In this tutorial, we'll learn how to add type along a path in Photoshop! I'll be using Photoshop CS6 here but this tutorial is also fully compatible with Photoshop CC. We can use a basic shape tool like the Rectangle Tool or the Ellipse Tool, we can create a path from custom shapes, and we can draw a freeform path using the Pen Tool. How you draw your path makes no difference as far as how we go about adding text to it because a path is a path no matter how it was created, and the steps for adding type to a path are always the same.
Here's the image I'll be using for this tutorial which was downloaded from Adobe Stock. Let's get started! As I mentioned, the steps for adding type along a path are the same no matter which tool you used to create the path. So for this tutorial, we'll keep things simple.
To draw a path around the golf ball, I'll use the Ellipse Tool, one of Photoshop's basic shape tools. By default, the Ellipse Tool is nested behind the Rectangle Tool in the Tools panel. With the Ellipse Tool selected, the Options Bar along the top of the screen changes to show us various options for working with the tool. Near the far left of the Options Bar is the Tool Mode option. By default, it's set to Shape. Photoshop actually gives us three different types of shapes that we can draw-vector shapes, paths, and pixel-based shapes.
To draw the path, I'll click and hold my mouse button down in the center of the golf ball. Then, I'll press and hold Shift+Alt (Win) / Shift+Option (Mac) on my keyboard and begin dragging outward from the center. I'll continue dragging outward from the center until the path is large enough to surround the ball. When I'm happy with how the path looks, I'll release my Shift key and the Alt (Win) / Option (Mac) key, then I'll release my mouse button (it's important to release the keys first, then the mouse button, or you'll get unexpected results).
With our path drawn, we're ready to add our text. Choose your font settings from the Options Bar. Move the Type Tool directly over the path. The cursor will change to an I-beam with a dotted wavy line through it. Click anywhere along the path and begin adding your text. The spot you click on is where the text will begin, and as you continue typing, the text follows the direction of the path.
Don't worry if you've clicked on the wrong spot. The text is now added to the path, although in my case it's on a bit of a weird angle, but we'll fix that next. If your path disappeared on you when you clicked the checkmark and all you're seeing now is the text itself, don't worry. Move the Path Selection Tool's cursor anywhere over top of your text. You'll see the cursor change from a black arrow into an I-beam with a small arrow on the side of it pointing left or right. Simply click on your text and drag it back and forth along the path with your mouse.
Watch what happens, though, if I drag my text too far. The end was cut off because I moved the text beyond the visible text area on the path. To fix the problem, look for a small circle on the path at the spot where the text is being cut off. As you're dragging your text along the path, be careful not to accidentally drag across the path. Depending on the effect you're going for, flipping and reversing the text like this may be what you wanted to do (it's actually a feature, not a glitch). But if you didn't do it on purpose, simply drag back across the path with the Path Selection Tool. Your text will flip back over to the original side, and it will revert back to its original direction.
When you're done positioning your text and you're happy with the results, hide the path in the document by selecting any layer other than your Type layer in the Layers panel. Keep in mind that even though we've added the type to a path, Photoshop has not done anything fancy with the text itself. It's still just text, which means you can go back at any time and edit it, or completely change it if you need to. You can choose a different font, change its size or color, adjust the leading, kerning or tracking, the baseline shift, and anything else you can do with regular type!
- Draw a path using Ellipse Tool or another shape method, ensuring it surrounds the subject as desired.
- Switch to the Type Tool and click on the path to start typing; the text will follow the path's direction.
- Use the Path Selection Tool to adjust the text position along the path, dragging as needed to fit.
- If text gets cut off, drag the text back along the path and correct the position; hide the path when finished if needed.
- Return to edit any text properties later to change font, size, color, leading, kerning, tracking, or baseline shift.
