How to Wrap Text in Adobe Illustrator

To wrap text in Adobe Illustrator, go to Object > Envelope Distort and choose the following options: Make with Wrap or Make with Top Object. 

If you want your text to wrap around a shape, use the Text Wrap feature, or you can use the Type on a Path tool to wrap text around a circle in Adobe Illustrator. 

Hi, my name is Rita. I have been using Adobe Illustrator for over five years. Wrapping text in Illustrator was confusing when I started using Illustrator, but I soon learned to use different methods.

In this article, I will show you three easy ways to wrap text in Illustrator. 

Method 1: Wrap Text around a Shape

You can make simple text effects in Adobe Illustrator without going to InDesign! 

Simply select the text and shape, go to the overhead menu then click  Object > Text Wrap > Make to create a text wrap. Make sure that your object is on top of the shape, otherwise, it won’t work.

The text will wrap around your object like this. You can edit your text wrap settings by clicking Text Wrap Options. 

You can edit the Offset and make an inverted text wrap like this.

Using the text wrap option will give you these results. Use the Envelope Distort method if you want the text to take the form of your shape.

Method 2: Envelop Distort

The Envelope Distort tool is a quick way to create exciting effects with your text. Let’s see two methods of wrapping text with this tool.

Make with Wrap

It is one of the fastest ways to wrap text in Illustrator. This option has up to 15 presets that you can easily choose from.

Let’s see how this method works.

Step 1: Add text to your Adobe Illustrator document (hit T on your keyboard or select the Text tool from the toolbar).

Step 2: Select the text, go to the overhead menu, and select Object > Envelop Distort > Make with Warp.

The default style is the horizontal arc with a 50% bend.

Click the style drop-down option to see more style options.

See how the different styles preset looks.

You can change the orientation and adjust the bend with the slider. You can distort the text by moving the Horizontal and Vertical slides in the distort section.

Click OK once you are satisfied with the result. 

Make with Top Object

This method works well for wrapping text within a custom shape. 

Let’s see how this works.

Step 1: Type the text you want to wrap into a shape.

Step 2: Create a shape (ensure that your shape is a closed path). Remember to close the paths when drawing a shape with the Pen tool.

You can use the Pathfinder Tool to make it a unique unified shape from other shapes.

Step 3: Select the shape and place it on top of the text. (right-click and choose Arrange > Bring to Front). 

Step 4: Select the shape and text, go to the overhead menu, and choose Object > Envelop Distort > Make with Top Object. 

That’s it!

You’ve wrapped your text in Illustrator.

FAQs

Let’s look at common questions about text wrap in Illustrator.

Why is the text wrap tool in Illustrator not working?

There are a couple of reasons why the text wrap tool in Illustrator may not work. These are the common reasons.

• The text wrap in Illustrator may not work if you select the shape and text before clicking Object > Text Wrap. Select only the object to wrap the text.
• The text wrap in Illustrator may not work if you selected a fill for the object. You only need to use the image outline or stroke. The fill color will prevent the text from showing.
• Your shape or font size can affect the result you get. You may not notice the text wrap effect if you have a small-sized object and lengthy text.

How do you freely warp text in Illustrator?

You can freely wrap text in Illustrator using the Free Distort Tool. To do this, select the text, and go to Effect > Distort & Transform > Free Distort to distort/warp text freely.

How to curve text in Illustrator?

There are a couple of ways to curve text in Illustrator. You can use the Arc effect from the Envelope Distort option or the Type on a Path tool. 

Final Thoughts

You can add vibrance to your designs by creating fun text effects. You can do this by wrapping text with the default Text Wrap option or the Envelope Distort option. Remember to place the object on the text regardless of your preferred method.

Any questions? Let us know in the comment section below.