Text on a curve

Bend text along an arbitrary path. Useful for circular labels, ribbons, custom logos.

The Text tool has a Path layout mode that binds the text to follow a vector path. Letters orient to the path's tangent, spacing follows the path's length.

What you need

The curve you want the text to follow, as a vector path on the canvas (or a shape you can convert to a path).
~5 minutes.

Steps

1. Have the curve

Draw or import the path that the text should follow. A simple ellipse for circular text. An imported SVG curve for decorative work. Whatever shape.

The guide remains a normal canvas object on its own layer. Beam Bench uses its geometry for the text layout, but the guide can still appear in Preview and machine output if its layer has output enabled. Put a construction guide on a tool layer or turn that layer's output off.

2. Create the text

Activate the Text tool (Ctrl+T).
Click on the canvas where the text should start.
Type the text.
Press Esc to commit.

The text appears as a normal horizontal string.

3. Switch to Path layout mode

With the text selected (or with the Text tool still active and the text in edit mode):

In the Properties Toolbar Text section, find Layout Mode.
Change from Normal to Path.

For selected text without an existing guide, switching to Path immediately enters guide-pick mode. The canvas prompts you to click a vector or shape object. Press Esc to cancel; when no guide was previously linked, cancellation returns the text to Normal layout.

4. Pick the guide path

While guide-pick mode is active, click the vector or shape object that the text should follow. After a guide is linked, the Path controls show Linked, Pick, and Clear; use Pick when you want to replace the guide later.

The text now bends along the path.

5. Adjust

Offset: distance from the path. Positive and negative values move the text to opposite sides of the guide.
HSpace: adjust letter spacing if it is too tight or too loose around the curve.

Offset and HSpace follow the current Display Unit and are stored internally in millimeters. Align X is disabled for curved layouts in the current Properties Toolbar.

6. Cut or engrave

The text behaves like any other text from here. Assign to a layer (cut for line text, fill for engraved text), frame, preview, run.

Tips

Symmetrical text (like names on a curved tag), center-align and put the path's midpoint at the bottom or top of the text.
Long text on tight curves: use HSpace to add space between letters so they do not overlap on the inside of the curve.
Text outside vs inside the path: flip the path direction or change the Offset sign.

Bend mode (alternative)

For simple circular text, Layout Mode → Bend with a Radius value gives you a quick arc without needing a separate path. Radius follows the current Display Unit and is stored internally in millimeters.

Verify it worked

The text follows the curve cleanly with no awkward letter rotation.
Preview shows the text engraving at expected size and orientation.

Text on a curve

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