How to Curve Text in Illustrator (Type on a Path and Warp)

There are two ways to curve text in Illustrator and they suit different jobs. Type on a Path makes words follow a line or a circle, which is what you need for a badge or a stamp. A warp bends a block of text into a shape, which is quicker for a banner. This page covers the path method in detail, because it's the one with the settings people get stuck on.

Curve text along a path

1. Draw the path you want the text to follow. A circle, an arc or a freehand curve all work.
2. Select the Type on a Path tool (or the Vertical Type on a Path tool).
3. Click the path or shape outline at the point where the text should begin.
4. Type your words. They follow the path.

Adobe adds a warning that tends to surprise people: if your path has a stroke or fill, Illustrator removes them automatically when you click the path with a type tool. Your circle disappears and only the text remains. If you want the shape visible, copy the path first and keep the copy underneath.

Text doesn't fit the path?

If the words are too long for the path, you'll see an overflow marker in the bounding area. Resize the type area to show the rest, shorten the text, make the path longer or reduce the font size. A circle of a given size only has so much room around it.

Move or flip text

• Move along the path: select the path, hold Ctrl (Windows) or Command (Mac) and drag the centre bracket.
• Flip to the other side: drag the centre bracket across to the other side of the path.

Flipping is how you put text inside a circle instead of on the outside, or underneath an arc so the letters read the right way up on the bottom of a badge.

Choose an effect

Select the path, then choose Type, Type on a Path and one of the effects: Rainbow, Skew, 3D Ribbon, Stair Step or Gravity. Rainbow is the default and keeps letters upright to the curve. Adobe notes that Gravity on a perfectly circular path looks the same as Rainbow, so you only see a difference on ovals, squares and irregular shapes.

Align the letters to the path

Align To Path	Letters sit on...
Ascender	The font's top edge
Descender	The font's bottom edge
Center	The point halfway between ascender and descender
Baseline	The baseline (the default)

Find these under Type, Type on a Path, Type on a Path Options. For text on the outside of a circle, Baseline is usually right. Change it if the letters seem to float or sink into the line.

Fix cramped or gappy letters

On a tight curve, letters can bunch together on the inside and spread on the outside. Open Type on a Path Options and raise the Spacing value to remove the extra space. One catch from Adobe: the Spacing value doesn't affect characters on straight paths, so use Kerning or Tracking there.

Put text inside the circle

Instead of flipping, you can use the Baseline Shift option in the Character panel. Adobe's example: for text running across the top of a circle, enter a negative number in Baseline Shift to make the text flow inside the circle. This keeps the direction of the type unchanged.

Text that bends without a path: Warp

For a quick curve on a short phrase, select the text object and choose Object, then Envelope Distort, then Make with Warp. Pick a style such as an arc and use the sliders to set how much it bends. It's faster, but you have less control of the baseline than with a path, so I'd use it for banners and use paths for badges.

Before you send the file

• Zoom in and check no letters overlap on tight curves.
• If a printer will open the file, make sure your fonts travel with it, or convert the text to outlines on a copy.
• Save the editable version, because outlined text can't be retyped.

If you're designing a logo, my notes on free logo makers and key graphic design terms add useful context, and how to send an Illustrator file helps when you share the artwork.

A worked example: a round badge

To make a badge, draw a circle with the ellipse tool, then use Type on a Path and click the top of the circle to start your business name, so it arches over the top. Draw or copy a second circle for the bottom text and click it near the bottom, then flip the text with the centre bracket so it reads the right way up. Adjust Spacing in Type on a Path Options until the two lines look balanced. Finally, put a graphic in the middle. It takes a few minutes and looks far more polished than text on a straight line.

Common mistakes

• Clicking the shape with the normal Type tool, which puts text inside the shape instead of along it.
• Forgetting that the stroke disappears, then wondering where the circle went.
• Using a long phrase on a small circle, so the end overlaps the beginning.
• Choosing an effect like Stair Step by accident and wondering why the letters jump.

My verdict

Use Type on a Path for badges, circles and logos, and adjust alignment and spacing in Type on a Path Options. Use Warp for quick banners. Remember that clicking a path with a type tool strips its stroke and fill.

Frequently asked questions

How do I curve text in Illustrator?

Draw a path, select the Type on a Path tool, click the path where the text should start and type. Or select text and use Object, Envelope Distort, Make with Warp.

How do I flip text to the other side of a path?

Select the path and drag the centre bracket to the other side.

Why did my circle disappear when I added text?

Adobe says Illustrator removes a path's stroke and fill when you click it with a type tool. Keep a copy of the shape if you want it visible.

How do I fix uneven spacing on a curve?

Open Type, Type on a Path, Type on a Path Options and raise the Spacing value.

How do I put text inside a circle?

Flip it with the centre bracket, or use a negative Baseline Shift value in the Character panel.