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Curving text is one of the most powerful and versatile techniques you can learn in Procreate, the popular digital illustration app for iPad and iPhone. Whether you‘re designing posters, logos, social media graphics, or artistic lettering, the ability to bend and shape your text can take your work to the next level.
As a digital artist who has used Procreate daily for several years, I‘ve found curving text to be an indispensable skill. It allows me to break free from the constraints of straight lines and rectangular text boxes, and create eye-catching, expressive designs that stand out. Once you learn how to do it, a whole new world of creative possibilities opens up.
In this comprehensive guide, I‘ll show you two methods for curving text in Procreate, share my best tips and tricks, and inspire you with some ideas for incorporating curved text into your own digital art. Whether you‘re a complete beginner or a seasoned pro, by the end of this article you‘ll be equipped with everything you need to start curving text like an expert in Procreate. Let‘s dive in!
Why Curve Text in Procreate?
Before we get into the how-to, let‘s talk about why you might want to curve your text in the first place. Here are a few of the main benefits and use cases:
1. Create Custom Shapes and Layouts
Curving text allows you to break out of the standard horizontal line and create text in any shape you want. You can wrap words around a circle, arc them over an image, nestle them inside a custom shape, and so much more. This opens up endless possibilities for unique and eye-catching text layouts.
2. Add Visual Interest and Movement
Curved text automatically creates a sense of motion and flow compared to straight text. It draws the eye and adds an energetic, dynamic feel to your lettering. Especially for design styles like psychedelic, art nouveau, or anything with an illustrative vibe, curved text is a must.
3. Fit Text into Any Composition
When you‘re working with an illustration, photo, or other graphic elements, straight text can feel like an afterthought just slapped on top. But when you curve your words to interact with the other elements—wrapping around them, echoing their shapes, etc.—it integrates the text with the overall composition in a much more natural and harmonious way.
4. Create a Unique Brand Identity
For logo design, social media branding, product packaging, and other business use cases, curved text is an easy way to create a distinct look and feel. Unlike straight text which tends to look more generic, custom curved lettering helps you stand out from the crowd and create a memorable brand aesthetic.
As you can see, curving text is a rare technique that manages to be both creatively freeing and pragmatically useful—the best of both worlds! So now that we know why let‘s look at exactly how to do it.
Method 1: Curving Text with the Transform Tool
Procreate offers two main ways to curve text: the Transform tool and the Liquify tool. Let‘s start with Transform, which gives you the most manual control over your curves.
Step 1: Set Up Your Text
First, create a new layer and add your text using the Text tool. It‘s a good idea to increase the tracking (character spacing) so the letters have some room to move when you start curving. I also recommend using a simple, thick font without too many skinny serifs or delicate parts, which can distort when curving.
Step 2: Select the Transform Tool
With your text layer selected, tap the arrow icon at the top of the screen to open the Transform tool options. Then choose "Warp" which is the last of the four options.
Step 3: Curve Your Text
Now for the fun part! Use your finger or stylus to push and pull on different points of the text to curve it. Dragging down on the middle point will create an arch, while dragging the outer points up or down will let you create a full circle. Play around with different combinations to get the shape you want.
A few tips:
• The closer together you pinch the transform points, the tighter the curve will be.
• You may need to readjust the tracking once the text is curved.
• For a wavy effect, add an extra transform point in the middle and alternate dragging up and down.
Step 4: Commit and Tweak
Once you‘re happy with the overall shape, tap the checkmark in the top right corner to commit the transform. You can still make small adjustments after by using the regular transform tool again (the first option, not Warp). This lets you resize, rotate, and distort the curved text until it‘s just right.
And there you have it! The Transform tool is my go-to for curving text because it gives you the most direct control. But for more subtle curves and distortions, the Liquify tool is another great option.
Method 2: Curving Text with the Liquify Tool
If you want a faster, more gesture-based way to curve text, try the Liquify tool. Rather than manually moving points, you simply paint to push and pull the pixels, almost like the text is made of clay. Here‘s how:
Step 1: Select the Liquify Tool
With your text layer selected, tap the magic wand icon at the top left to open the Adjustments panel. Scroll all the way down and choose "Liquify."
Step 2: Choose Your Liquify Settings
In the Liquify options, make sure the Push tool is selected (the first option that looks like a finger). Then adjust the size, pressure, and edge settings:
• Size controls how big an area you affect with each stroke. For curving text, a large size usually works best.
• Pressure controls how much distortion happens with each stroke. Keep this low for subtle curves.
• Edge lets you control the hardness of the brush edge. A soft edge will give you smoother blends.
Step 3: Push and Pull to Curve
Now just paint over your text to liquify it! Pushing up from the bottom will create a curved arch, while pushing down from the top will curve it the other way. Use a combination of short and long strokes to gently nudge the text into a curved shape.
If you make a mistake, you can tap the Reconstruct tool (second option) to paint over an area and restore it to its original shape. You can also use the Freeze and Thaw tools to lock certain areas and keep them from being distorted.
Step 4: Tweak and Commit
Once you have the general curve shape, you can make smaller tweaks by dialing down the size and pressure for more precise strokes. When you‘re done, tap the checkmark in the top right to commit the liquify adjustments.
The Liquify tool is a bit trickier to control than Transform, but with some practice it can be a quick and intuitive way to add natural-looking curves to your text. It‘s also great for more abstract and artsy distortion effects.
Tips for Curving Text Effectively
Now that you know the basics of how to curve text in Procreate, here are some tips to help you get the best results:
1. Use a Guide Shape
To create perfectly smooth and symmetrical curves, it helps to have a guide shape to work from. You can either use one of Procreate‘s built-in shape guides (under the wrench icon), or draw your own curve on a separate layer using the drawing tools. Then just transform your text to match.
2. Adjust Tracking and Kerning
As you curve your text, pay attention to the spacing between the letters. You may need to increase the tracking (overall spacing) before curving, and then go back and manually adjust the kerning (spacing between individual letter pairs) after for the most polished look.
3. Duplicate Your Layer First
Always duplicate your text layer before you start transforming or liquifying. That way if you need to start over, you won‘t lose your original text. You can also duplicate midway through the curving process to experiment with different variations.
4. Combine Curved and Straight Text
Try mixing curved text with straight lines for a dynamic, modern look. One idea is to curve one or two key words in a headline while leaving the others straight. Or use a large curved word as a graphic element, with smaller straight text laid over it.
5. Kern Vertically When Needed
With very tight curves, you may run into issues with letters overlapping, especially where an ascender (like the tall part of a "h") is next to a descender (like the tail of a "g"). In those cases, kern vertically by detaching one of the letters and moving it up or down until it fits.
6. Use Warp for Curves, Distort for Perspective
Technically you can create curved text with the Distort tool under Transform, but this can also add unwanted perspective distortion. For the cleanest curves, stick with Warp, and use Distort when you actually want to add perspective (like for 3D lettering effects).
Creative Ways to Use Curved Text
Need some inspiration for your curved text designs? Here are a few of my favorite ways to use this technique:
1. Circular Logos and Badges
Curve your company name or slogan into a circle for an instant logo or badge design. Combine it with an icon in the center for extra impact.
2. Wraparound Text for Photos
Use curved text to wrap a caption around a photo, almost like a picture frame. This is a great way to add context or a location name to travel photos.
3. Wavy, Psychedelic Text Effects
For a trippy, psychedelic look, use Liquify to add wavy distortions to your text. Combine it with bright colors and funky patterns for full effect.
4. Curved Shadows and 3D Lettering
Duplicate your text layer, fill it with a shadow color, and curve it slightly more than the top layer for an easy faux-3D effect. Add a Gaussian blur to the shadow layer for extra realism.
5. Hand-Drawn Cartoon Lettering
For a playful, organic vibe, draw a wobbly curved line and use it as a guide for your text. Match the text color to your illustration for a hand-drawn look.
6. Curved Text Photo Overlays
Curve a short phrase or title and place it over a photo as a graphic overlay. Use a bold, readable font and colors that contrast with the image.
The possibilities are endless! As you can see, a little curved text can go a long way in leveling up your Procreate designs. The more you practice and experiment, the more ways you‘ll find to get creative with it.
Benefits of Procreate for Curving Text
Procreate is my app of choice for lettering and text effects, and its curve text features are a big reason why. Compared to other design apps, Procreate stands out for its:
1. Intuitive, Touch-Friendly Controls
Procreate is designed from the ground up for touch input on the iPad, which makes curving text feel smooth and intuitive. You can just grab the text with your finger or Apple Pencil and push it into any shape you want.
2. Full Apple Pencil Support
With the Apple Pencil‘s pressure and tilt sensitivity, you can make subtle adjustments to your curved text just by changing how you hold and press the stylus. This lets you work more naturally and precisely than with a mouse or standard stylus.
3. Fast, Non-Destructive Workflow
With Procreate‘s Warp and Liquify tools, curving text is a fast and flexible process. You don‘t have to predefine a path or pen tool first—just select your text and start pushing and pulling. And since it‘s non-destructive, you can always undo or readjust without losing quality.
4. Easy Layer and Mask Integration
Procreate‘s intuitive layer system makes it easy to combine curved text with other elements like drawings, images, and mask layers. You can quickly duplicate text layers, clip them to masks, and use layer blend modes to create all sorts of text effects.
5. Regular Performance and Feature Updates
The Savage team is constantly improving Procreate with free updates that add new features and optimize performance. Recent updates have added things like the Liquify Mesh Warp tool, streamlined text controls, and support for Apple‘s latest hardware and software.
All of that said, Procreate isn‘t the only option—Adobe Illustrator, Affinity Designer, and Vectornator are other powerful tools for curved text. But for me, the natural UI and Apple Pencil support give Procreate an edge, especially when I want to combine lettering with illustration and photo work.
Curve Your Enthusiasm for Text!
I hope this deep dive into curving text in Procreate has given you the knowledge and inspiration you need to start incorporating it into your own work. It may feel a bit tricky at first, but stick with it—curving is a skill that really pays off the more you practice.
As you‘ve seen, Procreate‘s Warp and Liquify tools open up a world of possibilities for creative text layouts. Whether you use it for logos, social media posts, digital illustrations, or just fun experiments, curving text is a surefire way to level up your designs.
Try out the different methods, play with the settings, and don‘t be afraid to push the boundaries of what‘s possible. The beauty of Procreate is that you can always undo or start over if needed.
Above all, have fun and let your creativity flow! With curved text in your toolkit, there‘s no limit to the eye-catching, expressive designs you can create. Now get out there and make something amazing.
Did you find this guide helpful? Have any other tips or ideas to share? Let me know in the comments below! I‘d love to see what you create with your newfound curved text skills.