- 1. Create a 3D box in Illustrator using an effect.
- 2. Copy and paste into Photoshop.
- 3. Use the Vanishing Point tool to create a grid.
- 4. Copy and paste some Photoshop artwork onto the grid.
- 5. Save the Photoshop document and import it into InDesign.
- 6. Use Edit Original in InDesign to jump back to Photoshop.
- 7. Change the color of the artwork.
- 8. Save the changes.
3. Use the Vanishing Point tool to create a grid.
We're going to paste some label artwork onto the box itself, so we need to use the Vanishing Point feature. To create a Vanishing Point grid, we first need a blank new layer. Select the New Layer icon from the base of the Layers panel. Sure, you can use the shortcut (Command+Shift+N on the Mac, or Ctrl+Shift+N on Windows), and Photoshop will prompt you to name your layer. However, this is a futile task, unless you'd like to find your work later on for some unknown reason (said he, with heavy sarcasm).
When you have your new layer, select Filter > Vanishing Point. The dialog box that appears could possibly be the largest one in the world for a filter (see Figure 3). Start at the top-left and select the Grid tool. Click once on each of the four corners of a visible face of your box. Photoshop creates a basic grid based on what you have drawn. The gridlines will show in blue if you get it right. (If they show in Red, you've created an impossible perspective as far as Photoshop is concerned. You'll need to grab one of the handles and drag it into place. Eventually the grid will show as blue.)
Hold down the Command or Ctrl key and drag the next perspective plane out to match the next side. Photoshop will automatically detect the perspective.
The box lid is a different ball game. Because it shoots off at an angle other than 90 degrees, you first need to drag its middle corresponding handle while holding down the Command or Ctrl key. Then switch to the Option (Mac) or Alt (Windows) key to shift the angle to match the lid. Now you can match both the sides and the top. Thank goodness for CS3!
When you're done, click OK.
Figure 3 Make a new layer before creating a perspective plane using the Vanishing Point filter in Photoshop CS3.