How to Bend, Warp, and Curve Text in Adobe Photoshop

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Shape your text into a curve on Photoshop with this simple guide
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Do you want to bend, curve, or warp letters or words on an image in Adobe Photoshop? There are several tools in Adobe Photoshop that allow you to add text to a curved line, bend and distort the text, and even bend the letters themselves. This wikiHow article teaches you how to bend, curve, and warp text in Photoshop with expert tips from graphic designer Shari Fairclough.


3 Easy Ways to Bend Text in Photoshop

  • Use the Text Tool to add text, click the Warp tool (the T over a curved line), and use the menu options to curve or warp the text.
  • Create a curved line using the Pen or Ellipse tool. Then, click the curved line with the Text Tool, type your text on the curve, and click the checkmark.
  • Convert a text layer into a smart object and click Edit > Transform > Warp . Click and drag the Bezier curve handles and the grid points to warp the text.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Using the Warp Text Tool

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  1. 1
    Select the Text Tool. To do so, either press T on your keyboard or click the icon that resembles a “T” in the toolbar.
  2. 2
    Select options for your text. Fairclough explains that to customize your text, you can use the drop-down menus at the top of the Photoshop window. Here, you can select a font, style, alignment, and color.
    • Need more fonts? If you have an Adobe Creative Cloud subscription, Fairclough recommends checking out the Adobe Fonts offered through the Adobe Creative Cloud application.
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  3. 3
    Type some text. To add text, click where you want to add the text using the Text Tool and type. Once you are done typing, click the checkmark icon at the top of the screen to apply your text.
  4. It’s at the top of the Photoshop window. It has an icon that resembles a “T” over a curved line.
    • Make sure your text is still selected. If it is not, click the layer with your text in the Layers panel to the right.
  5. 5
    Select a warp style. Use the drop-down menu next to “Style” to select how you want to warp the text. You can create an arc, arch, bulge, flag wave, twist, squeeze, and more.
  6. 6
    Select “Horizontal” or “Vertical.” Click one of the options below the “Style” drop-down menu to apply the effect vertically or horizontally. More often than not, you will probably use the Horizontal option.
  7. 7
    Adjust the bend of the text. Use the slider bend below “Bend” to adjust how pronounced the bend is. For example, if you are creating text in the shape of a flag, the “Bend” slider will adjust how much the text ‘waves.’
    • The center of the slider bar represents 0% (no bend). Dragging the slider to the left of the center of the bar will cause the text to bend in the opposite direction.
  8. 8
    Adjust the distortion of the text. There are two slider bars for “Horizontal Distortion” and “Vertical Distortion.” These adjust how much the text is allowed to skew along the bend. No distortion will keep the letter shapes relatively proportional along the shape of the bend. Adding distortion skews the shape of the letters to create a sort of perspective/3D effect.
  9. This applies the bend effect to your text. [1]
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Using the Type on a Path Tool

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  1. 1
    Create a curved line to type on. You can create a curve using the Pen tool or the Ellipse tool. Use one of the following steps to create a path to type on:
    • Pen Tool: Press P to activate the Pen Tool, or click the icon that resembles a fountain pen tip in the toolbar. Click where you want the curved line to start. Click and hold where you want the curved line to end. While holding the mouse button, drag in the opposite direction you want the line to curve. This will cause the line to curve..
      • After you release the mouse button, you can adjust the curve by clicking and dragging the dots at the end of the straight lines (Bezier curve handles) attached to the point at the end of the line.
    • Ellipse Tool: Click the Ellipse tool in the toolbar (the shape tool, not the selection tool). Click and drag to create an oval or circle shape to type on.
      • To create a perfect circle, hold Shift while you drag.
      • If you don’t see the Ellipse tool in the toolbar, click and hold the Rectangle tool. Click the Ellipse tool in the pop-out menu
    EXPERT TIP

    Shari Fairclough

    Social Media & Graphic Design Expert
    Shari Fairclough is a Social Media & Graphic Design Expert based in Atlanta, Georgia. Shari is a versatile designer with extensive experience in social media marketing, UX/UI design, and graphic print production. She has over 4 years of both freelance and in-house experience working as a UX and Graphic Designer. She currently works as the Social Media & Marketing Coordinator at Guidepost Montessori. In this role, Shari curates engaging content and enhances the school's online presence. In 2022, Shari founded Sunni Aesthetics, a design platform that blends culture, design, and art. Shari holds a Google UX Design certification. Additionally, she studied graphic design at The Creative Circus, has four years of experience working as an assistant teacher, and is certified as a TEFL instructor. Shari has contributed to various publications, including Canvas Rebel, VoyageATL, and 11 Alive, and has film credits on IMDb for her work in "Black Lightning," "The Color Purple," and "The Staircase." She received a BA in Film & Media from Georgia State University.
    Shari Fairclough
    Social Media & Graphic Design Expert

    There are things you can do more easily in Adobe Illustrator than Photoshop. Illustrator is similar to Photoshop, but it’s better for managing text and vector graphics. Try using Adobe Illustrator to edit and modify text.

  2. To do so, either press T on your keyboard or click the icon that resembles a “T” in the toolbar..
    • On some older versions of Photoshop, you may need to click and hold on the Text Tool icon and click Text on a Path.
  3. 3
    Customize the text. Use the drop-down menus to select the font, color, and other options for the text. If you don't see a font you want to use, Fairclough explains you can download and install Adobe Fonts through the Creative Cloud application.
  4. When you hover over the curve with the text tool, the text cursor should change from a “T” inside of a rectangle to a “T” over a curvy line. Click where you want the text to start.
    • If you are using center-aligned text, click in the center of where you want the text to go.
  5. As you type, your text will align with the curved line you created.
  6. 6
    Click the checkmark icon. It’s at the top of the Photoshop window in the center. This will apply the text to your image. [2]
    • If you have a line or ellipse shape under your text, you can delete that layer in the Layers panel to the right. Your text should be on a separate layer.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Using the Transform Warp Tool

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  1. 1
    Select the Text Tool. To do so, either press T on your keyboard or click the icon that resembles a “T” in the toolbar.
  2. 2
    Customize the text. Use the drop-down menus at the top of the Photoshop window to select a font, style, alignment, and color.
    • This method works best with large, bold text and/or multiple rows of text.
  3. 3
    Type some text. To add text, click where you want to add the text using the Text Tool and type. Once you are done typing, click the checkmark icon at the top of the screen to apply your text.
  4. 4
    Convert the text to a smart object. To do so, right-click the text layer in the Layers panel to the right. Click Convert to Smart Object in the context menu.
    • Once you convert the text to a smart object, you will not be able to edit the text. Make sure you proofread your text first.
  5. 5
    Open the Transform Tool. This will apply a box with a 2x3 grid around your text. Use the following steps to open the Transform Warp Tool.:
    • Click Edit in the menu bar at the top.
    • Hover over Transform .
    • Click Warp .
      • Alternatively, you can click Skew or Perspective to try different effects.
  6. 6
    Click and drag the grid points to adjust the curve and bend of the text. You’ll notice two bold points on the top, bottom, and sides of the box. Those are Bezier curve handles. You can click and drag them to adjust the bend and shape of the text. You can also click and drag the corners of the box or where the lines of the grid intersect. This allows you to mold the text into your own unique shape.
  7. 7
    Click the checkmark icon. It’s in the menu bar at the top. This applies the warp effect to your text.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    How do I get the text to be the same size when I use the warp method?
    Community Answer
    You have to make the path longer to fit the text. The text won't go all the way to the end of the path. It's a pretty clunky tool.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/photoshop/using/video/add-edit-text-video.html
      2. ↑ https://helpx.adobe.com/illustrator/using/tool-techniques/type-on-path-tool.html

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