Once the symbols palette is open, select the object and drag and drop it into the symbols palette. Open the symbols palette by clicking on the Window tab that is located on the menu bar and selecting symbols. Here’s what it looks like before and after we use the Map Art tool:įor this technique the text or object (in this case, our map) must be converted to a symbol. Lets use an old-style map of the world - Shutterstock image 18605090, by javarman. We’ll begin with an object we want to wrap around a sphere. This tutorial requires an intermediate knowledge of Illustrator, and these steps should work with all recent versions of Adobe Creative Suite. Here we’re going to show you how to use this tool to map a flat object onto a 3D sphere – just like the graphic you see in the example book cover pictured above. One of the many under-utilized tools in Adobe Illustrator is the “Map Art” command.

If you’re used to using Adobe Illustrator exclusively to work with flat, plain objects, perhaps it’s time to broaden your horizons.

Using Illustrator to wrap text or objects around a sphere

3d illustrator tutorial