best way to warp type around a cylinder

I need to warp type around a bottle to it curves up on the left and right and also condenses slightly at the edges (as it visually does).

Using the mesh function not only doesn't squeeze the type correctly I can't grab more than one bezier handle at a type so it is very inefficient and difficult.

Does anyone have a much better idea?

Illusttrator has slightly better tools but not great.

Thanks

alan

Alan...

Maybe Toby Thain's Cylinder distort plugin will do the trick for you?

< http://www.telegraphics.com.au/sw/info/cylinderdistort_ps.ht ml>

alan,

Another choice is to create and warp the type in Illustrator.

Neil

And another way is to do it using the 3D tools in CS4.

:)

Yeah, I'd use Illustrator if possible...and I see that you asked in the Illustrator forum, too. But I saw this first, and that's why I recommended Toby's plugin.

Don't know anything about PS CS 3/4's 3D capability (since I still use PS CS2), and wasn't sure if text could be kept in its native form (as hinted vectors) when being manipulated with the 3D tools in PS.

Phos,

I just gave a quick test of wrapping text around a cylinder is CS4. The text remains as one of the textures and is live and editable even after the image is rendered unless you choose to rasterize the layer.

The problem I think if I understand the OP correctly is that they have an illustration bottle and it is not a 3D object of any kind so the best way is to do this is probably still in this case Illustrator, however saying this i have not tried this trick in Photoshop as a 3D object.

Warp will get you some of the way with some time. Spherize along one axis will help with the perspective compression.

Depends on how good a job you want... i'd sling it into 3d( in a 3d app) and be done in a few mins.

The best and simplest 3D wrap tool (although it's purely an envelope tool) I've ever seen was in KPT Vector effects, is that still around?

Spherize horizontal, and then scale down horizontal. I used 3D transform to rotate the cylinder. Quick and easy.

< http://www.pixentral.com/show.php?picture=1gkqgmd7Kq6PftQwgw 2mgO4GSEiz7x>

Thanks for all the suggestions. Using the info above I brought my photoshop object (basic shampoo bottle) into ai as a template and create a cylinder close to the shape/size using the pen tool and rotate.

Than I mapped type I had previously imported to the symbols pallete. It worked well. I had to scale up my 3D cylinder model so I'd get less of a warp/curve in the type but after doing that it was a good match.

alan

At some point I'll download the cs4 trial and look at the 3d tools, Ann. How does it work in cs4, I mean without a 3D model to wrap/map around?

Do you bring a 3D model/object into cs4 photoshop?

Also after I map my type (in ai) to a cylinder I find I have to bring it into ps as paths. Then I can erase the model. Is there another way?

alan

At some point I'll download the cs4 trial

Once it's available, I will too. Adobe has not released the demo. it usually takes them at least a month, or two, or three…