Photoshop Zone

Create Stunning 3D Text in a Grungy Landscape           Step 1: Setting Up in Illustrator We are going to start by opening up Adobe Illustrator and creating a new 1200x1200px document. Next, download this Grass stock image and bring it into our Illustrator artboard. We are going to be using this photo simply as a reference for the 3D text we will be producing, so you could lock this layer to prevent us from accidentally moving it around. We will reuse this image in Photoshop, so keep it in a handy location. Step 2: Create the Front of the 3D Text Use the Type Tool (T) to write out the word "DESIGN" using Myriad Pro Black Condensed or a similar bold sans-serif font. So that our text block is easier to work with, we are going to go to Type > Create Outlines (Shift + Ctrl/Cmd + O) to convert the text layer to vector paths. Step 3: Create the Back of the 3D Text Duplicate the "DESIGN" object–select it with the Select...

        Step 1: Finding Inspiration We are going to start off by getting some examples of actual retro postcards that have a similar theme to what we are going for, with the 3D looking text as our focal point. I went to Google Images and searched for old postcards of New England and Florida for inspiration. If you have a favorite vacation spot of your own, search for it. These are what I found: Looking at these, we can find some elements that we want to pull out of each, as well as elements that are consistent throughout. Some of the things we will be using are the black stroke with the white stroke inside of it, the 3D text, and the "Greetings from" text at the top left. Step 2: Setting Up the Text Now that we have some references, we can open up a 1200x655px document in Illustrator. This size comes out to be equivalent to 11x6in, which is a one of a few common sizes for postcards. You can go to Designers Toolbox to find more dimension...