This variable web-to-print textured text retains the texture when viewed from an angle. It shows how to use web-to-print and dynamic imaging templates to show texture on 3D letter as if they were cut out from a solid block like plastic or marble.

This technique was inspired by the 3D textured Text Effect tutorial at photoshoptutorials.ws

Before you start

• Add a page frame (Layout/Page Setup/Add Page Frame). This will create a rectangular shape with the exact same size as the paper size of your template and place it as a bottom layer.
• Create a single character text frame and turn it into variable web-to-print field.

In a nutshell, we’re going to simulate an extrusion by blending two identical text frames and sandwich the blending group between a few copies of the two text frames that have a texture image placeholder PowerClip’d inside them.

Use the method explained in the 3D textured Text Effect tutorial to create the texture image for your web-to-print or dynamic imaging template. We ended up with this one.

Extrusion

Select the single character text frame and duplicate it by placing the copy slightly to the top-right of the original one. Change the colors of the text frames so that the top one resembles the light colors of your texture image and the bottom one resembles the darker ones.

The next step is to simulate an extrusion effect by blending the two text frames.

Activate CorelDRAW Blending tool from the toolbox menu on the left, click on one of the dummy text frames and drag towards the other one.

The result should be similar to this.

Texture

Duplicate the top text frame (without the blending group) and place it on top of all objects in the Object Manager (Window/Dockers/Object Manager).

Import the texture image and place it inside the top text frame as a PowerClip.

The result should be similar to this.

Repeat this step for the bottom text frame as well, placing it under the first text frame in the Object Manager.

We now have 4 text frames in the Object Manager. The top two are the texture image PowerClip containers while the bottom two are the extrusion (blending group).

Shadow

We need to make the sides of the letter appear shaded to give it a 3D look.

Select the bottom texture PowerClip container text frame and change its color to black. Go inside its content (Right click/Edit content) and assign a 50% Uniform transparency to the texture image with the Normal transparency operation.

The result should be similar to this.

Drop shadow

Let’s add a drop shadow to our 3D letter to make it stand out from the background. Duplicate the bottom texture PowerClip container text frame, place it under all text frame objects in the Object Manager and remove the texture image from it (Right click/Extract content).

Activate CorelDRAW Interactive Drop Shadow tool from the toolbox menu on the left and assign a Small Glow drop shadow to the text frame. You can use these settings as a reference.

Import a background image in your CorelDRAW document and place it as the bottom layer. The result should be similar to this.

All done!

Our web-to-print software can handle this effect easily! Upload the template into your catalog and test it. This is a dynamic imaging template but the technique can be applied to web-to-print templates as well.

Download the FREE CorelDRAW template file.