Home » Tutorials » Illustrator Quick Tutorial: Vector 3D Warped Logos In Gradient Color

Illustrator Quick Tutorial: Vector 3D Warped Logos In Gradient Color

Posted by kitkat on Tuesday 13 Mar 2012

Tagged with: postcard printing, poster printing

A simple vector logo using text and symbols is easy enough to do. However, if you want detailed vector 3D warped logos for your booklet covers, slogans when poster print and postcard prints, you need to have a little bit of knowhow in getting what you need. Luckily for you, this guide should already teach you the basic skills that you need to create those vector 3D type logos using Adobe Illustrator. You do not even have to be a true professional. You just need to be good at following directions. So read through the steps below and learn how to easily create a vector 3D logo with gradient colours.

1. Now first, open a new document in illustrator. Size it in the dimensions that you need. Be particular with the resolution, especially if you mean to use this logo for printing. Go for larger resolutions if this is for printing, otherwise, use the web template for documents so that you can process these effects faster.

2. The first thing that you need to do is just to type in text. Use the text tool in your tools panel and inscribe a text box in your canvass. Type in the title that you want (or even use font styles with graphics if you want a specific symbol).

3. Go to Effect -> Warp -> Arch and apply the following settings. For our logo purposes, we are going to use the ARCH style warp (but you can choose any style you want). Adjust the other values according to the needs of your logo.

4. Next, go to Effect -> 3D -> Extrude and Bevel.

5. In the control window that opens, adjust the X,Y,Z values depending on where you want your logo to face in three dimensional space. The cube in the center should help you judge the rotation. The blue side face represents the front of your text or shape face. Drag the cube so that it is facing the way you want. Also make sure to use an extrude depth of 20pt.

6. Now we have a nice basic 3D text/shape that has been warped a bit.

7. Afterward, go to Object -> Expand Appearance. This should help you manipulate the extruded surface by removing all effects, converting those areas to paths.

8. Once done, select the object, right click on it and click on “Ungroup”. This helps you manipulate the individual paths more easily.

9. If you have rounded paths in your text, select them first and then merge them by going to the pathfinder panel , holding the alt key and clicking on Add to Shape Area. Merge all the rounded paths for each character or shape so that you can put gradients on them later.