Adobe Illustrator — How to Add Type to a Path
January 4, 2010 / Updated: March 14, 2022 / Lena Shore
Filed under: Adobe Illustrator, Print Design, Q&A
Question
I am trying to do something in Illustrator and I can’t figure out how to make it happen. I want to make letters go in a semi-circle, and the help menu says to select Type -> Type on a Path -> and the option I want. My problem is that “Type on a Path” is grayed out.
Answer
I decided to start putting more video tutorials online this year. This is my first one. You can tell by the audio sounding like I recorded in a garbage can — but I really didn’t. But, I have to start somewhere! When I get better, maybe I’ll redo the video.
The reason it is grayed out is because you haven’t created any type on a path yet. Once you create type on a path, you can select it and then go to “Type –> Type on a Path” to get more options. Here is a quick video on how to add type to a path in Adobe Illustrator.
If you’d like to have a question answered on my blog, please shoot me an email and I’ll try to help.
I’m confused, this did not explain the “type on a path being grayed out”
I am using CS4 and the type tool has no options, therefore I can only go to the Type tab which has it grayed out. This video did not explain at all what it said it would
Sheila – I updated the written part of the article to explain it better. “Type on a path” is grayed out because you haven’t created any type on a path yet. (:
Thank you for this video. I am just learning Illustrator and this helped me.
*thumbs up!*
This is exactly what I need help with, however your video does not appear on my browser. Would you be willing to email me the instructions on how to add type to a path in Adobe Illustrator. Thank you.
HEy Question,
In regards to you “type on path” video, can you tell me how to get rid of the automatic indention it is putting on the type that has been placed on the path? I want my text to go right up to the edge of the path. No one on the web (so far I’ve found) mentions the fix.
Matt – There is really no “indention”. The type starts where you placed the cursor. However, you can highlight the type and tell it to be centered, left-justified, or right-justified. Additionally, if you find that you placed the cursor too far in – select the path you created and it’s type. Notice the vertical line that appears at the beginning of the type. You can grab that and move it to the left or right.