Steps for Text on Path

[firstcut]

OK, Here's how you do it.
-Draw a path (I used a circle from basic shapes)
-Select the text on path tool from the bottom of the T tool pull down
-Click on your path and start typing. You will see the text going around your shape
-After you are done typing, double click to select all the text on the path (seems like I had to triple click sometimes this was tricky)
-With the text selected you can change the font or size and
v offset moves the text in or out from the path uniformly
path start offset moves the starting point
tracking spaces the letters so they look better around the path

When you are done editing the text and are sure it looks the way you want it, select text>convert to path and the
path will disappear and the letters will remain. If you want to keep the shape you can do object>break apart and then
delete the path. Either way you lose the text properties of the lettering so you might want to make a copy before you
do this step.
Just a tip for nice looking text on a path, choose fonts that have a strong baseline visually. I like to use monocase
fonts for this reason.

[talanhart]

I don't have this version installed yet. Is the text alignment centered?

[Sweetness4713]

I guess this can only be done in the mac version????

[papasue]

Kay, this looks very interesting and I'll try it today for sure.

Did you know that you can select by drag and "copy" the message and paste it into TextEdit? I've done it and added this neat trick to my instruction manual.

TKS

[HeatherM]

I guess this can only be done in the mac version????

No, Windows users can do this too.

[Barbara-UK]

Thanks so much for this....it's much appreciated. Off now to try this!

[firstcut]

Talan, it is just like in Inkscape where the text starts where the path starts. Not sure how much you can manipulate that at the beginning, but you do have a path start offset control that you can use to center it when you are done. I spent a lot of time centering things around a circle in Inkscape before I realized that you can just rotate the whole thing after you cut it. LOL

[balletcostumemom]

If these directions are for the SCAL update, I'm missing something. Ok, you said, select a circle from shapes. Done. Is it automatically a path? because when I select it all I get is reverse path highlighted. Then when I select Text, I don't see a Text on path tool? Can you provide more details or am I just missing something? Not seeing text edit either.

[HeatherM]

Click and hold on the T, then when the three options appear, keep holding the mouse button and move the mouse over to the Text on path option.

[balletcostumemom]

Thank you Heather, I would have absolutely never thought to click and hold on one of the icons. Hmmm, now I can see it.