TextAndCircles

Beginning The Process

START: Make a new image 300x300 pixels and fill it with black.

1. Draw a vector circle using one of the preset shapes.

2. Any of the closed vector shapes will work but for the lesson please make a circle or ellipse. No points for size but we are going to place a short sentence around it. I used line width =5 and retain style off

3. In your materials pallette set the foreground to any color you can see over black and the background to null (circle with line through it.)

4. Make duplicate of this image for later use. (Window>duplicate)

Why start at top left?

Answer: Every vector object has a path that goes from the start point to the end point. On a circle you can't see the start and end points but they are there. [When the start and end points are the same it is a Closed path and the edit tool will show "closed" when placed over the node] The direction of this path has a direct effect on what you see when you start to place the text.

Get Ready To Apply Your Text:

1. Switch to the text tool and choose a font. In my examples I used JaggerSF 12pt

2. Make sure you have the Text tool settings as in this diagram. ( The ones marked with yellow border should be set as noted the rest can be modified as you wish) NOTE: The diagram is full page for easier viewing

3. Move the cursor to approxamately the position shown (It will work anywhere on the circle but text placement will be different.) and when the cursor turns to the rocker "A" left click.

WOW !!! My text is curving

1. Type the words."Your Text Goes Here" (for reference sizing and placement)

2. Now leaving the text selected in your edit box (or select it all again if you unselected it) go back to the top of the page on the text tool bar under alignment and choose the left aligned and then the right aligned and watch the movement of the text in your picture. Do you see the pattern? This is important!!

When placing text on any curve the text goes on the curve AT THE POINT OF INSERTION< The point where you click on the circle>with the following rules:

a. Left aligned will place the FIRST letter of your text at the cursor and spread to the right.

b. Right aligned text will place the LAST letter of your text at the cursor and spread to the left.

c. Center aligned text (the example I used) places the CENTER letter(or space) at the cursor and spreads both ways

Placing the text on the bottom of the curve:

1. Go back to the duplicate you made of the vector circle drawing. (If you didn't make a duplicate make another now making sure to draw the circle from the top left) and open it (make it the active image if you didn't save it.)

2. Go to Image>Flip and flip the circle. When we flip the circle the path is reversed. (You can also reverse the path by selecting a node with the pen tool in edit mode, right clicking, and choosing Edit>reverse path. More on this when we get to open curves)

3. STOP...Look at the image on the right. Where did I place the cursor to make the text go there? Look at the rules in the previous operation. If you said that I placed the rocking "A" cursor on the circle approximately where the letter "G" in the text is now and used CENTER ALIGN, you are correct. You would also have been correct if you had said that I used RIGHT ALIGN and placed the cursor on the circle at the location where the last "e" is now.Wait! Wait! Wait! There is another correct answer. I could have also used LEFT ALIGN and placed the cursor on the circle where the "Y" is now. All three setting would place the text in the same place. Try clicking on the circle in various locations and watch the text move around. If the sentence was long enough it would wrap all the way around the circle. If the sentence was too long it would overlap itself and become unreadable.

4. Place the sentence as shown and go to the next step. We are not done but the most difficult part is over.

How do I hang my text under the circle? Click and see.

Back to Intro Page Hanging On Every Word

START: Make a new image 300x300 pixels and fill it with black. 1. Draw a vector circle using one of the preset shapes. 2. Any of the closed vector shapes will work but for the lesson please make a circle or ellipse. No points for size but we are going to place a short sentence around it. I used line width =5 and retain style off 3. In your materials pallette set the foreground to any color you can see over black and the background to null (circle with line through it.) 4. Make duplicate of this image for later use. (Window>duplicate) Why start at top left? Answer: Every vector object has a path that goes from the start point to the end point. On a circle you can't see the start and end points but they are there. [When the start and end points are the same it is a Closed path and the edit tool will show "closed" when placed over the node] The direction of this path has a direct effect on what you see when you start to place the text.
Get Ready To Apply Your Text: 1. Switch to the text tool and choose a font. In my examples I used JaggerSF 12pt 2. Make sure you have the Text tool settings as in this diagram. ( The ones marked with yellow border should be set as noted the rest can be modified as you wish) NOTE: The diagram is full page for easier viewing 3. Move the cursor to approxamately the position shown (It will work anywhere on the circle but text placement will be different.) and when the cursor turns to the rocker "A" left click.
WOW !!! My text is curving 1. Type the words."Your Text Goes Here" (for reference sizing and placement) 2. Now leaving the text selected in your edit box (or select it all again if you unselected it) go back to the top of the page on the text tool bar under alignment and choose the left aligned and then the right aligned and watch the movement of the text in your picture. Do you see the pattern? This is important!! *When placing text on any* curve the text goes on the curve AT THE POINT OF INSERTION**< The point where you click on the circle>with the following rules: a. Left aligned will place the FIRST letter of your text at the cursor and spread to the right. b. Right aligned text will place the LAST letter of your text at the cursor and spread to the left. c. Center aligned text (the example I used) places the CENTER letter(or space) at the cursor and spreads both ways
Placing the text on the bottom of the curve: 1. Go back to the duplicate you made of the vector circle drawing. (If you didn't make a duplicate make another now making sure to draw the circle from the top left) and open it (make it the active image if you didn't save it.) 2. Go to Image>Flip and flip the circle. When we flip the circle the path is reversed. (You can also reverse the path by selecting a node with the pen tool in edit mode, right clicking, and choosing Edit>reverse path. More on this when we get to open curves) 3. STOP...Look at the image on the right. Where did I place the cursor to make the text go there? Look at the rules in the previous operation. If you said that I placed the rocking "A" cursor on the circle approximately where the letter "G" in the text is now and used CENTER ALIGN, you are correct. You would also have been correct if you had said that I used RIGHT ALIGN and placed the cursor on the circle at the location where the last "e" is now.Wait! Wait! Wait! There is another correct answer. I could have also used LEFT ALIGN and placed the cursor on the circle where the "Y" is now. All three setting would place the text in the same place. Try clicking on the circle in various locations and watch the text move around. If the sentence was long enough it would wrap all the way around the circle. If the sentence was too long it would overlap itself and become unreadable. 4. Place the sentence as shown and go to the next step. We are not done but the most difficult part is over.
How do I hang my text under the circle? Click and see.
Back to Intro Page Hanging On Every Word