StretchLearn Course

Turn flat type into rendered 3D letterforms that ship

Extrude, light, and texture type in Blender, Cinema 4D, and Photoshop, then composite it into real photos, no prior 3D needed.

Preview Curriculum Back to Catalog

Beginner9 hr 40 minSelf PacedRegistered

Course Overview

What this course is designed to develop

This beginner course teaches 3D typography across the three tools that dominate the craft: Blender (free), Cinema 4D, and Photoshop's built-in 3D. You will import vector type, extrude and bevel it with clean geometry, build PBR materials and three-point studio lighting, and recreate the inflated balloon and sculpted display-type trends seen in modern poster and brand design. By the end you can render a hero 3D word at 4000 px and composite it convincingly into a photograph with matched perspective, lighting, and shadow.

Learning Outcomes

What the learner should be able to understand, build, or execute.

Prepare vector type with correct anchor points and convert it to clean extrudable geometry

Extrude and bevel letterforms in Blender, Cinema 4D, and Photoshop without faceting or shading errors

Build PBR materials including glossy, metallic, glass, and inflated-balloon looks for letters

Light type with HDRI and three-point studio rigs that read its depth and edges

Recreate the inflated and sculpted display-type trends from reference using modifiers

Composite a rendered 3D word into a real photograph with matched perspective, light, and shadow

Curriculum Preview

Inside the curriculum: a structured path from fundamentals to execution.

Preview the course structure, see how the modules build on one another, and understand the path this program is designed to take you through.

Module 1

Module 1: From Vector Type to Clean 3D Geometry

Choose your tool, prepare the type as a vector outline, and turn it into extrudable mesh that bevels and renders without shading artefacts.

3 lessons

Choosing Your Tool: Blender, Cinema 4D, or PhotoshopContent · 45 min

Preview Enabled

Preparing Type as Editable Vector OutlinesContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Converting to Mesh and Fixing TopologyContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 2

Module 2: Depth, Bevels, and Letterform Construction

Master the extrude and bevel controls that give type its weight, and build the inflated and sculpted display-type looks that define the current trend.

3 lessons

Extrude and Bevel: Giving Type WeightContent · 45 min

LMS Access

The Inflated Balloon Type TrendContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Sculpted and Liquid Display TypeContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Module 3

Module 3: Materials and Studio Lighting for Letterforms

Build the PBR materials that make type look like glass, metal, plastic, or balloon, and light it with studio rigs that reveal its depth and edges.

3 lessons

PBR Materials: Glossy, Metal, Glass, and PlasticContent · 50 min

LMS Access

HDRI and Three-Point Studio LightingContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Color, Texture, and Surface DetailContent · 45 min

LMS Access

Module 4

Module 4: Compositing 3D Type into Photography

Render with the right passes and camera, then composite your 3D word into a real photograph with matched perspective, light, and shadow that holds up.

3 lessons

Camera, Composition, and Render PassesContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Matching Light and Perspective to a PhotoContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Final Compositing and DeliveryContent · 50 min

LMS Access

Built for Application

A complete learning path, not a one-off inspiration hit.

This program is designed around progression: focused lessons, structured modules, applied resources, assessments, and a course rhythm that turns information into usable capability.

3D typographyBlenderCinema 4DPhotoshop 3Dextruded typeinflated typePBR materialstype compositing