Get started with Substance Painter

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Digital tools have for some time been a major part of the product design process. 2D graphic design tools, such as Adobe Illustrator, are of course established tools to facilitate the creation of layouts. Here, however, we’ll examine how 3D tools can complement 2D designs, facilitating workflows and boosting efficiency when developing an entire range of products – for designers, communication teams, and even publishers.

3D tools can complement 2D designs, in that texturing and digital visualization provide enormous potential for efficient development and iteration around a complete lineup of books and editions. A designer of a visual lineup can share creations with a 3D artist directly, greatly facilitating the creation of visuals for an e-commerce or retail platform.

Using the Substance toolset, we were able to test out a much simpler workflow. We avoided the endless iterative loops of a real-scale layout of the product line, work that would have been required to verify and validate the layout and finishes on a book. Details such as the position of a composition; whether or not it is printed, recessed, or embossed; whether elements are glossy or matte, and so on.

Of course, this collection of materials is even more striking with the models released on the platform. Check out a selection of the edition and book meshes available right now on the platform.