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This tutorial demonstrates how to create 3D text without 3rd party filters.
Undo and Navigation Steps
Two ways of undoing steps are from the top menu, Edit then Step Backwards. Alternatively, click a previous snapshot in the History Palette.
Navigate (zoom in and pan) your image using the Navigator Palette,
or the Zoom Tool. 
Activate The Hand Tool by tapping the Spacebar, keeping the Spacebar pressed, pan your image in the usual way. 
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From the top menu, choose File then New and set the following attributes.
Then click OK.
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Ensure the Foreground colour is black. To do this, left-click the Foreground colour swatch, and from the subsequent Colour Picker dialogue box, left-click to set the colour to black.
Alternatively, press your keyboard’s D key to set the default Black and White Foreground and Background colour swatches.
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Now, from the left-side toolbar, activate the Horizontal Type Tool.
 
Then from the Type Tool’s Options bar - at the top of the workspace - set the following attributes. Note: To change the settings, click the arrows to the right of each menu, and click your choice from the drop-down list.
The Type’s Character Palette
You can change the type’s attributes from the type’s Character palette. To reveal the Character palette, from the top menu, choose Window and click a tick before Character - its palette will appear on Photoshop’s workspace. The Character palette lets you edit the type’s settings, including the spell check’s language. Familiarise yourself with the Character palette, and see how you can change your type’s appearance.
Rasters or Vectors - Further information regarding rasters and vectors can be found here!
Type is always applied as a new layer; and by default, it is applied as a vector; as opposed to a raster. You are unable to apply filters to vector type, therefore, to apply filters to text, it needs to be rasterised first. To do so, apply the type, then from the top menu, choose Layer then chose Rasterise then choose Type.
Lesson continued!
Now, hover your cursor over the white canvas, and when you see the following icon.  Left-click.
You will then see the following vertical (flashing) line. Note: The larger your type size, the larger the vertical line will be.
You can now input your text, for example - 3D.
Position your cursor below the type, (as shown below left), and when you see the following icon.
Then left-click and drag your text to a central position.
And from the type’s Options bar, click the following Commit any current edits tick.
 
Tip
Because type is applied as a new layer, you are able to reposition it at any
time. To do so, from the toolbar, activate the Move Tool. 
Then left-click and drag your type to another position.
The Layers palette will now resemble the following.
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It is time to perspectively distort the text; and its edges will become very ragged - however, this is temporary - so don’t be shocked. Therefore, from the top menu, choose Layer then from the drop-down menu, click Type, and from the fly out menu, choose Convert to Shape. Your Layers palette will change to the following.
 
Tip - enlarge the grey workspace
Drag out your image, to extend its grey canvas, by left-clicking and dragging its top-right menu, in an upwards, (diagonal) movement.
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Now, from the top menu choose Edit, then from the drop-down menu, choose Transform Path, and from the fly out menu, choose Perspective. A deformation box will immediately surround your text.
Hover your cursor over the right-bottom (square) anchor - as illustrated below, then gently pull the anchor slightly downwards, and to the right. Note: Ensure the black type does not transcend the white canvas.
Then hover your cursor over the top-right anchor, and pull it diagonally, to the left.
Tip
You can reposition the type by left-clicking and dragging it.
After your type has been perspectively warped, it will appear smaller at the top, and larger at the bottom - giving and appearance of distance. When you have completed this step, from the Options bar, click the Commit transform tick - or press your Return/Enter key.
Perceptively warp type lesson 2 here!
Your type is complete, and you are ready for the next step.
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Working on the 3D layer; from your keyboard, simultaneously press and keep pressed the Ctrl and Alt keys, then repeatedly tap the upwards-pointing arrow of your keyboard (found directly underneath the End key for PCs). Tap the upwards-arrow approximately 30 times. This duplicates the type layer, making your type plumper.
Note: The duplicated layers are placed above the Background and 3D Type layers; to scroll the layers, move the scroll tab (highlighted below), downwards.
Your type will resemble the following.
However, don’t worry if it changes to the following.
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It is time to merge the 3D Copy layers together. Therefore, scroll to the bottom of the layers stack, then left-click to highlight 3D copy, as shown below. Then press your keyboard’s Shift key - and keep it pressed.
Now, scroll to the top of the layers stack, and left-click to highlight the second layer, (3D Copy 29).
Important!
It is vital that you do not highlight the very top layer.
You can now release the Shift key. If you scroll through the layers, you will notice that every layer, between (and including) the second top layer, and the first copy layer, have been highlighted.
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Now, right-click a highlighted layer, and from the drop-down menu, choose Merge Layers. Your Layers palette will change to the following. Additionally, you will notice that the transparent 3D Copy layer is the active layer - this layer needs to remain active.
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To apply colour click the following Add a layer style (f or fx) icon, then click Gradient Overlay from the drop-down list.
In the subsequent Layer Style dialogue box, find a gradient setting you like; I chose the following settings for my grey to black overlay. However; experiment with different coloured gradients, and see how they effect your 3D. Before clicking OK, from the left-side menu, click Drop Shadow, and apply a shadow of your choice. Additionally, apply an Inner Bevel, if you wish. Inner Bevel Settings Screen Capture.
When you are satisfied with your Gradient, Inner Bevel, and Drop Shadow, click OK to complete the change.
 
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Now, either, save your image with a white background, by (from the top menu), choosing Layer then Flatten Image. Then activate the Crop Tool, and crop away extraneous white background. And link Here to save your work. Alternatively, click to remove the eye of the Background layer, and the background will become transparent.
 
Tip
To apply an overlay to the upper (black) type, highlight the following layer - this is the very top layer, that you did not highlight.
Now, click the Add a layer style (f, fx) icon, and apply an overlay of your choice.
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Now, from the top menu, choose Layer then choose Merge Visible, and your Layers palette will change to the following.
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If you wish, save your transparent 3D type as a Transparent Gif, as explained Here. Alternatively, fill the transparent background with a Gradient, Pattern, or Solid Colour of your choice - my Fill Layers lesson can be found here. Finally, you could activate the Move Tool, and drag your 3D type onto another image.
My lesson here demonstrates how to save your work.
Wendi E. M. Scarth. Top of Page - Home.
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