We have another professional Psd Plus tutorial exclusively available to Plus members today. If you want to take your Photoshop 3D type skill to the next level, then we have an exciting tutorial for you. Discover how to render shapes into C4D to create mechanical looking pieces that you can use to construct awesome typographic works with!
How to Illustrate Type Using Cinema 4D and Photoshop – Psd Plus Tutorial
Apr 15th in News by Theo AartsmaLearn 3D Typography Techniques in this Psd Plus Tutorial
This tutorial gives detailed instructions on how to create the final image you have seen below. Psdtuts+ asked that I do a tutorial about type. I liked that idea and thought this was just the kind of thing that would be suitable for a tutorial. So, I took a portion of a larger illustration I'm working on, and show step by step how to create it. This tut, covers a lot of the techniques and workflow I regularly use. Furthermore, it's just about the right length for a tutorial to keep things interesting.
Plus members can Log in and Download! If you're not a member, you can of course join today! You can view the final image preview below or view a larger version here.
Precise and Detailed Instructions Inside
This tutorial takes you through each step in creating this high-quality 3D text, with explanations in shape creation, composition, shading, texturing, finishing touches, and more. Plus members can Log in and Download! Otherwise, Join Now! Below are some sample images from the tutorial.




PSD Plus Membership
As you know, we run a premium membership system here called 'Plus' that costs $9 a month (or $22 for 3 months!) which gives members access to the Source files for tutorials as well as periodic extra tutorials, like this one! You'll also get access to Net Plus and Vector Plus, too. If you're a Plus member, you can log in and download the tutorial. If you're not a member, you can of course join today!
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Inphoar April 15th
Sad to see it’s only for Plus, looks great though!
( )TheAnonymousBystander April 19th
Yeah, it’s only for Plus members (awww :’[ ). But ur right, it’s looks great!
( )amidude April 15th
Wow…that looks sweet. I’ll have to sign-up. (w00t first post)
( )kiziel April 15th
Nice, happy that im plus
( )Slokk April 16th
coool!!
( )Peewee1002 April 15th
I need a membership. Can you pay in GBP?
Not really looked into it, never have any money.
( )iseethings April 15th
this will def make some new members!
( )Alexandre Broggio April 15th
good job ^_^
( )Franky April 15th
Geeze. Thats intense
( )Dullface April 15th
Awsome awsome awsome awsome.
( )dsreaper April 15th
Definitely looks interesting, a little heavy, but it may look great as a logo on some dark site…
( )Wojciech Pijecki April 15th
very cool ; )
( )lawrence77 April 15th
Theo Aartsma you rocks!

( )The sad news is that, I don’t have Plus member!
Anyhow i see this tut in future!
Corey April 15th
Looks awesome! Glad I’m a plus member now!
( )Irving April 15th
another great way to use c4d.
( )gj
Chreck April 15th
I’ll let you know when i can afford C4D and +plus membership.
( )Sorry :/
dodgersrdabomb April 15th
really cool tutorial, so when is there going to be cinema 4d tut site.
( )megamouth April 15th
ooo me want
( )div^ April 15th
That looks cool but it’s pretty easy to do. Took me quite some time to get whats written there
( )keruchan April 15th
Looks cool, but in first glance I was like asking “where is the typo?” I just figure it out after I scroll down. if I’m not mistaken typography must be readable even if it has bunch of effects.
thats all I can say but still the works is great and amazing.
( )JesusFreak983! April 15th
It’s awesome! I like it! I’m so happy I’m a plus member!
( )I love PSD tuts!
lawrence77 April 16th
i love you avatar!
( )JesusFreak983! May 14th
Thank You!
Alvaro April 15th
3D.tutsplus.com? that will be sweet
( )lawrence77 April 16th
maybe in future!
( )accessoire April 16th
Very nice effect but damn I couldn’t read it in the finished artwork
! Why always use C4D for the tuts? In my opinion it is going to be the worst 3D program in the future. Even pretty new programs like Modo are developed so fast. Cinema has a very hard way to head up to the updates which are coming for Modo, Blender and of course the Autodesk updates will be huge in some time considering they now own almost every 3D software in this industry. C4D is lacking lots of features. However I have to admit with the R11 update there have been good improvements for AR (FINALLY!! Was about time! But still no better renderer like Modo or other renderers at all – I just mention Modo cause its probably the best internal renderer at this moment) and animation system but there are still a huge amount of features that suck. Even Blender for example has a WAY WAY WAY WAY x1000 WAY better collision system than the C4D module which is especially developed for this case and which costs additional money!
Just my two cents
I think other software should be used, too in the tutorials. The future and success of C4D is very unsure in my opinion. They had their best successfull year 2008 but I don’t think it’s because it’s the best software out there but rather the cheapest and more usefull for allrounders. But when it’s going down to very specialized work Cinema still lacks a lot of features.
That were my two cents ;o
( )(Btw: I am in fact a C4D User at work and I’m using Blender for my private work at home so I know what I’m talking about. I don’t hate C4D but there are things that need to be updated or improved.)
cuddles April 16th
couldnt agree more
( )Irving April 16th
personal preference i guess.
C4D has an amazingly fast render time for complicated 3D designs, animations, etc. and it integrates the layers well with Photoshop.
i think c4d and 3dsmax is still the way forward.
I also like the idea of 3Dtuts+
accessoire April 21st
I hope I’m replying to Irving now …
Well before R11 AR was just laughable. AR speed and mighty at all (artifacts) increased a lot since R11 but is still no match for VRay for example. Things with VRay could never be achieved. VRay renders prettier and faster than AR does. Sure for not so realistic stuff AR is nice but who pays for AR if you can get VRay?
AR renderings are often like handmade GI fake. So I think the quality of AR is definitely not the best in the industry. Not even close to the best. I’d say it’s still one of the worst even though it got very good since the newest update – but dont forget other renderengines also get updated. (If you don’t count open source/free renderengines)
Before I’d buy a AR license I’d rather take a gun and shoot myself. Maybe AR can head up in the future but not yet. I think/guess/hope it’s not the end of the story. You see the AR update was huge. Before the update AR was just laughable but I think now that they did such a new redevelopment to the renderer future updates might bring good things for AR. I’d wish for them to bring good new stuff. Nobody knows what happens. Let’s just hope the best for Maxon and all C4D users out there.
The normal render time of C4D without GI/AO is ok but things are heading up. Modo has INCREDIBLE performance increasements for realtime rendering and rendering itself. Google Summer of Code just released it’s proposals for this year. There are six proposals for Blender there is one for better 3D viewport performance for nice sculpting performance + better raytracing performance. You see other applications head up at lot. There’ll be a hard fight in the industry and I guess people will change from one to another app time after time considering that COLLADA is getting better and better (BTW another blender proposal is better COLLADA import/export).
What I wanted to say is: AR is good for normal/semi professional use but sucks for very professional use in my opinion.
@phareon:
Nope I didn’t check out but I was reading some stuff about it.
I just know Silo is a fully NURBS based modeller so I guess Mudbox is, too.
underdog April 16th
i will have plus+ in the future. and i will see it in the future!!! XD!!!
( )imsraaia April 16th
nice..
( )phareon April 16th
@accessoire: You’re so right. Have you checked out Mudbox and Silo? They’re aösp for pure SDS-modeling. But I’ll need to take a look at Modo’s rendering engine. I’m currently using Blender for all my work and it’s doing great. But Maya and 3dsMax still have the most impressive features and simulations I think. That’s where Blender is lacking
( )g3niuz April 16th
nice rocker again – a cinema4d site would really be great …
( )B-RAD April 16th
BLAH HAS TO BE FOR PLUS ONLY!!!!
((( the best tuts are always plus only…mane i needa get another bank acct
( )geir b nystad April 16th
where can i get C4D?
( )John Dangerous April 17th
Please make MORE C4D tuts!
( )This is an untaped market.
Nobody has really good tuts for C4D.
There are a few actually but not many.
GeekBuzz April 17th
Hope, more C4D Tuts are coming soon
Good taff btw
( )HaSSaN April 17th
too bad it’s just for plus members , but thanks anyway looks great
( )Ron April 18th
Am I the only one who thinks this doesn’t look great?
( )Tobias April 19th
we neeeeeeed c4d.tutsplus.com !!
( )Gyrel Dagooc April 22nd
awww,….for plus member only??hmm…but its really great!
( )Victoria Web April 23rd
This looks brilliant. Tutorials like this using typography are great for designing logos for websites.
( )Tim May 23rd
These creative arts are brilliant, keep it up!
( )Diego SA April 15th
I mean: i’m not a plus membership.
( )But this art looks awesome!