Using Photoshop CS to Make Text Along a Path

In this tutorial, I'm going to show you how to add text on a path In Adobe Photoshop CS or later. However, this means that if you're using Photoshop 7 or earlier this tutorial won't do you any good. Don't say I didn't warn you!

This isn't a very complicated effect to achieve as long as you carefully follow the steps below. First, you will need to create a new path to type on. You can go on to create a path in two different ways. You could use either the Pen Tool from the Tools Palette, or you could the shape tools, like the Rectangle Tool or the Ellipse Tool.

Next you go to File and create a new document of any size you want, though you should avoid using a transparent background. Something about 500x500 might be good, but pick what you need for the purpose of your project. Next choose either the Pen Tool, or go to the tools palette and choose one of the Shape Tools.

If you choose to work with Shape tools, Photoshop has three different options you can use. These options allow you to create vector shapes, pixel-filled shapes, or paths. The last of these is really nothing more than a shape outline. For our purposes here, go to the Tool Options Bar and select the Paths button.

Regardless of which tool you use, once you have created your path, you will then our text to the path. The first thing to do is to go to the Tools Palette, and then select the Horizontal Type Tool. Then select a point along the path, and put the cursor there. When you do this, you should see the cursor turn into the Type cursor, and you can then begin to type on the path. Next click on that point on the path and type your text.

If you find as you are typing that your text isn't exactly where as you intended for it to be, or that you instead want the text on the other side of the path, this is easy to fix. First go to the Path Selection Tool in the tools panel. Once this tool is active, click and hold the mouse button down over the text on the path. You can then move your mouse left or right to reposition the text on the path or up or down to move the text to the other side of the path.