How To Curve Text in Photoshop

No matter if you want to make a wacky greeting card, a movie poster, or you’re just playing around in Photoshop, you’ll eventually need to curve text. The process itself is simple, and there are a few ways to go about it. Without any further ado, here’s how to curve text in Photoshop.

How To Curve Text in Photoshop?

Every good graphics editing software offers the option to manipulate text. Here, we’ll look at three different methods to curve words in Photoshop. We’ll use the Create Warped Text button, the Path Tool, and the Smart Objects tool.

Using Warp Text

The Create Warped Text button is the most straightforward way to bend text in Photoshop. Follow these steps, and you’ll get it going in no time.

• Open your project file or a new blank one
• From the toolbar, choose the Type Tool or press T on your keyboard to activate it
• Write your text
• A layer for the text will be automatically created
• Make sure to click on the text layer
• If the Type Tool is still active, you should have available text editing options for font, size, etc., in the toolbar.
• On its farthest right, there should be a series of small icons
• Click on the Create Warped Text button
• Choose the type of curvature you desire from the top menu. Afterward, you can modify it through the available sliders

With 15 choices of curvature types and three sliders to adjust, there’s quite a lot to play around with.

Using the Path Tool

This Photoshop curved text method is also easy to employ and lets you pick the exact shape of the text. Here’s how to do it:

• Open your project file or a new one
• From the toolbox, choose the Shape Tool or press U to activate it
• Choose your desired shape and draw it
• Click the Type Tool in the toolbox or press T to bring it out
• Move the cursor close to the shape’s edge, and a curved line should appear on it
• Left-click and type your text – the text will now wrap around the shape

This method is perfect if you’re planning on making infographics, typography, or other similar media.

Using the Smart Objects Tool

This is the most time-demanding method to warp text in Photoshop but allows the most control. Here are the steps:

• Open your project file or a new blank one
• Select the Type Tool from the toolbox or press T to activate it
• Make sure you’ve selected the text layer
• From the top-side menu, choose Layer → Smart Objects → Convert to Smart Object
• From the same menu, go to Edit → Transform → Warp
• Now the text should have a blue grid over it. Drag parts of the grid to change the text’s shape
• Once you’re happy with the result, there should be a checkmark button at the top-center of the screen. Press it to apply the changes

Now you know how to warp text in Photoshop. Yet, there’s a bit more to cover.

Additional Text Settings

As one of the best photo editing software on the market, Photoshop offers many other ways to manipulate text. Here are some of them:

• Layer Style → Outer Glow – This option lets you add an outer glow to a layer. You can set the blend mode, technique, and quality.
• Layer Style → Drop Shadow – Places a shadow on a layer. You can set the falling angle, distance, spread, and more.
• Layer Style → Pattern Overlay – With this setting, you can color a layer with a pattern of your choice. You can change its angle, opacity, and scale.
• Layer Style → Inner Glow – Much like the outer glow, but reversed.
• Layer Style → Stroke – It allows you to add an outline to a layer. You can choose its color, size, and opacity.
• Type → Anti-Alias – It lets you choose among a few different types of anti-aliasing for a layer. Could be handy with bigger letters.
• Filter → Distort – Lets you play around with several types of distortion, each with adjustable options. It’s pretty useful when you want to make a text look worn out.
• Filter → Pixelate – Offers different options for pixelation. Does the opposite of the anti-alias. It’s handy for creating a retro-looking text.
• Filter → Liquify – As the name suggests, you get to distort a layer in a way similar to the flow of liquids.
• Plugins → Browse Plugins – Plugins are Adobe or community-created extensions to your Photoshop’s functionality. If you want to use an effect that’s not available in the base program, give the plugin browser a try. You may be pleasantly surprised.

Wrap Up

Getting a curved text in Photoshop is quite easy once you get the hang of it. We showed you three viable methods, each with its own use cases. However, the software’s text editing capabilities don’t end here. With a wide array of additional features, this is only the beginning of your graphic design journey.