Type On A Path Options

Tips, Tips and Tricks | June 4th, 2008

Type Path Options Thumbnail

Creating type on a path is a great feature of Illustrator and is quite handy when sprucing up your typography or experimenting. Annoyingly, the Path Type object always seem to have inconsistent spacing and just doesn’t look right. Luckily, Illustrator has some Text On A Path Options! With these options, you can change the Effect, Alignment, Spacing, and Flip.

Type On A Path Options Dialog

Select the Path Type object and go Type > Type on a Path > Type on a Path Options to bring up the Type on a Path dialog.

Type on a Path Options

Effect

Chose from Rainbow, Skew, 3D Ribbon, Stair Step and Gravity to control the orientation of the type relative to the path.

Effect

Align To Path

Chose from Baseline, Ascender, Descender and Center to determine what part of the type lines up with the path.

Align To Path

Spacing

Chose a spacing value to create consistent spacing between characters on a curved path. A higher spacing value brings the characters closer to each other and helps with spacing issues.

Spacing

Flip

Flip the side of the path which the text appears.

Flip

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18 Responses to “Type On A Path Options”

  1. Andrew says:

    Handy tips to remember, thanks for the post. I love the site, it’s got a nice clean design!

  2. gen says:

    wow, thanks for these great tips! I’ve always had issues when working with type on paths in illustrator..these tips will solve a lot of them!

  3. LadyAngora says:

    nice to see these options spelled out so nicely… thanks for the tips!

  4. plechi says:

    thx for this one, really great

  5. wardhania says:

    heheh…. thats great

  6. Alistair says:

    been lurking for about a month, wish you had been around when I was just starting out, great resource for young vector designers and iconographers.

    Will keep reading!!

  7. DAvid says:

    Good VISUAL illustration of path on a type options!

  8. Pley says:

    Great thanks I practice at night

  9. Ricardo Ortiz says:

    DIOS LOS BENDIGA ME SALVARON GRACIAS POR EL TUTORIAL.

  10. Dan says:

    Please please help me with this one.
    I would love to know how to set type on a round path like this!!
    Please let me know if you find out.
    Cheers!

    http://theluxuryofprotest.com/images/A_B_peace&terrorETC8.jpg

  11. Fernando says:

    Can’t believe it’s so easy, I was roaming in illustrator so long.

    Thanks!

    PS: I Like the clean and spaced articles design

  12. Shovan says:

    Thanks helped me..
    In order to activate ‘type on parth’ option

    Draw an object, and click type on path text tool and type on top of the object

    :)

  13. Pilot says:

    I am designing a clock, I need to type numbers around a circle path. should I need to create different circle path for each number or can I type the numbers on same circle path spacing by tab?

Trackbacks/Pingbacks

  1. [...] Type on a Path Options from Vectips. [...]

  2. [...] Type on a Path Options In this tutorial you’ll get a quick look at the potential of using type on a path. You’ll see examples of several different useful effects, with explanations of each. [...]

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