TECHNIQUES TASTY TYPE TRICKS
QUICKTIP:PLENTYOFRAM
Save regularly as when rendering Photoshop does
sometimes decide to throw a spanner in the works!
The complex mathematics is sometimes a little too04
CREATE HIGHLIGHTS
Click on the new layer icon at the bottom of the 3D palette and
select New Spot Light, move this to give the lighting that suits your piece
the best. Remember that this will affect all the edge highlighting further
down in the process. Then go back to your lighting layers and adjust to get
the best look you desire for the type. Now duplicate the layer you are
working on. At the bottom of the Properties palette is a small isometric-
square icon. Click it to render your text. This may take a while on older or
slow machines.05
RASTERIZE THE LAYER
With the layer you have been working on selected in the Layers palette, right-click
and rasterize it. Then go back to your Illustrator file (if using Illustrator; if not, do this in
Photoshop) and create the same text with a stroke on. Paste into the document onto a
layer above the rasterized layer. Repeat the 3D steps as before, but reduce the Extrusion to
a level that looks good. We’ve used a value of 165 for the example. Also on the 3D palette,
select Environment, then in the Properties palette put the Shadows down to 0%. This will
remove the shadow over the main rendered body.06
DUPLICATE IT
Duplicate and then rasterize this layer
as in the previous steps. Then complete the 3D
treatment for the rest of the text using the steps
as before for your guide. Remember to arrange
the lighting to work the same as the other layers
and to get the look you require for the final piece
as you see it.07
CLEAN UP THE MATHS ERRORS
As this is a simple tutorial, we have not
rendered this text in a 3D program. Photoshop quite
often throws up errors in its mathematics. Simply
zoom around your text and, using the Clone tool, clean
up any areas that have abnormalities, Some edges
may have slight edge artefacts; draw a Path the correct
shape using the Pen tool, select and delete the extra
angles, then clean the areas with the Clone tool again.08
FOOD TIME
Next we are to add the food element.
Choose stock photography food textures that fit into
your chosen theme, think of how they will work
within the letterforms and then draw Paths around
the selected areas you wish to add to your piece.
Activate these Paths and then copy the area. Return
back to the master artwork and then draw a Path
around the area you wish the food to feature on,
ideally below the outlined section we created in 3D
earlier. Then make the Path active and paste your
imagery into the area you require using the Edit>
Paste Special>Paste Into command.much and does put a bit of strain on some machines.
So if you have the choice, work on a machine that
has loads of fast disc space and plenty of RAM!