Create 3D Text with a transparent background using Blender

1) OpenBlender2.74

2) PressEsctoclearthelaunchscreen

3) WiththedefaultinstallationofBlender,inthe3DViewportyouhave3items,acube,a
cameraandalight.

4) Whenyouwanttoselectanobjectinthe3DViewportyouhoveryoumoustaboveitand
rightclick.

5) Ifyoutrytoleftclickanyoftheseitemsyouwillmoveyour3Dcursor.Ifyoueverneedto
resetityoucanuseSHIFT+C.

6) Wearentgoingtoneedourcubeforthistutorialsohoveryourmouseaboveitandright
clicktoselectit.

7) PressDeleteonyourkeyboardandthenEnter(orclickDelete).

8) Youcanrotatearoundinthe3Dscenebyclickingyourmiddlemousebutton/wheel,at
yourdesiredpivotpoint,holdingitdownandmovingyourmousebackandforth.

9) HoldShiftanddragyourmousewhileholdingdownthemiddlemousebutton/wheelto
pan.

10) Scrollyourmousewheeltozoominandout.

11) IfyoulookuponthetoplefthandcornerofyourviewportyoullseethetextUser
Perspectivethatsyourcurrentview.

12) YoucanusethenumbersonyourNumPadasshortcuttosomecommonviews.1
Front,7Topand3Left,youcanalsoholdCtrlandpressthesenumberstogettheir
oppositeCtrl+1Back,Ctrl+7bottom,andCtrl+3Right.

13) Forourpurposeswewanttolookdownfromthetopsowellpress7onournumpad.

14) Fromthemenuatthebottomofthe3DViewportwindowselectAdd>Text

15) Textisaddedtotheviewport.

16) Wewanttoeditthetextsoifyoutakealookdownatthebottomofthe3DViewport
againyoullseeatogglebuttonthatsaysObjectmode.IfyoupressTabonyour
keyboard,youllseeitswitchfromobjectmodetoeditmode,andourtextwillbecome

2016 Ryann McCorkell

ryann.ca
Create 3D Text with a transparent background using Blender

editable.

17) PressBackspaceafewtimestoremovetheTextandthenenteryourdesiredwordor
phrase,ImgoingtobeusingSALE.

18) TabbackintoObjectmode.

19) Ontherighthandsideyoullfindthepropertiespanel,andselectDatatab,theiconfor
whichlooksliketheletterF.

20) OntheDatatab,lookforthefontsubpanelandpressthefoldericontotherightof
Regulartoloadanewfontfromafile.IhaveafreefontthatIdownloadedform
dafont.comcalledBullyonmydesktop,inyourcaseyoucanbrowsetoanyfontonyour
harddrivethatyoudliketouse(mostfontsareinstalledinc:/windows/fonts).

21) Afteryouselectyourfontthetextwillupdatetoyournewfont

22) Whilestillinthepropertiespanel,datatab,gouponesubpaneltoGeometry

23) Settheextrudeto0.1

24) FromtoolmenuontheleftselectSetOrigin>SetOrigintoGeometry.Thecenterpoint
willmovetothecenterofthetext.

25) PressShift+Ctoresetthecursorincaseithasbeenmovedoffcenteraccidently.

26) Object>Snap>SelectiontoCursor.Thismovestheobjecttothecenterofthe3D
Viewport.

27) PressRforRotateXfortheAxisand90forthedegrees.

28) Nowpress1(Front)onyourNumpadandthentheperiod(.)buttonnextto0onyour
numpadtocenterfocusthecameraonyourselection.

29) Clickandholdmymiddlemousebuttontopivotaroundourtextobject.Pivotuntilyou
findanangleyoudliketorenderandpressctrl+alt+Numpad[0]

30) Youcandoatestrenderhere,bypressingF12.

31) Youcanseeyoursaletextrendered,butclearlythelightingisntquiteright.Wellwork
onafewdetailsaboutthatnow.Tocleartherender,switchthemainwindowfrom
UV/Imageeditorbackto3DViewport.

2016 Ryann McCorkell
ryann.ca
Create 3D Text with a transparent background using Blender

32) Useyourscrollwheeltozoomoutandpivotandlocateourlight.Asyoucanseeitsfar
aboveandbehindouttext.

33) RightclicktoselectthelightobjectandifyoulookatthePropertiespanel,Datatab
(whichnowhasadifferenticonspecifictothistypeofobject).

34) Youcanseethatweareusingapointlight,youcanconsiderapointlighttobevery
similartoalightbulb.

35) Press7onyourNumPadtoswitchintoTopView,zoomandpanaroundsothatyoucan
seeyourcamera,textandlightinthescene.

36) Youllseethatyouhave3axishandlesonyourlightobject.Leftclickanddragbythe
coloredY(green)andX(red)handlestomovethepointlighttothecorneronegridunit
tothefrontandrightofthetextobject.

37) Press1onyourNumPadtoviewthetextfromthefrontviewagain,scrolloutuntilyou
canseeyourpointlight.LeftclickanddragbytheZ(blue)handletomovethelightdown
untilitsjustaboveyourtextobject.

38) PressF12topreviewyourrender.

39) TheRenderisbetterlitnowbutbutthegreycolorisntveryexciting.

40) SwitchthemainwindowbackfromUV/Imageeditorto3DViewport

41) Selectthetextobjectbyrightclickingit.

42) InthePropertiespanel,selectthematerialstab.

43) PresstheNewbutton,anewmaterialslotiscreated

44) RenamethematerialtomatText

45) FromtheDiffusesubpanelclickinthecolorselectorandbrowsethewheeltoselecta
newcolor,forthistutorialwevepickedRed.

46) Imincreasingtheintensityto1.0.

47) Press12topreview.

2016 Ryann McCorkell

ryann.ca
Create 3D Text with a transparent background using Blender

48) ThecolorofthetextisnowRed.

49) PlaywiththelightlocationusingtheX,Y,Zhandles,pressingF12torenderuntilyouare
happywithyourtext.

50) Additionallightscanalsobeaddedtothescene.

51) Ifweweretorenderhere,therenderwouldappearwithagreybackground.Since
wereprobablygoingtobelayeringthisinacompositionwedprefertohavea
transparentbackground.

52) WerecurrentlyusingtheBlenderRenderer.

53) InthepropertieseditorselecttheRendertab.UndertheOutputsubpanelensurethat
youhaveRGBAselected

54) UndertheShadingsubpanelswitchtheAlphadropdownfromSkytoAlpha

55) PressF12torender.

56) IfyouaresatisfiedwithyourImagechooseImage>SaveImageAstosaveaPNG.

57) Youcannowimportthisimageintoyourcomposition.

2016 Ryann McCorkell

ryann.ca