How to write on any object to show perspective in Adobe Illustrator

Illustration involves a lot of some basics that when adhered to brings realism into the created or illustrated piece. One of those is the ability to add texts properly to objects like boxes, cylinders, cuboids and more to show a 3D effect even though the work is actually a one of two dimensions. Every basic Graphic Design software can be used to perform this task to be demonstrated here but Adobe Illustrator has been used for this demonstration.

Launch Ai and create a new document with any dimensions of your choice. Draw three parallel lines of equal dimensions as shown in the image below. Alternatively, a rectangle tool can be selected to draw the box but the creation of the lines is just to be able to put the box in perspective. 

Using these lines as a guide, create a rectangle and manipulate the edges with Direct Selection tool (shortcut A)to fit into the guide of lines drawn.

fig 1

At this point, choose any color of choice to fill the shapes and the box should have a similar look as the one below. For demonstration sake, the box was left in a very simple way possible.

fig 2

The next thing is to select the Type tool (T)to write a text of choice and after this, select the move tool by going to the tools panel to get it selected. When the text is selected, the bounding box is shown and using the bounding box as a guide, the text should be rotated to be parallel to the top and bottom lines as shown below. The basic principle behind this whole activity is that  the lines must be parallel. 

The process was still repeated at the other side of the box to write the text PENCILS.

fig 3] shows the box and texts typed on it. Looks solid or 3 dimensional

The other thing to look at is how this is applicable for the cylinder as well. Every object is derived from a basic shape and so to write on any shape, the pre-defining secret is to identify the shape from which such an object is derived. For instance, a water bottle will have combinations of a a ellipse and a rectangle manipulated in a particular way so writing on it means to do so along the contours and the lines that form the bottle. 

Draw a rectangle and add an ellipse to the top and bottom to create the cylinder. Just after that, copy one ellipse by holding the alt key and dragging. Create a straight line to divide the ellipse horizontally (through the major axis of the ellipse). select both the ellipse and the line and then use the shape builder tool, hold alt to delete every line except the one forming an arc as shown here. 

select type on a path TYPE TOOL and type your text on the cylinder. Use the move tool to drag your text unto the cylinder.

fig 4

fig 5]  Shows the cylinder with texts that round around it and this is what creates a sense of form and realism in a 2D work.