In this tutorial, we'll explain how to create an open book mostly with Illustrator's 3D Extrude & Bevel Tool. We'll create open pages with graphics and add a wavy background. The book can be customized by applying your own graphics to the pages.
How to Create an Open Book with Illustrator’s 3D Extrude & Bevel Tool
Sep 12th in Illustration by Simona Pfreundner
Final Image Preview
To begin with let's have a look at the image we'll be creating.
Step 1
Let's start by opening a new document. Draw a rectangle with the Rectangle Tool (M). I chose the size of 415pt by 6pt and filled it with a nice blue. Draw a circle with the Ellipse Tool (L), and make it 27px in diameter. Place the circle in the center of the rectangle. Set the Stroke to 6pt and choose the same blue. Next, go to Object > Path > Outline Stroke.
Step 2
We need to combine both objects. We can do so by selecting both and then choose the Divide tool in the Pathfinder Palette. Delete all the unnecessary paths, then select the final desired shape, and choose the Add to Shape Area in the Pathfinder Palette.
Step 3
Select the shape, and go to Effect > Stylize > Round Corners, then choose 4pt as a value and click OK. Next, go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp. Choose the first Arc Option, click Horizontal, and set the Bend to 1%. Then go to Object > Expand. We now have our base object for the book.
Step 4
Select the shape and go to Effect > 3d > Extrude & Bevel. Set following values: -35 degrees, 31 degrees, -10 degrees. Also, set the Perspective at 131 degrees and Extrude Depth at 400pt. This setting will be used again and applied to other objects in order to build our book.
Step 5
Make a copy of the book hardcover and expand it. (Object > Expand Appearance). Select the shape and choose Add to Shape Area in the Pathfinder Palette, then fill it with black.
Step 6
Apply a Gaussian Blur to the black shape. Choose a blur of 33px. Put this under the hardcover shape as a shadow. Set the Transparency to 70% and offset it a little.
Step 7
Create a line that is 411pt long and add a Stroke of 1pt. Set the Stroke to blue. Go to Object > Envelope Distort > Make with Warp. Select the Arc Option, set the Bend to 1%, and 45% for the Horizontal distortion. Keep the shape selected and apply the same 3D Extrude & Bevel values as we did in Step 4. Click on the More Option Button, then in the Surface Section add one more highlight, and click OK. Place the blue shape on top of the hardcover.
Step 8
Create a light grey line with the Pen tool (L) about 200pt long and set 0.5pt for the Stroke. Duplicate this line eight times with a gap of about 2 pt or so, then group them together.
Step 9
Select the lines and duplicate/mirror them. Scale/skew it only on the right side. You can do so by selecting the Scale Tool(E), click on the bounding box corner, then hold down the Command Key and drag the mouse downwards. Group it again and select the Warp Tool (Shift + Alt). Apply the Warp tool to the lines, as shown below. You want to be careful not to do to much warping, just enough that it looks like pages on top of each other.
Step 10
Select the "pages object" and apply the same 3D Extrude & Bevel values as we did in Step 4 and Step 7. Click on the More Option button, then in the Highlight Section, add two more highlight and click OK.
Step 11
Make a duplicate of the "3d pages" and Expand their Appearance. Choose Add to Shape Area in the Pathfinder Palette and fill it with black. Apply a Gaussian Blur of 8px again. We'll place this as a small shadow under the "3d pages," just above the blue lines we created. Set its Layer Mode to Color Dodge. Select the "3d page" object and make a copy of it on top of itself, then set the Layer Mode to Overlay.
Step 12
Let's set up our page graphics. I chose images of the tutorials I created for VECTORTUTS, just to stay neutral and not to come into any copyright issue. Of course you can choose whatever moves your heart. You can add text, pictures, graphic textures, etc. The only important thing is to create a symbol of them.
Step 13
Let's create the pages where we'll add the graphics. Create a line with the Pen tool (P), as you see in the image below . You want to make sure that you have only three path points for now. Give the path a white Stroke.
Apply the 3D Extrude & Bevel with the same values as we used before (see Step 4, Step 7 and Step 10). Make sure that this time you do not add any shading. Then click the Map Options and go to Surface Number 3. There choose the graphic we created earlier as a symbol. You can scale it, move it around, and decide where it looks the best.
Step 14
Apply the same method to the other side of the "3d page" via the 3D Tool Map Option. Of course, you should have already created a second graphic and dragged it into the Symbol Palette.
Step 15
Once you have applied the desired graphics, select the object and put it over the 3d pages object, then set the Layer Mode to Multiply. If you feel you need to adjust the pages, you can easily add path points to the line. You can also adjust the path handles with the Direct Selection toll (A). Since we didn't expand the appearance, the 3D values will be adjusted as well.
Step 16
Create another pages path with the Pen tool (P). Apply the same 3D values and expand the appearance. Select the shape and choose Add to Shape Area in the Pathfinder Palette.
Step 17
Draw a line in the middle of the object. Let the path extend outside of the edge, then select both, and choose Divide in the Pathfinder Palette. This will give us a two page shape.
Step 18
Select each page with the Direct Selection tool (A) and apply a light grey to white linear gradient. Repeat this with the other shape by applying the same gradient. You might have to experiment a little to apply a good looking gradient.
Step 19
Place the gradient page shape over the other pages with the graphics, then set the Layer Mode to Overlay. Go to Effect > Stylize > Drop Shadow and apply the settings you see in the image below.
Step 20
Let's create a background for the book. Create a square with the Rectangle Tool(M), then fill it with a nice radial blue to white gradient. Put the gradient highlight in the top left corner.
Step 21
Create a long triangular shape, fill it with the same gradient, and set it to Linear.
Step 22
Select the triangular shapes and create two duplicates by rotating next to each other. An easy way is to first select the shape, then choose the Rotate tool (O). Click in the top corner, hold down Shift + Alt + hold down the mouse key, and drag it counterclockwise. Then press Command + D once.
Step 23
Select all three shapes and group then. Then go to Object > Envelop Distort > Make With Warp. Select the Twist Options and check Horizontal. Choose 50% for the Bend and 10% for the Vertical Distortion. Now place the background gradient shape and the swirl behind the book.
Conclusion
Voila! Our 3D Open Book is complete. I put a rounded corner square on top of all layers, placed it nicely to frame the book and the background, then applied a Clipping Path. You can of course change colors, add different graphics to the pages, and even add pages to it. I hope you enjoyed this tutorial.
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User Comments
( ADD YOURS )Billy September 12th
Great tutorial, this is what the 3d tool in illustrator should be used for. Not advanced things. Just simple things like books, and other stuffs with simple lines! Again.. great stuff! Thanks a lot!
( )dudouz September 12th
nice!
( )Mikkel September 12th
Okay work. I don’t see why you didn’t use the drop shadow live effect instead of the whole “make it your self”, which is ten times more difficult…
( )nero July 27th
When u know that the drop shadow is kool, then u should have posted this eairly.
great tut. one of the best hv seen on the site. Job well done
( )Ryan Hicks September 12th
Pimp
( )Rick September 12th
Stinking brilliant, just brilliant illustration.
Very well laid out tutorial as well, top notch.
( )Osynovskyy September 12th
WOW! AMAZING!
( )Grant Friedman September 12th
Very nice tutorial!
( )Tony September 12th
will be great for icon design tips. thanks
( )Kenny Villacorta September 12th
Awesome tutorials!
( )Dainis Graveris September 12th
Excellent outcome, great use of 3d tool.
( )Jonathan September 12th
Noice!
( )Mark September 12th
Brilliant outcome. Really like it
( )daniel September 12th
very nice tutorial and cool result! very useful. thanks a lot.
( )Mick September 12th
Thank you for the really nice techniques of 3d and Map Art steps. Good stuff.
( )Nate September 12th
There’s alot of steps involved but the outcome is pretty fantastic.
( )Knoxville Website Design September 12th
Wow, that 3d > Extrude & Bevel is an amazing little tool. Thanks for sharing.
( )Alex Beltechi September 12th
Wow, that’s great use of AI! it shows how advanced the software really is.
( )But as a suggestion, the pages on the left (the farthest point from the viewer) shouldn’t be longer than the cover. the perspective would require that.
Shane September 13th
woah! that’s a fantastic tutorial. Is there anything Illustrator can’t do?
Thanks.
( )mrro September 13th
I have learned many techniques from this tutorial. Thanks so much
( )giackop September 13th
wow amazing thanx!!
( )Jesse September 13th
Those are fantastic results for things I never thought of doing with Illy’s 3D tools… Nicely done! Now I have to go try some of those techniques…
( )Aliasart September 14th
Seems to be really hard, but very nice
( )RIjalul Fikri September 14th
Wow, I learn a lot from this tutorial
( )Mkangel September 14th
This is a very nice tutorial, nice 3d work
( )kevthio September 15th
lovely
( )Grafiko September 15th
great tutorial.. I see tons of applications for this. Really good demonstration of the 3d tools
( )tanicos September 16th
a very easy to follow tutorial..great work in the end.
( )Vector Graphics September 18th
that’s a really nice 3D effect. Thanks
( )reezluv September 19th
amazing tut..thanks
( )Hero September 24th
Great!
( )Thank you so much.
Renee October 7th
Wauw,
( )Nice tut! Thnx alot!
Cesar Gomez October 8th
WOW!!!
( )Illustrator es excelente. Muy buen tutorial.
Lo leeré después con más atención.
Gracias.!!
craigsman October 8th
Fantastic! Thanks heaps!
( )dr.emi October 9th
OH MY GOD !
brother, it gave me an inspiration…
very very, useful tecnic ! thanks, great tutorial !
( )ciro207 October 10th
Great tutorial!!
It is really useful for me! I found many techniques I didn’t know.
Just a question: when I try to create Map Art on the left side of page I can select only a little part of it. I see red sign around the space. I understand it depends about the path, but I can’t find a solution.
any idea?
Thanks anyway, it was great!!
( )pooch October 10th
great!!
( )Luis October 12th
Amazing !!!!!
( )It’s just wonderful look what it can be donde with the appropiate knowledge !
kozeyar October 13th
wowed! really neat
( )thanks alot
insic2.0 October 13th
Great tutorial indeed! Very Helpful
( )Elita October 18th
Precioso…. muy útil, thanks so much, but I have the same trouble than Ciro207, anybody have an idea about it…
( )Att: Andean Girl
zaheer October 23rd
Excellent outcome, great use of 3d tool.
( )katrin October 31st
Has reached up to
I Quote
Step 9
Select the lines and duplicate/mirror them. Scale/skew it only on the right side. You can do so by selecting the Scale Tool(E), click on the bounding box corner, then hold down the Command Key and drag the mouse downwards. Group it again and select the Warp Tool (Shift + Alt). Apply the Warp tool to the lines, as shown below. You want to be careful not to do to much warping, just enough that it looks like pages on top of each other.
Also it was fallen asleep, something is impossible to me in any way, under “E” – Free Transforn Tool, and Scale Tool – under “S”. But has put at all in it, that that that tool all the same does not turn out to reach in any way the necessary result All of a line even after a grouping remain separate with these tools. What do I do not so?
( )Nufzam November 13th
one word… awesome. Thanks for tuts.
( )Lauren November 28th
Great so far but I’m stuck @ Step 9. I’ve grouped the lines or “pages” together and when I select the scale tool, my bounding box corner disappears and only the lines are selected (no box outlining the image). When I hold down the command key and click and drag from where the bounding box should be, it just scales it up and down like normal. For some reason, I can’t just shrink down that one side to make the pages look like they’re coming from the spine. Did I group them together wrong? I just select the lines and then go to object>group, right? I’ve tried doing it many different ways and I’m still stuck :\
( )Manuel December 1st
Nice tutorial
( )Salute
Jonathan December 15th
Great STUFF
( )nk December 26th
Great tutorial, although I’m also getting stuck on Step 9, like the others have mentioned here. I can’t get the group of 8 lines to shrink on just the right side.
Ideas?
( )Babak December 28th
Great, Thanks.
( )underhill January 13th
that was awesome!!
( )Luis January 22nd
This is a very nice tutorial
( )Leyla January 29th
Super! xxxx
( )thiendan February 2nd
thanks, so cool. But when I finished it, the images on page were broken pixel?
( )DMS February 13th
I’m learning a lot about AI using this tutorial. Thanx!
I too, am having problems with steps 9 & 10. I eventually used Effect>Distort & Transform>Free Distort to shrink the inner binding edged of the pages. But when I move on to step 10 the pages do not share a “seam” in the center. Its probably due to my use of Free Distort.
But its still a great tut!
( )ASH March 4th
I am so frustrated, I have been trying to do this for hours and I feel like such a complete DUNCE! Can anyone help me please???. Ok, I am stuck at step 9:
( )“Scale/skew it only on the right side. You can do so by selecting the Scale Tool(E), click on the bounding box corner, then hold down the Command Key and drag the mouse downwards.” I just cannot do this, how do I scale only one side? Every time I try it scales/skews everything. I am on a mac so the comm and keys are different I think, but I just can’t find what they are. argggh. it is driving me craaaazy…someone please help before I lose my mind!!!
tasarhane March 10th
very nice tutorial.. thanks..
( )Sketchee March 11th
This is one I could play around with for hours! Very interesting ideas in this tutorial that could extend to more than just creating a book illustration. Thanks for the great visuals
( )Jolie March 20th
For those folks that were having trouble with step 9, I figured it out. First you select your grouped lines with the select tool. Then you click on the free transform tool. Then you click on the right bounding box handle. AFTER you click on the right bounding box handle THEN you press the cntrl (windows) cmd (mac) key and then you can scale only the right side. I hope that hopes those frustrated out there, I was equally as frustrated.
( )Tunde March 24th
Great Tut. Cheers
( )Fernando March 30th
Thanks for this great tut!
For step 9: You can try selecting the points on one side with the direct selection tool (A – white arrow) and then without deselecting choose the the scale tool and place the little red target in the bottom line in order to avoid scaling under that line, the same can be applied to reduce the other side (direct selection point in the other side + scale tool + placing the target). At least it works for me in CS3.
( )Attitude Graphic Design Portfolio May 11th
Great tutorial! Check out this one:
( )http://www.attitudedesign.co.uk/3d-prototype-mock-up-in-adobe-illustrator/
CgBaran Tuts May 18th
Great tutorial thanks
( )Manzoor June 1st
nice tutorial, it ws too helpful, any way thanx.
http://greenlemon.in/blog/viewpost/83
( )SpkingR June 25th
Wonderful!!!
( )ahilan June 26th
realy very super
( )Rutger July 2nd
I also had some trouble with step 9, after reading Jolie’s message I managed to get it done, thanks Jolie. ( tho I first clicked on the middle right bounding box all the time first instead of the top right bounding box )
Nice tut! Hope I’ll get a nice result
( )Robert July 7th
very nice tutorial!
( )Arjinder July 11th
Nice tut!
&
very nice! good
( )Nafees Siddiqui July 18th
Very very good experience keep it up to teach people
( )and thankyou for teaching me also.
bouchs1 July 23rd
I’m having trouble with Step 11. I’ve tried multiple methods of arranging the various layers but can’t seem to duplicate the effect shown. It would be helpful if the author would provide more exact direction.
( )Javicho August 5th
Wow, excelente tutortial, gracias por compartirlo
( )Rasmus September 4th
Looks cool…
( )Rilzan Saheed September 30th
very nice im a new desif=gner im learn from this some thing thnx if any body hv like this notes pls send me or contect me
( )rilzan_mcdsuae@yahoo.com
Nathan B October 3rd
You really helped me out here! I needed to make a open book just like yours but with a bit more pages and you have helped me with this job.
( )Thierry October 9th
Amazing tutorial
( )BestBuyiMac27 November 2nd
great tutorial !
( )thanks so much
beekyal November 9th
thank for your tutorial
( )wasantha july 18 July 16th
how t0 add photo
( )