How to Create 3D Puff Text in Affinity

Want to learn how to create 3D puff text in Affinity?

In this week’s tutorial, I’m showing you how to take ordinary text and transform it into soft, dimensional lettering that looks similar to puff heat transfer vinyl (HTV).

If you’ve seen those raised, puffy lettering designs on t-shirts and sweatshirts, you know exactly the look I’m talking about!

The trick is using Affinity’s 3D Layer Effects to create rounded, raised lettering without making it look overly shiny or plastic.

I’ll walk you through the process, including how to access some hidden advanced settings that you might not even realize are available.

Trust me, I had to do a little digging to find those settings myself!

What Is 3D Puff Text?

3D puff text is a lettering style that gives your words a soft, raised, dimensional appearance.

Instead of looking like ordinary flat text, the letters appear to have thickness and rounded edges, almost as if they’re made from foam or puff heat transfer vinyl.

This style is especially fun for:

• T-shirt and sweatshirt graphics
• School spirit designs
• Sports themed PNGs
• Boutique style typography
• Personalized designs
• POD artwork

And the best part? You can create the effect directly inside Affinity using Layer Effects!

Step 1: Start with Your Text

The first step is choosing your font.

For this technique, I recommend experimenting with thicker, bolder fonts because they give you more room to create that rounded, dimensional appearance.

Add your wording to your document and adjust the size, spacing, and color until you’re happy with the basic layout.

Remember, we’re going to add quite a bit of dimension to these letters, so starting with a nice bold font makes the effect easier to see.

Step 2: Apply the 3D Layer Effect

Next, we’re going to use Affinity’s built-in 3D effect.

Select your text layer and open the Layer Effects panel.

Enable the 3D effect.

You’ll immediately notice that your lettering begins to take on a raised appearance.

But here’s where things can get a little confusing.

When you first access the effect, you might only see a setting for Radius.

And if you’re wondering where all the other settings are, you’re not alone!

How to Access the Advanced 3D Settings in Affinity

This is something I really want to point out because it took me a little while to figure it out myself.

If you’re only seeing the Radius adjustment, you’re probably looking at the simplified Effects panel.

To access the additional settings:

1. Enable 3D.
2. Click the gear in the top right to open the Layer Effects window.
3. In the Layer Effects window, click directly on the 3D effect name, not just the checkbox beside it.
4. This opens the detailed 3D controls.

Now you should be able to access additional settings, including:

• Radius
• Depth
• Soften
• Diffuse
• Specular
• Shininess

These controls give you much more flexibility over the finished appearance of your lettering.

Important tip: If your Depth setting seems to change along with Radius, check whether the two settings are linked using the chain icon.

Once you know where these settings are hiding, creating custom text effects becomes much easier!

Step 3: Create the Puffy, Dimensional Look

Now that we have access to the advanced controls, we can start building that soft, raised appearance.

For a puff HTV-inspired look, these are some good starting settings to experiment with:

Radius: Around 50 px

This helps create the rounded, puffy edges of your lettering.

Depth: Around 50 px

Depth helps determine how raised the letters appear.

Soften: Around 5 px

Adding a little softness helps smooth the transition between the raised areas and the edges.

These are starting points rather than exact settings for every design. The best values will depend on your font, text size, and document dimensions.

Step 4: Give Your Text a Matte Finish

One thing I really wanted to achieve with this tutorial was a matte puff vinyl appearance instead of the glossy, plastic looking finish that 3D effects can sometimes create.

This is where the lighting and surface settings become important.

To make your text look softer and less shiny:

Increase Diffuse

This helps give the lettering a softer, more evenly lit appearance.

Reduce Specular

Specular controls the shiny highlights. Keeping this low helps prevent the lettering from looking glossy.

Keep Shininess Low

Reducing the shiny appearance helps create a more matte, fabric inspired finish.

The goal is to create dimension through soft shading rather than bright, reflective highlights.

You can continue adjusting these settings until you get the look you’re going for.

Step 5: Fine Tune Your Text Effect

Once you’ve created the basic puff effect, take a look at the overall appearance of your lettering.

You may want to adjust the Radius, Depth, or Soften settings depending on the font you’re using.

Some fonts look great with a more exaggerated puff effect, while others look better with a softer, more subtle finish.

You can also experiment with additional effects, such as a very subtle bevel, but be careful not to add too much shine or hard edging if you’re trying to maintain that matte look.

The goal is to make your letters look raised and rounded while keeping the overall design soft and natural.

Try 3D Puff Text in Your Own Designs

Once you understand how to create this effect, you can use it with all kinds of different lettering designs.

Try experimenting with:

• School names and mascots
• Sports phrases
• Holiday sayings
• Personalized names
• Bold statement words
• Sweatshirt-style typography
• Seasonal PNG designs

Changing the font, color, and amount of dimension can give you a completely different result each time.

Final Thoughts

Learning how to make 3D puff text in Affinity is a fun way to give your typography a completely different look.

And while the effect itself is fairly simple, knowing how to access those advanced Layer Effects settings makes a huge difference.

Once you can adjust the Depth, Soften, Diffuse, and Specular settings, you have much more control over whether your lettering looks glossy, rounded, soft, or matte.

Experiment with different fonts and settings until you find the combination you love!

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