How to Create a 3D Text Effect in Affinity Designer

In this tutorial, we will create a 3D text effect in Affinity Designer. There are a few ways to create 3D text such as using the Layers Effect. However, for this tutorial, we will mainly use the Pen tool.

Before you start, go to the following link to download the font that was used in the tutorial.

• Corbel Font

Step 1

First, go to File > New to create a new document. Go to Web. The size of the document doesn’t matter, but I chose FHD 1920 X 1080 pixels.

Step 2

Second, go to the Tools Panel and grab the Artistic Text Tool (Press T for the shortcut). Type your text. Then, go to the Font Family to choose your font. Try to choose a font that’s bold and chunky. The font that I chose was Corbel bold.

Step 3

With the text still selected, right click, and select Convert to Curves. This changes the text layer to a group of curves.

Step 4

Select the text. Go to the Transform Panel. Now, set the R (Rotation) to 15 degrees and the S (Shear) to 30 degrees.

Step 5

Next, press CTRL + J to make a duplicate of the group. Or right click on the group and select Duplicate.

Step 6

Go to the Layers Panel and select the original group. On the document, hold Shift and drag the original group slightly down. Give it a different color so you won’t confuse it with the other group. The fill color I chose was #00B4D8.

Step 7

In the Layers Panel, select both text groups (hold CTRL to select both groups). Then, press CTRL + Shift + G to ungroup the two groups (or right click on the selected groups and click Ungroup).

Step 8

Now, grab the Pen tool from the Tools panel. Take the pen tool and connect the sides of the two F’s together. Make sure that in the Toolbar you have the Snapping turned on.

Step 9

Once you’ve connected the side of the F’s together, go to the Swatches Panel and give the curve the following fill color #E76F51. Get rid of the stroke color.

Step 10

Take the Pen tool and connect the bottom parts of the F. Give this section the following fill color #F4A261.

Step 11

Now, take the Pen tool again and connect the other two parts of the F. Then, give those sections the following fill color #2A9D8F.

Step 12

After that, select the top facing part of the F and give it the following fill color #E9C46A.

Step 13

Once you’ve colored and connected the F, select all the F pieces. Then, press CTRL + G to group those pieces together.

Step 14

In the Layers Panel, name the group F. It should appear at the bottom of the list.

Step 15

Now, let’s move on to the next letter in our 3D text effect, U. Take the Pen tool and connect the left side and the bottom part of the two U layers together.

Step 16

After that, give the newly formed shape the following fill color #E76F51.

Note: Feel free to add extra nodes while connecting the layers if you need to. Also, to switch to the Node tool while the pen tool is active, press and hold the CTRL key.

Step 17

With the Pen tool still active, connect the inner right part of the two U layers. Then, give that shape the following fill color #2A9D8F.

Step 18

Now, select the top part of the U and give it the following fill color #E9C46A.

Step 19

Let’s move on to the letter N. Take the Pen tool and connect the left side of the two N layers. Give the newly created shape the following fill color #E76F51.

Step 20

Next, take the Pen tool and connect the two bottom parts of the N. Then, give them the following fill color #F4A261.

Step 21

Grab the Pen tool again and connect the inner part of the N. Set the fill color to #2A9D8F.

Step 22

Now, take the Pen tool and connect the other inner part of the N. Give this shape the same fill color #2A9D8F.

Step 23

Then, select the top part of the N. Set the fill color to #E9C46A.

Step 24

Select all the U pieces and group them together.

Step 25

After that, select all the N pieces and group them together.

Step 26

In the Layers Panel, label the U group U and the N group N.

Congratulations, this tutorial is complete! For more text effect tutorials in Affinity Designer, check out this one on how to create a neon text effect.

Bonus Steps

Instead of using a multicolored palette for your 3d text effect, you can use a single color for your palette and adjust the value (lightness/darkness) of that color.

Step 1

Select the F group. Double click on the top part of the F and set the fill color to #48CAE4.

Step 2

Now, select the two green parts of the F. Set the fill color of these shapes to # 0077B6.

Step 3

Then, select the side of the F, and set it to #00B4D8.

Step 4

After that, select the bottom part of the F and give it the following fill color #90E0EF.

Step 5

Now, let’s move on to the U. Select the top of the U and set the fill color to #48CAE4.

Step 6

Select the inside of the U and set that shape to #0077B6.

Step 7

Next, select the outer/bottom part of the U and set it to #00B4D8.

Step 8

Let’s move on to the N group. Select the top part of the N. Then, set the fill color to #48CAE4.

Step 9

Now, select the inner parts of the N (hold Shift to select both of them). Set the fill color to #0077B6.

Step 10

After that, select the left side of the N and set its fill color to #00B4D8.

Step 11

Finally, select the two bottom pieces of the N. Then, set the fill color of these pieces to #90E0EF.