Material controls overview

The preset or custom materials you apply to 3D text are made up of one or more material layers—Substance, Paint, Finish, Distress, and so on—that combine to create a complex texture. When you select a 3D text object, its material layers appear in the Appearance pane of the Text Inspector, stacked under the Material preview thumbnail.

3D Text Inspector showing material with multiple layers

You can adjust the parameter controls in each of these material layers to modify the texture applied to your 3D text. For a complete list of controls in each type of material layer, see the following: