ADOBE PHOTOSHOP CS5: 3D Type Using Repoussé

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First, we need an image with which to work. I have chosen a visually interesting shot of the side of a glass building as a starting point. Image selection is important as the image is what will dictate the placement of the text.

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Once the file is open, I will choose my text tool and type using the Horizontal Type Tool. The text in this instance is “artistik”, but you can use whatever text you choose based on the concept for your piece.

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After the text has been proofed for any grammatical errors we will begin to apply the effect. The floating text effect can be achieved by accessing the 3D menu on the top of the screen and choosing Repoussé > Text Layer in the drop-down menu. This will prompt a warning that the text must be rasterized before continuing. Just click OK to access the Repoussé window and begin to manipulate the text.

04

Now, let’s go over our options. On the top left of the dialogue box, you will find Repoussé shape presets. These are all pre-built, 3D extrusions within Photoshop. To apply one of these, simply click on the one you want to try and a preview will appear on your screen. In the next steps, we will discuss how to manipulate the stock settings.

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The next major option is on the top right side of the dialogue box labeled “Materials”. This section will let you choose from various preloaded materials and apply textures to your 3D text. More textures can be found online and loaded pretty quickly.

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As for the remainder of the options, you can adjust the bevel in the “Bevel” section and the amount of depth in the “Extrude” panel. You can further adjust the 3D effect by manipulating the inflate subsection and alter lighting in the “Scene settings” section. Once you have obtained the desired effect, you can change the view settings by clicking on the icon that looks like an eye with a grid next to it. This will activate the 3D Ground Plane and 3D Light once the grid appears. You can apply the effect by clicking “OK”.”

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Once applied, you will notice that the layers pallet has an active 3D layer that can be manipulated. To get the text to look like it is floating, we will have to alter the ground plane – the grid that appears in perspective. Our goal is to match the ground plane to the angle and perspective of the building. Highlight your text in your “Scene” tab and choose the Camera Rotate Tool on the bottom of the panel. Once you have chosen the tool, you can simply rotate the grid and match it to the image by clicking and dragging.

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Next, you will have to rotate the text. Right on top of the Camera Rotate Tool you will find the Object Rotate Tool. You can use this tool to rotate your text to match the ground plane. You can also “roll the object” by using the designated tools found in the “Camera Rotate” section.

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Now to cast the shadow. To achieve this we will have to first activate some settings. Go to the 3D menu at the top of the screen and activate “Ground Plane Shadow Catcher”. You will get a warning, but just click OK. Now we will change our render settings. In the 3D panel, select the “scene” and in the bottom of the sub section where it says “Quality”, change that to “Ray Traced Draft”. This will give you a better rendering of the letters and cast a shadow on your image.

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Last but not least, we can manipulate the shadow by moving our light sources. In your 3D Panel, select the “Light Rotate Tool” and click on the image. You will see that the light will move, allowing you to adjust your shadows as needed.

CONCLUSION

As you can see, these new tools allow designers that are not fluent in the 3D space to bring their work to a whole new level and create some pretty impressive effects with ease. This technique can be applied to much more than text and in a variety of different ways. So, experiment with your own original vector objects, logos and even raster-based shapes and have some fun getting to know this great new feature in Photoshop CS5 Extended.