Text to Path

Wow..that was the missing step that I'm looking for! I never thought it would be that easy. Thanks for pointing out the way for me, I appreciate your 30 min effort just to find the answer for my question. I did as you point out in your tutorial and it worked flawlessly every time, just like what I wanted. Thanks again, people like you make big changes in other peoples lives...and that's a compliment. :)

thanks for the kind words!, how about you show us you image/work? would like to see what your trying to create :)

"3: Then click on "text to path" in the "Tool options""

 

I'm lost on this step. I've been looking for something that says "text to path" for like 10 minutes now... obviously I'm a noob. Could someone help me out on that? Maybe be a little more specific. I know, I'm lame. I tried. Sorry. Thanks so much.

lol its okay we all gotta start from somewhere:D its under the toolbox ( where all the tool icons are) you must have the Text tool selected for the text tool settings to become active under it, in there you will find the "text to path". unless you played around with your default settings, you could go to the dialog menu thats above your image then go to tool options and like i mentioned before select the text tool for the settings to show.

Hi. as you know, I'm translating your good tutorials to korean and remaking using flash. here's a my another work. http://gimp.kr/entry/GIMP-tutorial-6-Text-to-Path thanks again.

I swear, "text to path" is nowhere on my text toolbar. There is, however a button that reads, "Create path from text" in said toolbar. I've clicked it and messed with stuff, but haven't had any success there either. Nothing I've done has turned my text purple as shown in this tutorial. I'm running GIMP 2.2.1.7... if that helps. Thanks for your prompt reply... maybe we'll get it this time...

alright the exact text wasn't "text to path", its "text along path" and its right above the "Create path from text". I'm using 2.4 but as far as i can remember its the same. why don't you check out the flash video even though its in Korean you can see what he clicks on :) http://gimp.kr/entry/GIMP-tutorial-6-Text-to-Path

well that makes me feel like much less of an idiot. There is, in fact, no other button besides the "Create path from text" button.  So I still don't know how to make the text bend, but at least I'm not missing anything obvious.

Same here. I cannot find that button "Text along Path". I tried to add "Dialogs" and I can't find it still. I am using Gimp 2.2.13

 

Hi, actually the Text Along Path option only available in GIMP 2.4. I had GIMP 2.3 before and there are no text to path option, that's why I upgraded to GIMP 2.4. This program is really wonderful and I love it. I'm still trying to master it though. 

so that was the reason :) glad you got it all worked out now.

I don't have Gimp 2.4 and couldn't figure out how to do this, but do you know where I could find a place to download 2.4?  I've searched gimp.org and i can't find it. :\

FYI mine was GIMP RC1 (release candidate 1) and I found out it was unstable when it suddenly crashed while I'm working on a picture of my daughter a couple of days ago. I've done some googling and I found out that GIMP RC3 has been released and downloaded it. I haven't encounter any problems yet but till today it worked fine. You can download it at http://filehippo.com/download_the_gimp/. Happy GIMPing!

Sorry...It should be GIMP 2.4 RC3..my bad..

and to make it easier...

http://filehippo.com/download_the_gimp/ 

hope this helps... 

I downloaded Gimp 2.4 RC3 and it has no script fu. Can anyone tell me how to install them???

Thanks for the tutorial!! I had to go load rc3 on my linux laptop, 64 bit, but that was no sweat. I played around a bit and put text on a circle. http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2397/1535677541_6ced454801.jpg

Thanks again!
Tony

Hi,

Thanks for all the great info. One more question. Can you change the final font that your text is after you have it follow a path?

Thanks

HOW CAN I CHANGE FROM THE GREEN COLOR?

Hey i'am having the same problem as the two pople before me. How do you change the color, font and how do you actualy "work" with the text. I can't figure it out.

Thx Loudík

in this tutorial the text isn't the usale text, in fact its a selection of text to change its color you use the paint bucket fill or gradient fill tools to add color.

i can't get it off of step 5. *silly i know* but for some reason the "green or pink" thats surrounding my words won't go away...its frustrating. please help?!

The script fu functions can be found under 'Xtns' and some under 'Filters'.

I create my path, but when I click on the text button, my path disappears. I write the text and then click text to path, but there isn't a path for it to follow. how do I keep the path up?

I think I'm having the same problem as the other two above me, I get to the point where you turn the pathed text into a selection, but it won't let me fill the selection. 

I have succeed to make it correctly , but i have the following problem:

If i draw out a "big" path , and i type a "small" text , then the text is not  covering the whole path but only one part of it.

This make some sense , but on the other hand is there any way to "expand" your small text to fit the whole drawn path , no matter how much will be distorted ?

Thanks in advance....

 Monaxoss GR

Actually there is an option you find commonly in Desktop Publishing programs that increases the space between the letters.   It should be in the Text Tool options.   It is the one that looks like  a._.b     

Path disappears: You missed a part of step 1. In the Layers, Channels, Paths, Undo window, click the "open paths dialog" tab (looks like a bunch of paths). Highlight the path you just made and mouse over to the left of it and click the 1st empty box, an eye will appear there and the path will show up.

For those trying to change the text: After step 2, before step 3, in the text tool window under the tool selections, set the font style, it's size and the letter spacing (a_b). Don't worry about the color, since you'll fill that in later when it's a selection. Next click the Text along Path button. If all the text doesn't fit along the path, hit Ctrl+Z to go back one step, and adjust font size and the letter spacing accordingly. Then hit the Text along Path button again. Rinse and repeat until it looks like you want.

 stuck...: To get rid of the green or pink paths and outlines un-click the eye icon in the "open paths dialog" tab in the Layers, channels... window. Then press Ctrl+Shift+A. That should de-select everything. That's all those colored lines where. But don't do it until after you made a new transparent layer (hit Ctrl+L and click on the icon that looks like a piece of paper with the top right corner folded down) and then filled the selection with a color or gradient like you normally would color in a shape. That last bit should help "I think I'm having the same".

been trying to do that for ages. Just installed gimp for windows yesterday and I've have been having a lot of trouble figuring it out. You sure helped a lot.

; )

I tried this after reading some other tutorial, but that one did not work so well for me. Yours did, so, thanks again.

i can't find it!!! gahh i just got it today and can barely figure out anything please help!!

ive looked all over for it

Where's this eye icon? o.O I'm using the latest version of Gimp - I can't seem to find it.

here is a screenshot of the layers dialog in there you can see the "eye" icon to the left
http://www.gimp-tutorials.net/tutorials/text-logo/image9.png

Okay, I'm fine until step 5. I click on the path to selection icon, and there is no dashed selection happening, so I'm unable to bucket fill the font with color. It looks like each individual letter is being selected--they all have the shimmering dashed lines around them, but the bucket fill still does not work. In one of the later entries something is mentioned in passing something about creating a layer with it? I don't understand!

could you show me a screenshot of how it looks.

First off: what a nice guide :)

I seem to be able to follow it all the way down.

But (of course) I do encounter a problem: after filling in the selected text outline, I try to export the image to jpg.

The result is only partially what I want, as there is a vague greyish line running diagonally over my entire picture.
That line runs from the last Path-anchor I have made to the top-left corner of my picture. It also shows up in the pink outline, and in the image you used as example it is visible too. It seems, that with using the paint bucket, I also filled this weird diagonal selection.

How do I get rid of it?

This tut sucks. The last step doesn't even work.

I cant get this diagonal line off of it. It leaves the last letter off of the word and replaces it with the diagonal line going up to the corner.

ok i added an extra step since many of you people where having problem with step 5 so i added 6.. with an image to help explain the step better.

You forgot to mention that you need to use the select all function to actually fill the picture...

how do we install this i dont know how....

I'm on #5 still. I saved my image as a jpg and still didn't show the curved text. Can someone please explain further what has to happen?
Thanks,
T

I love this tutorial! I'm a maroon and I figured it all out easily. Thanks!!

When I press the text button, my path is gone. Is this normal?

yes that's normal.. to make it show again go to your path dialogue or tab and reactivate it.

Thanks! Worked perfectly.

I'm a little lost...How I change the color of the text????

when the selection is active or in other words those dotted lines are around it create a new layer and use the paint bucket or blend tool to apply colour.

Text is like at #5 but then I don't know how to get it work like at #6.

That's my prob, and I'm doing that text to another picture so I don't want blue background, just white. Can you help me?

Hey,
I'm trying to write something on a circular selection.
So I draw a circular selection, make it a path, the add my text and draw it around my path. It works but the text is written upside down on the lower part of the circle...any idea on how to tell gimp to draw the text the other way around?
Thanks,
RizThon

Hi,
I found how to do it...actually there's a script fu (at least in gimp 2.4) called Text circle in the logo scripts...
But still, I'd like to know how I could do it manually, as it could be useful for other use...
Thanks,
RizThon

Thanks very much for this tutorial. With the comment on "Extra Help," I was able to figure it out -- no other site I found did as well as this one. I should probably have read up on layers, selections, and filling tools before jumping in here, but I gotta start somewhere. So, I can finish my project on time, and I learned a thing or two. So thank you!

I am glad you have created this tutorial. This text to path task is very complicated and difficult. I am also glad to hear that some people are having success following your steps. However, I have tried it many times and every time I get to the point of having the path selected and I select the fill tool, the path becomes unselected.

I think it would be hugely helpful if you could tell us every single step you are taking since you are leaving out a lot and some of those steps are clearly critical to getting this to work.

In step 6 where you say "add a new layer and fill it" do you mean to fill the layer? This seems very strange. I don't understand how the path and layer are related.

It seems like you haven't followed step 4.

"4: Go to the path dialog and right click the text path and select "Path to selection""

You need to have an active selection around the path you created, this will allow you to use the paint bucket to fill the selection.

Adding a new layer will allow the text to be a separated layer as opposed to it being part of the background, that's all.

thank you so much! been struggling with that for a while!!!!!!!!!

TQ GImper !! ... i helped me alot !!

I LOVE U !! ( i not a gay la >.< )

but i need ur help now ... i i need to insert chinese words in the Text .. but when i key in the words .. it won't shown up ... why is this happening ?

I need it urgent >.< ..

TQ tq ...

Hi, I don't have a solution to your problem, please try asking one of the developers in GIMP IRC here http://gimp-tutorials.net/irc

HI there .... this is so cool. I am such a 'Gimp Pimp' - as my friends have started to call me. I am always on the lookout for new things to learn. This was one of those things. WOW .. so very cool. It took me awhile to find the 'text to path' (I must have played with something for a few things not to show up, but I eventually found it). Thanks a bunch again .. love your tuts.
***Here is what I created ... it was a first ... I'm sure I'll get better the more I play with it***

http://i35.tinypic.com/1zx3wq1.jpg

nice to see you have worked it out :) nice work !

i closed my Layers, Channels, Paths dialog box and now i dont know how to get it back can you help me please?

I wasn't able to complete this. You completely lost me in the first steps. This wasn't clear at all at very confusing. I don't see how someone new to the program could learn from this.

I don't expect someone who just installed GIMP to follow any of my tutorial since I do expect a certain previous know how of at least the tools in GIMP.

Thanks, Gimper!
I've been wanting curved text for awhile now, thanks for posting this. :)

This tutorial helped a lot, but I'm still stuck on step 6. I've figured out how to get rid of the pink outline, but I can't fill in the letter using the bucket tool. The diagonal lines keep going across the letters. However, I tried to move it with the move tool and it picked out the filled in letters, but the original was still there with the moving diagonal lines going across them. How do I get rid of this? Please help!

Mia

did you create a new layer before trying to apply the fill inside the selection?

Yes. I created a new layer and then tried to fill the text. It worked when I pulled the text around, but the original outline is still left there. And I even clicked off the eye. I'm just left with the diagonal lines going across the text on my new layer. How do I fix this?

Do you mean the same line that's going across in the image in step 3?
If that's what you're talking about then go to the paths dialog and delete the paths.

If that's not it then could you show us a screenshot of what your talking about and post it in the forum help section.

I'm not very technologically advanced and I don't know how to take a screen shot.

I'll try to describe it one more time. I got through all the steps, make a path, text to path, path to selection, new layer, and fill bucket to color in the letters. It is at this point that I'm having trouble. If you move the layer, the new filled in letters move and it looks great, but the original outline of the letters is still there (not the pink outline, but the outline right before you fill the letters with color). I've tried deleting the paths, different layers, etc. Is this normal? If not, how do I get rid of this?

I think your talking about the selection, the same one in step five's image? if so you simply go click select>None.

Let me know how you go :)

thanks for the tut....you've helped me big time:)

@overtext thanks for the comment :)

Hi folks, I got to ask....why do we persever with such an annoying program! Well, in my case I can't afford the industry leader so that's my excuse! If the User Manual was.... lets say more descriptive I would of had the answer to my problem 3 hours ago, about 15 minutes after I started! All I wanted was a text on a curving path.

The problem. There is a line that I can't do anything with. It starts at the last letter and rises diagonally to top left quadrant. Can't lasso and delete, can't move it? So, what do I do?

Just something to add, you don't need to download 2.4, you can download later versions and the "Text Along Path" option will be there.

I can't seem to find step 4:
Go to the path dialog and right click the text path and select "Path to selection"

Where's the path dialog?
sorry i'm a noob :/

@gimpnoob
,If your using GIMP 2.6 look under windows>dockable dialogs.

Okay so i can get to step 3, but when i press path to selection it doesn't do anything.
And i cant delete the the oricinal text.
I have Gimp 2.4.5 if that helps any.

I love this.
Thank you so much for your help & time.
Its came in so much handy (: <33.

Hey. I added the new layer at the end, like you said, but I can't "fill" it..my text is still sitting there looking like a selection..blinking...dunno what to do to complete this..please email if you can. thanks

I get lost at the same step ..

It is all good until i get to the last step, where you say to add a new layer, and fill it. when i try to add a new layer it wont do anything until i select none. however when i select none, my work in step five dissapears. if you can help me with that, then i would be ever gratefull. (i did all the steps correctly, i am not really a gimp newb, just dont get this part.

Thanks for this tutorial, I finally got it to work after having some of the same problems listed above. Here are the instructions I wrote for MYSELF to do this in the future:

GIMP - Text Along Curve

1. We need Paths & Layers Dialogs to display:

-Click WINDOWS, Dockable Dialogs, Paths, Layers

2. Create a Curved Path

-Click Paths Tool, Click points to approximate the curve
- DO NOT press Enter!!

3. Type the Text

-Click Text Tool
-Type the text, NOT ON THE CURVE, but AWAY as it will be deleted
the text will display LEVEL, not curved

4. Close The Text Dialog

-Click Close
-Click "Text Along Path" button at bottom of Toolbox Text Dialog

5. Delete the Text Layer

-in the Layer Dialog box, R-Click the Text Layer and select "Delete"

6. Select the Path

-in the Path Dialog box, R-Click the Path and select "Path to Selection"
-Click the 1st empty box in the Path Dialog, it will turn into an "eye" icon after clicking

At this point we should have the text along the curve with crawling ants to ind selected

7. Fill the Selection With color

-Click EDIT, select "Fill with Foreground Color"
- no need to click enter or anything else to un-select the text, just SAVE the file

for people that have trouble with diagonal lines from one of the path end-points up to a corner of the canvas (this is after you've gotten the text to outline form on the path). I think it is because you implicitly created a "closed" path of some sort -- the comment by Steve K solved this issue for me -- i was pressing ENTER to stop my current path creation (see Steve's step 2) -- when I did as he said "NO ENTER" the extra went away and all was well. Would be nice if a someone knowledgeable about paths could explain the difference/why. And all this could be incorporated in the tutorial.

this is stupid. WHERE is the path dialog ?!

Simply creative,even i had an idea like this but some what similar but i could not get the approach.
Well all the best for your future works.
Thank you
Beauty Tips

Great tutorial.Youcanget rid of the diagonal line but not re-clicking the first "step" or dot on your path when its complete. The computer thinks you're continuing your path when u do this. I had trouble with it, and i found out how to fix it. hope it helps someone.

Thanks so much for this tutorial, you helped me fix it! :)

Thanks so much for this wonderful guide. It helped SO much with learning how to create semi-circle shaped text.

Here is my sample image of its use:
http://i43.tinypic.com/23qxs9j.png