Curved Text

Add Curved Text

You can add curved text in two ways:

Tips

Curved text requires the full-featured version. See FAQ.

1. Add Directly to the Canvas

  1. Choose Object > Add Curved Text… (⌃A) from the menu bar.
  2. In the dialog, select a path shape and click OK.
  3. Type your text.
  4. Press the Esc key to finish typing.
  5. Drag the control knobs to adjust the curve.

2. Add to an Existing Shape or Path

  1. Select an existing shape or path on the canvas.

Tips

You can draw a custom path using the Curve, Polyline, Ellipse, or Vector Pen tool first. You can hide or delete the original path later if you only want the text to be visible.

  1. Choose Object > Add Curved Text to Current Object.
  2. Type your text.
  3. Press the Esc key to finish typing.
  4. Adjust the path or shape as needed.

Adjust the Curve

Select the curved text object and drag its control knobs on the canvas to reshape the curve.

Edit the Text

To modify the text content, select the object with the Select and Move Tool, then double-click it or press Return.

To finish editing, press Esc or right-click the canvas and choose End Editing.

Format the Characters

Curved text takes the same character formatting as straight text. In the Attributes panel, set the Font, Size, and Fill Type for the characters: a solid color, a gradient, or a pattern. The text fill menu offers a third Pattern entry, and it works on curved text exactly as it does on straight text—the tile is masked to the glyph shapes, so it fills the strokes of the letters the way a color or gradient does.

Tips

Curved text is always exported as an image in every format—including SVG—so its text is no longer editable after export. See Export as SVG.