Text to a curve .... ?

[jclements]

Does anyone know of a way to get text to easily flow to a curve as shown below (encircled in red)?

Xara's "Fit Text to Curve" aligns each character tangent to the curve. What I need is something where the text flows and is skewed "parallel" to a curve.

I also tried to use the envelope feature but that did not work to well either.

John

[This message was edited by John Clements on April 03, 2002 at 16:56.]

[jclements]

Does anyone know of a way to get text to easily flow to a curve as shown below (encircled in red)?

Xara's "Fit Text to Curve" aligns each character tangent to the curve. What I need is something where the text flows and is skewed "parallel" to a curve.

I also tried to use the envelope feature but that did not work to well either.

John

[This message was edited by John Clements on April 03, 2002 at 16:56.]

[tonylondon]

Hi, John,

looks as though you already have your solution - presumably using the mould tool - why do you want to use the text on curve?
Tony

[BobInce]

What you've got there looks more like text in an envelope than text on a curve. Use the mould tool to distort the text to fit.

You can make it slightly easier by tracing over the edges of the curve the text has to fit inside with the path tool, forming a four-sided shape. Copy this to the clipboard. Then select the text, and perhaps a slightly larger box around it for a bit of padding, and choose "paste envelope" from the mould tool. If necessary, rotate the contents of the envelope using the rotate button in the mould tool, to get the text to run in the right direction. Finally a bit of manual adjusting and resizing might be needed.

[Clements]

The properly curved text shown in my first posting was originally created in another vector application via its fit text-to-curve function (a one step process) and then imported into Xara.

Below, I tried to follow the basic steps you prescribed. Tony, I know you explained some of this in your mini-tute but I obviously have mis-interpreted something.

Are the basic steps I followed correct, but additional tweeking will always be required?

How would I get the text flipped and still have the correct orientation to the curve? If I rotate it two more times it will read backwards!

[Clements]

... is attached here if you want to play the curves I created.

[jens g.r. benthien]

I remember that Corel Draw (at least in v 7) offered this feature you are looking for. Just in case you should have a copy in your archives...

I'll give it a try...

jens

jens g.r. benthien
designer
http://jens.highspeedweb.net

----------//--
If you don't know how to dream you'll never be a designer.
----------//--

[gwpriester]

is text on a curve as Jay suggested.

This is one area in which DRAW is definitely the winner having a lot more control.

Not as elegant maybe, but it does get the job done.

Gary

Gary Priester

Moderator Person

<a href="http://www.gwpriester.com">
www.gwpriester.com </a>


XaraXone

[jclements]

Gary and Jens, thanks:

I originally created the image in CorelDraw 8 or 9. I was just curious if there was a routine in Xara I could use without jumping through too many hoops.

[Su Lawrence]

I downloaded your xar file and had a go at copying the curve and tried pasting as an envelope and got the same results as you.

Perhaps you could try using a shape as a guide for the mold rather than pasting it as an envelope.

I drew a rectangle over your red 'envelope' curve shape with the four rectangle corner nodes overlaying the four red 'envelope' curve nodes; using guidelines to help. I centred the text in the rectangle, and then applied a 100% transparency to the rectangle. I grouped text and rectangle and applied the standard square mold, then I used the mold box curve handles to match the original red curve. The use of the transparent rectangle just helps in matching the red curve shape, rather than applying a mold to just the text.

Don't know if this way helps at all.

Regards

Su