Wallpaper Calendar With a 3D Type Effect - Photoshop Tutorial

Each month our designer Jaro Mlkvy @jaro_mlkvy - designs wallpaper calendars, some of them get showcased in the @smashingmag wallpaper posts and some of them even got to the 2010 wallpaper calendars top list by Smashing Magazine. In this quick Adobe Photoshop tutorial he will show how he made this awesome wallpaper calendar with a 3D type effect. Enjoy!

Final preview:

1. Create a backround - I have downloaded mine from http://lostandtaken.com/gallery/vintage-wallpaper-4.html

2. Make the background a bit darker and blur it, as we want to create that depth of field effect with the letters

3. In next step write the first letter „F“

4. Setting the back color of the character

5. Duplicate the letter and create a bit of a perspective with it, the one in the back is a bit darker

6. Use the pen tool between those two layers and "connect" these two layers with creating a new shape. The shape is going to have the color of the letter that is in the back.

7. The letter that is in front is going to have a stroke and gradient applied to add the light effect

8. Use the line tool to create the wires

9. As the final step merge all the layers with the letter a apply a gaussian blur effect

10. Use these steps on every letter but in the end give different amounts of blur for every letter to create the illusion of depth of field. I have made the letter "u" as the center - a letter that has the minimum amount of blur. Also rotate the letters a bit so they would look asi f they are swinging. You can use also the motion blur filter to create more movement of the letters.

11. Download the source PSD file of a final version and a full size final wallpapers.