It's easy to customise and fully editable, letting you choose different extrusion sizes, shadow sizes, lighting direction, and colors!
Vibrant 3D Text Effects (PSD, ASL, PDF)
This pack works great for creating posters, flyers, banners, and titles. It's simple and easy to use—all you need to do is place your design into the smart object!
Pro 3D Text Mockups (PSD)
This 3D text effect pack creates a trendy realistic look for your images. It contains four PSD files with their own unique backgrounds, with smart objects to create your 3D text.
Popup 3D Text Effect PSD (PSD)
Popup 3D Text Effect PSD is an eye-catching pack which will give a colorful and exciting look to your text, titles, posters, flyers, and more! It's easy to use and edit by simply replacing objects inside the smart object.
3D Text Effects (PSD)
The 3D text effect pack for Adobe Photoshop creates professional and realistic-looking text effects. Use the smart object and change the text with just one click. It contains six PSD files with RGB colors, at 300 DPI.
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