Been getting a ton of questions about creating 3D text effects in photoshop so figured id make a proper techniques and resources thread
method 1: photoshop’s built-in 3d (if youre on an older version that still has it)
honestly the built-in 3d in photoshop was janky but it worked for quick stuff. adobe removed it in newer versions tho so this is mainly for people on CS6 through 2023. the extrusion tool + environment lighting could get you 80% of the way to a decent 3d text effect
method 2: smart objects + manual perspective (my current go-to)
duplicate your text layer. rasterize the bottom copy. free transform > perspective to create the depth illusion. use a gradient on the “sides” to simulate lighting. sounds manual but with practice you can create 3d text effects in photoshop in like 10 minutes
method 3: blend with external 3d tools
this is the pro approach. create your 3d type in blender (free) or cinema 4d, render with transparent background, composite in photoshop. way more control over materials and lighting. learning curve is steep but the results are uncomparable
free resources:
- graphicburger has some free 3d text effect PSDs that are actually high quality
- pixeden has a few metallic and wood 3d text mockups
- for blender specifically theres a youtube channel called Ducky 3D that has excellent text effect tuts
anyone else want to share their photoshop text effect workflows? especially interested in how people handle the shadow/reflection part