Apply text transformations
Apply text transformations, adjust curve or intensity, fine-tune anchor points, and reset text back to its default shape.
Text transformations curve, arch, or warp your text so it breaks free of the straight line, whether you want it to wrap around a badge, follow a circle, or just feel more dynamic.
Transformation styles
There are eight transformation styles to choose from.
Custom: drag your own freeform curve directly on the artboard.
Distort: reshape the text box into a warped, trapezoid-like shape using its own on-canvas handles.
Circle: wraps your text around a full circle.
Angle: tilts your text along a straight diagonal line.
Arch: curves your text upward or downward like a smile or a frown.
Rise: lifts the text gradually from one end to the other.
Wave: gives your text a rolling, wave-like baseline.
Flag: adds a banner-style ripple to your text.
Apply a transformation
Select any text on your artboard. The right panel opens automatically.
In the right panel, click the plus icon next to Transformation to add it.
Click one of the eight style icons to apply it to your text.
Adjust the shape
Use the Curve slider to control how intense the effect is. Circle swaps this out for a Direction Inverted toggle instead.
Drag the handles that appear directly on your artboard for more precise control over the curve. Circle uses its handles to resize the circle itself. If you don't see a handle, zoom in a little, they're easy to miss at lower zoom levels.
Click Reset to return your text to its default, straight state, or Confirm to apply the shape.
Once you've confirmed a transformation, the panel keeps your style selected and swaps the Confirm button for Edit. Click Edit (or Edit Transform in the contextual toolbar above your selected text) any time you want to reopen the slider and handles and adjust the shape again.
Remove a transformation
Click the minus icon next to Transformation. This removes the effect, reverts your text to its original straight shape, and collapses the section back to a plus icon.
Expected outcome
Your selected text takes on the shape you picked and updates live as you adjust the slider or drag the on-canvas handles.
Troubleshooting
I can't find the handle to reshape my curved text
It's small and easy to miss at lower zoom levels. Zoom in on your text and it'll appear alongside the other handles.
Common questions
Does a transformation apply to my whole text box or just the characters I select?
It applies to the whole text box. You can still style individual characters (font, size, color, and so on) within a transformed text box. See Edit and style text for how character-level styling works alongside effects like this one.
Can I combine a transformation with a shadow or decoration?
Yes, transformations, text shadows, and text decorations all work together, so you can layer them for extra depth and personality.
Related articles