Step 5

It appears that our text path is too large and the text isn’t centered with the badge. To fix this, you can resize the path using the Transform tool. Press Ctrl/Cmd+T or go to Edit > Free Transform. While holding the Shift and Alt keys, drag the corner nodes of the transform box towards the center to scale the path. When you hold the Alt and Shift key, it forces your transformation to transform from the center and in the same aspect ratio. Press Enter to apply the changes.

Our text is now in the center.


Additional Text Settings

Here are more ways you can creatively create text along a path.

Flip Text Along a Path

With the Path Selection tool selected, simply drag the point towards the center of the shape to inverse the text.

Change Text Orientation

With the Text tool selected, click on the “Toggle text orientation” button in your options bar.

Final Results

Note on the Badges

Do you like the badges shown in this tutorial? These amazing badges were designed by Zeppelin Graphics – purchase them on Creative Market.  And case you’re wondering, yes the text is created on a vector path (no warped text) :)

Pages: 1 2

87 responses to “Quick Tip: The Correct Way to Create Curved Text”

  1. Franz G Avatar
    Franz G

    Thanks so much

  2. dares Avatar
    dares

    Thank you!

  3. beth Avatar
    beth

    Hi! Can this be done in PSE 2022?

  4. Muddasar 381 Avatar
    Muddasar 381

    Thanks

  5. fern Avatar
    fern

    only the first two letters of my text appear. then nothing. What’s the problem?

  6. Thanks Avatar
    Thanks

    THANK YOU I have been telling my designer that the curved text he made look weird but he insisted it was fine until I showed him this.

  7. Rosemary Avatar
    Rosemary

    Thanks, so far so good but how do I get a short text to span the lower edge of a circle? Upper arc dies the job but lower arc distorts.

  8. Sara Simonazzi Avatar
    Sara Simonazzi

    Can a multiline text be placed on a path in Photoshop?

  9.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Using an ellipse, when I type my text in Step 3, it inserts the entire Loren Ipsom text instead of just my desire one word text. How can I fix that? Thank you.

  10.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    First time I did it I didn’t pay attention to step 3 and it did not work. Went back and reread the instructions. Works perfectly.

    Thank you

  11.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    this doesnt work on photoshop 2019

    1. Photoshop Tutorials Staff Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Staff

      It should work the same in Photoshop CC 2019.

      Can you elaborate on what’s not working?

  12.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    to hard lol tra lal

  13. deb Avatar
    deb

    in your sample, how did you get east riverside to not be upside down. when I try to follow the path the top part is good, bottom part is upside down.

    1.  Avatar
      Anonymous

      You need to flip it.

      With the Path Selection tool selected, simply drag the point towards the center of the shape to inverse the text.

  14.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Good article, but I think it is a judgment call on whether to use Path method vs Warp method. I find that warp does a better job of keeping the letter spacing looking nice and stylized. The Path tool’s text controls are a nightmare when trying to get spacing correct, and it can tend to tilt the letters in odd ways.

  15. Ricky Avatar
    Ricky

    Fumbling my way around PS and clear, concise tuts like this one are a godsend.

    1. Anonymouse Avatar
      Anonymouse

      I concur!

  16.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    Thanks very much for this knowledge

  17. Nicky Avatar
    Nicky

    Sadly, this doesn’t seem to work for Photoshop 5.5. Any ideas on how to do this, for Photoshop 5.5.

  18.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    NICE!

  19. Sakeena Kazmi Avatar
    Sakeena Kazmi

    Thank you, I learnt Curve tool from this article, It really helped me for a logo. Thanks alot.

  20. Massimo Pippino Avatar
    Massimo Pippino

    I just discovered the warp text tool. Glad I ran across your post.
    The Photoshop warp tool has ‘flag’ and ‘wave’. How can either be done with out the warp tool? Creating an ‘S’ curve?

  21. Brandi Jasmine Avatar
    Brandi Jasmine

    This was incredibly helpful, thank you!

  22. Photoshop Tutorials Staff Avatar
    Photoshop Tutorials Staff

    Drag the little square/point towards the center and the text should flip over to the other side of the path.

  23. aliasghar Avatar
    aliasghar

    how do i get the text towards the inside of the circle

  24.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    it is not working for second line

    1. zdF Ba Avatar
      zdF Ba

      EXACTLY THE PROBLEM I’M HAVING

  25. brian@brianbeinlich.com Avatar

    Great tutorial! I’m trying to apply a drop shadow to the curved text, but it doesn’t seem to affect its appearance. Any idea why? Photoshop CS6.

  26. -t. Avatar
    -t.

    Great tutorial. Easy to follow and straight to the point. Found it to be extremely helpful.
    Thanks so much!

  27. Henry Avatar
    Henry

    Finally found a proper tutorial on this

  28. Nancy Brown Avatar
    Nancy Brown

    helpful tutorial. thanks for sharing

  29. Niranjan Yadav Avatar
    Niranjan Yadav

    awesome tutorial

  30. Doug Avatar
    Doug

    How do you do the bottom curve?

  31. PIXEL Avatar
    PIXEL

    Well, I can honestly say that I have been doing this incorrectly all of these years :)

  32. Michael Rickard Avatar
    Michael Rickard

    One of my pet peeves is a nice-looking graphic that is marred by bad text. One of the chief culprits is curved text because people fall into the trap of using “warp text.” I’ve run into this problem and sadly, stopped using it. Now I have an option to create some outstanding visuals for my text without things looking like amateur hour.

  33. Two Tooreal Avatar
    Two Tooreal

    What tutorial? Nothing to click on and no tutorial loading. Just a picture of curved text…?

  34. alan Avatar
    alan

    thank you!

  35. sophia Avatar
    sophia

    I don’t see a video or instructions… I usually see a little tool in CS6 for curves, arcs, etc and now it isn’t there. But this is not a video as near as I can tell. How do I see the instructions? Thanks.

  36. Jonathan Hale Avatar
    Jonathan Hale

    Didn’t work, the Type Tool cursor never showed the icon in Photoshop CC that showed in your tutorial

  37. Chris Dawes Avatar
    Chris Dawes

    Any tutorials on how to make that pastry shop disc… I’d like to make something simlilar.

  38. Adela Avatar
    Adela

    Could you please explain how you got the Riverside part at the bottom? I created a new layer for that piece, but I still can’t figure out how to do this.

    1. Adela Avatar
      Adela

      So sorry to be writing so much. I figured it out, but now my “Riverside” bottom text is on the inside of the circle, rather than on the outside of it. Is there a way to “fix” this?

    2. Photoshop Tutorials Staff Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Staff

      Try this: Select the Path Selection tool. There’s a tiny <> diamond shape on the path. Click and drag that up/down to move your text.

  39. Adela Avatar
    Adela

    Thank you very much. I will try this today. I just wish you had a printable version of this, as the text on the web page stacks on itself when I try to print.

  40. T Kaer Avatar
    T Kaer

    I can’t get the text to flip. You say to use the Point Selection tool, nowhere in my photoshop does anything say Point Selection tool and you don’t show what it looks like. Where is the dang thing located??? I’m trying to make a logo for someone and I need it yesterday.

    1. Photoshop Tutorials Staff Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Staff

      Sorry about that. It is actually the Path Selection tool (A) which is under the Text tool. Post has been updated – thanks for the tip!

  41. Rene Avatar
    Rene

    Stupid question. I managed the top text just fine, but I can’t get the lower text to not show upside down! ?

  42. eleena Avatar
    eleena

    can this be done in adobe after effects as well?? so it can be animated

    1. Photoshop Tutorials Staff Avatar
      Photoshop Tutorials Staff

      Yes you can do this in After Effects as well. Draw a path and you should be able to add text along the path.

  43. YT Avatar
    YT

    Clear and to-the-point tutorial. Just what I needed, thanks!

  44. Vicki Morrow Avatar
    Vicki Morrow

    Thank you! Just learning Photoshop for fun and trying to absorb as much as popular! Your tutorials are really awesome and greatly appreciated!

  45. Colin Avatar
    Colin

    This is really helpful and so easy to understand for anyone.Thanks you!!

  46. Migs Avatar
    Migs

    I’ve used this technique (learned from this very page!) many times, so I thought it was about time I also said thank you!

  47. Annalisa Unbedacht Avatar
    Annalisa Unbedacht

    Super helpful and straight forward tip. I really dig this.

  48. Rebecca Avatar
    Rebecca

    Thanks so much!

  49. David Avatar
    David

    There aren’t two points to adjust the start and stop of the path and when i type my text it goes onto two line when i want it on one?

  50. Steven Goldfarb Avatar
    Steven Goldfarb

    After selecting the Text tool (step 3) and hovering over the path, my cursor does not change, as described, and thus will not allow me to insert text on the path. I have CS5 12.0.4. Any hints?

  51. Okera Ras I Avatar
    Okera Ras I

    This tutorial was extremely helpful. Thank you very much!

  52. Speedy Gonzalezbian Avatar
    Speedy Gonzalezbian

    Ah brilliant! Thanks! This onw finally had it right after all those text warping tip pages.

  53. Speedy Gonzalezbian Avatar
    Speedy Gonzalezbian

    Ah brilliant! Thank you! This one finally had it right after all those test warping tips.

  54. Kidd Mahobele Avatar
    Kidd Mahobele

    beautiful tutorial but my step 4 is aint working. text cursor with two arrows is not appearing

  55. Aline Lopes Avatar
    Aline Lopes

    Thank you, you helped a lot!

  56. Dane Avatar
    Dane

    Thank you so much ..Really Awesome!!

  57. Jason Fonceca Avatar
    Jason Fonceca

    Super helpful. Clear. Easy. Love this, thank you.

  58.  Avatar
    Anonymous

    awesome

  59. Richard Fernandez Avatar
    Richard Fernandez

    Excelent, saved me time…

  60. Mike Avatar
    Mike

    Just what I need. Perfect. Thank-you!

  61. safia Avatar
    safia

    Thnxs !! it really helps ^^

  62. notyouagain Avatar
    notyouagain

    vector’s win again !!!!

  63. Photoshop noob Avatar
    Photoshop noob

    Loved this tutorial! It was quick and easy!

  64. Azharnpl Avatar
    Azharnpl

    Excellent and Really Helpful.

  65. Camilla in Sweden Avatar
    Camilla in Sweden

    Fantastic. But here’s a question I have been searching high and low for, to no avail.

    How do you create exactly the same result but instead of text, you have a narrow panoramic skyline image instead? I can’t find the answer to this anywhere and have gotton exhausted for hunting for the answer for 2 days.

  66. Maidul Islam Avatar
    Maidul Islam

    Nice technique. Really useful…thanks for the post…

  67. Maidul Islam Avatar
    Maidul Islam

    Awesome! Excellent tutorial.

  68. Alisson Pwk Avatar
    Alisson Pwk

    Excelente! Conteúdo de alta qualidade.

  69. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    I’m having a problem at step 4. After entering my text and clicking the path selection tool, the path vanishes. I am unable to select start or end points. Where am I going wrong?

    1. Shirin Zakerion Avatar
      Shirin Zakerion

      Same here

    2. Red Avatar
      Red

      Go to the path tab. If you can’t find the tab or it is not visible, then go to window>paths.

  70. john Avatar
    john

    Simply great

  71. A. S. Z. Avatar
    A. S. Z.

    Now this was helpful. I knew their was a better way of doing it, just couldn’t figure out how.
    Thanks.

  72. Anonymous Avatar
    Anonymous

    Nice and clear tutorial

  73. ashraf Avatar
    ashraf

    Realy…Nice Explaining,,,

  74. Marcin Avatar
    Marcin

    Nice one!

  75. Hector Matias Avatar
    Hector Matias

    Excelente trabajos…!!!

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