3D Logo Effects

We finally live in a world where you can create a fully realized 3D logo, complete with surface and light effects, wholly in Photoshop, without the aid of another 3D application. In this final project, we’ll build a 3D logo from start to finish. Download the files relevant to this project and follow along to see just how powerful 3D in Photoshop is now.

STEP ONE:
I’ve discovered that when building a logo in Photoshop, it’s best to use vector shapes—created in Photoshop, Adobe Illustrator, or another program—as they will give you the cleanest edges. Here, we have a logo I originally created in Illustrator, which you can download to follow along with (it shows up just like you see in the Paths panel here, as individual paths in the Start file). Notice in the Paths panel (Window>Paths) that I have the paths separated according to what part of the logo they are. Each one will be a 3D object of a different color.