How to Curve Text in Photoshop

Final product image — What You'll Be Creating

In this short tutorial, I will show you how to curve text in Photoshop quickly and professionally. I will teach you the basic method first, and then I'll show you how to use it for more advanced Photoshop text effects.

Follow along with this tutorial over on our Envato Tuts+ YouTube channel:

1. How to Curve Text in Photoshop

Step 1

Grab the Pen Tool (P).

Step 2

Make sure that its mode is set to Path.

Step 3

Click somewhere on the canvas to create the starting point of the curve.

Step 4

Find the spot where you want the curve to end, and then click and hold.

Step 5

Drag the point to turn this line into a curve.

Step 6

If you're happy with the result, hold Control and click somewhere on the canvas to deselect the path.

Step 7

Grab the Type Tool (T) now.

Step 8

Place your cursor over the start of the curve. When the cursor changes, just click to turn the curve into a text area.

Step 9

You're now free to write the text just as you usually would.

Step 10

When you've finished, hold Control and press Enter to deselect the text.

2. How to Curve Text Around a Shape in Photoshop

Step 1

But this was a very simple curve. Photoshop is capable of much more! For example, you don't have to stop after drawing the second point with the Pen Tool. Just add a few more to create a more complex curve.

You can learn more about the Pen Tool here:

Photoshop in 60 Seconds: Getting a Grip on the Pen Tool

Kirk Nelson

03 Nov 2015

Step 2

But the Pen Tool isn't the only tool capable of creating paths. You can also use any shape, as long as you set it to Path mode.

This lets you create text around ellipses, polygons, and even custom shapes like a heart or an arrow.

A curve makes the text more interesting, but it can look even more appealing if you add some text effects to it.

Watercolor Text Effect

For example, you can use Layer Styles to completely change the appearance of the text with a single click. This set can turn some text into a work of art by giving it a watercolor look.

Golden Text Effect

This set can make your letters look as if they were made of gold. There are many different effects to choose from. Just make sure to use a dark background to make them shine!

Fabric Text Effect

This set is a little more complex. If you combine two styles at once, you can achieve even more advanced and realistic results. With this set of layer styles, you can easily turn your text into denim, leather, and other fabrics.

Chalkboard Text Effect

This set uses a similar two-layer approach to create a realistic chalkboard effect. It looks especially convincing if you use a proper background for it. There are many styles to choose from, depending on what you need.

Awesome Work, You're Done!

Now you know how to curve text in Photoshop, both in a simple and in a more advanced way! If you want to learn more about creating various text effects in Photoshop, you can try one of these tutorials: