How to Make 3D Objects from any Flat Design in Illustator

Illustrator 3D effects

If you are an Illustator user and have no experience using a 3D software (or 3D features inside Photoshop), then making 3D objects can seem very complex. Thankfully, Illustrator has introduced a 3D panel to simplify converting any flat design into a 3D one. Today, I will show you how you can easily turn any kind of flat design into a 3D one while controlling the position, depth, and lighting - All in less than 5 minutes and with no previous 3D knowledge required.

Step 1

Open the vector graphic you want to convert to a 3D one in Illustrator. In this case, I've made a simple rainbow with a couple of clouds so you can really see the effect.

Step 2

With your vector object opened, go to Select > All.

Step 3

Now go to Object > Group.

Step 4

Next, with all your objects grouped go to Effect > 3D and Materials > Extrude & Bevel.

Step 5

In the Object tab under "3D Type" select "Inflate" and apply the following settings.

Step 6

Select the Materials tab and under "Base Properties" set the Roughness to 0 and the Metallic value to 0,1.

Step 7

Next, select the Lighting tab and apply the following values.

Step 8

To make the 3D Object look perfect, click on the "Render Settings" down arrow. In the Render Panel, enable "Ray Tracing", set the Quality to "High", check the "Reduce Noise" option and click the Render button.

Some Final Tips:

Now that you know how to easily convert any flat design into a 3D object, you can experiment with different settings in the "3D and Materials" Panel. For example, you can change the depth, materials, and lighting colors. Or you can use the settings of this tutorial and replicate it over different designs.