Welcome to Marmalade Cafe, your go-to destination for creative tutorials! In this tutorial, we will take you through the step-by-step process of creating a stunning 3D paper coffee cup using Illustrator’s 3D option. It’s not only a fun project but can also be used as a mockup for your designs. So, let’s dive in and get started!
Designing the Base of the Cup
To begin, draw a rectangle on the artboard. In the properties panel, set its width as 140px and height as 425px. Now, let’s adjust the anchor point slightly inwards. Use a clever trick by changing the keyboard increment value to 30px. With the direct selection tool, select the anchor point and move it to the left using the arrow key. Each tap of the arrow key will shift the anchor point by 30px. Great! Now, let’s choose a color that suits our cup’s base.
Creating the Cap
Next, let’s make the cap of the coffee cup. Draw another rectangle on the artboard and set its width as 125px and height as 40px. Position it correctly on top of the cup’s base. Now, make a copy of this rectangle and adjust its dimensions to width 125px and height 35px. Place it in the appropriate position. To add an extra touch to the cap’s design, duplicate the shape, turn on the outline mode, and align the two shapes to reveal their intersection. Once aligned, let’s minus front to obtain a unique design.
We also need to cut the lower rectangle. Draw another rectangle behind the existing shapes and position it accordingly. Select both the shapes and minus front to obtain the desired shape. Repeat this process for the other side as well. Now, draw another rectangle and shift its point using the Direct Selection Tool. Unite the two shapes and round the anchor points to give it a smooth finish. Lastly, turn off the outline mode to reveal the final design of our cap. Awesome!
Adding a Label
Let’s create a label for the cup. Duplicate the shape we created earlier, turn on the outline mode again, and create another copy on the left side. Minus front to obtain a thin rectangle. To further refine the label, draw a rectangle over it and intersect the two shapes. Position the label near the cup with a slight gap between them. In this part, fill the label with a pleasing blue color. To keep things organized, select all the designs and group them together.
Applying the Revolve Effect
Now, let’s transform our 2D design into a 3D masterpiece! Open the 3D and materials panel and apply the Revolve Effect to the grouped design. This effect will give our coffee cup depth and dimension. Set the angle properly and make any necessary adjustments. You’ll notice that the 2D profile of the cup has now transformed into an eye-catching 3D shape.
Creating a Pattern for the Cup
To enhance the look of our coffee cup, let’s create a pattern for its main body. Draw a rectangle and make a copy of it underneath. Increase its height slightly and adjust the color. Now, select both shapes and create multiple copies in a downward direction. Use the shortcut (crtl+d) to duplicate the shapes effortlessly. Scale them down a bit for a perfect fit. Finally, in the symbol panel, delete the previously created symbols to avoid confusion. Click on the plus icon, name your symbol, and save it. Amazing! Our design is now saved and ready for use.
Applying the Design to the Cup
Moving forward, convert the symbols into a symbol group. Select the coffee cup and go to the Materials option. Here, you’ll find two different options: Materials and Graphics. The symbols we created in the graphic will become visible in this section. In case there’s an error in the logo spelling, simply correct it in the symbol panel. Once done, apply your design to the cup by selecting the object and choosing the texture option. Your design will now be displayed on the body of the cup.
Customizing the Design
To make the design more appealing, adjust the parameters of the cup. Set the rotation value to 30 degrees to give it a cross-like pattern. Play around with the scale, perhaps around 90%, to achieve the ideal size. Now, place your logo on the cup and scale it down to around 80%. Move it to the desired position manually. In the Properties section, set the values for roughness and metallic to 0.2 for a visually pleasing effect.
Improving the Lighting
Lighting plays a crucial role in enhancing the overall appearance of the cup. Set the intensity to 100% and the rotation to -8 degrees. The height value should be 45 degrees, which is perfect for our design. Define the softness as 75% to soften the lighting effect. Don’t forget to turn on the shadow and set its position to match the cup. Set the shadow bound to a maximum of 400% to achieve the desired effect.
Rendering the Cup
Lastly, let’s go to the render settings. Turn on the ray-tracing option and select high quality for a top-notch result. Keep the reduce noise option checked, ensuring a smoother rendering process. Once you’re ready, hit the render button and let the magic happen! After the rendering process is complete, you’ll notice the shadow and glossiness properties in all their glory.
By following these steps, you can create a stunning 3D paper coffee cup using Illustrator. We hope you enjoyed this tutorial, and if you did, don’t forget to hit the like button. If you’re new to our channel, don’t forget to subscribe and click the bell icon to receive notifications of our latest videos. Stay tuned for more exciting tutorials coming your way. Happy creating!