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This article was co-authored by Shari Fairclough and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Shari Fairclough is a Social Media & Graphic Design Expert based in Atlanta, Georgia. Shari is a versatile designer with extensive experience in social media marketing, UX/UI design, and graphic print production. She has over 4 years of both freelance and in-house experience working as a UX and Graphic Designer. She currently works as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator at Guidepost Montessori. In this role, Shari curates engaging content and enhances the school's online presence. In 2022, Shari founded Sunni Aesthetics, a design platform that blends culture, design, and art. Shari holds a Google UX Design certification. Additionally, she studied graphic design at The Creative Circus, has four years of experience working as an assistant teacher, and is certified as a TEFL instructor. Shari has contributed to various publications, including Canvas Rebel, VoyageATL, and 11 Alive, and has film credits on IMDb for her work in "Black Lightning," "The Color Purple," and "The Staircase." She received a BA in Film & Media from Georgia State University.
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This wikiHow will show you how to curve text in Adobe Illustrator using the Warp option in the Effects menu or by using the Type on a Path Tool on a computer. Unfortunately, the mobile app, Adobe Illustrator Draw, does not support the features used in this wikiHow.
How do you curve text in Illustrator?
- Open your Illustrator project.
- Select the text you want to curve.
- Click the Effect tab.
- Click the Warp tab.
- Click Arc.
- Click OK to apply those settings.
Steps
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Open your Illustrator project. You can do this from the Illustrator “File” tab or you can find the file in your file browser, right-click, and select “Open With…” and “Illustrator.” This method is the easiest and works for both Mac and Windows computers. -
Select the text you want to curve. You can create new text by clicking the text tool from the tool menu or pressing "T" on your keyboard.Advertisement
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Click the Effect tab. You'll see this either above your project area or along the top of your screen.
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Click the Warp tab. A menu will slide out to the side.
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Click Arc. A window will pop up.
- Click to select the box next to "Preview" so you will see the changes as you make them.
- You can play around with the percentages here to change the curve of your text, but the default settings provide a basic arc.[1]
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Click OK to apply those settings. If you had "Preview" enabled, you will see the same settings you had set in the dialog box applied.
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Open your Illustrator project. You can do this from the Illustrator “File” tab or you can find the file in your file browser, right-click, and select “Open With…” and “Illustrator.” This method works for both Mac and Windows computers.
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Draw a circle or shape with the Ellipse Tool. You'll see this in the tool menu. You can also press "L" to select the Ellipse tool.
- Drag and drop your mouse on the canvas to create a circle.
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Click and hold down on the text tool in the tool menu. More options for the text tool will pop up to the side.
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Click the Type on a Path Tool. This is usually 3rd in the list.
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Click the circle to activate your cursor. As you type, the text will hug the circle. Although this method focused on writing on a circle, you can write on any shape.
- Click the Direct Selection tool from the tool menu (it looks like a cursor arrow) to edit your text.[2]
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1. Open your Illustrator project.
2. Select the text you want to curve or create new text.
3. Click the Effects tab.
4. Click Warp.
5. Click Arc.
6. Adjust the settings and click OK to apply.
