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7. The Menus / 7.4 The Layout Menu

### 7.4.22 Text/Text on Path

Text on Path allows to create and modify path text (see also chapter 6.2.13).

The first decision to be made on path text is the shape of the path the text should run on. Shape can be used to set up the shape. If there is no appropriate predefined shape, you can create a corresponding vector layer and copy it to the shape field by using the context menu.

Text Alignment contains the basic adjustments of path text. Very important is Distort, because if Distort is not turned on, many other adjustments can’t be made. If Distort is on, path text will no longer be displayed as text but as vector graphics. Text can be edited as usual, but vector graphics allows to better fit the text onto the path. A disadvantage of Distort is, that on exporting the path text in a format like PDF the file may become larger and you cannot search after the text in PDF-files.

If Don‘t Rotate is activated, all letters are upright. If it isn‘t, the letters are perpendicular to the path.

The following examples are demonstrating the effect of Distort and Don‘t Rotate:

If Distort isn‘t selected, the only other available option is Offset with the accompanying Invert Direction, that is described later.

Scale Content allows to adjust the length of the text to the length of the path. No Stretching lets the text unchanged, Only Larger enlarges the text width, if it is smaller than the path length, and Larger and Smaller scales the text, so that it is completely visible and uses the whole path.

Baseline, Centered and Top Line control where to place the letters. Baseline places the bottom edge of the letters on the path, using Centered the path goes straight through them and Top Line places the top edge on the path..

Offset defines the start position of the text on the path. If Invert Direction is turned on, the text starts at the end of the path and runs on the other side:

The next three text fields allow to modify the start, the end and the middle size of the text. The middle size is changed only, if Use Middle Size is selected. The following example shows text on a straight line. In the first case the mode is Baseline, in the second Centered and in the third Top Line. All three are using a middle size of 200%.

Repetitions allows to automatically repeat text on the path. No Repeating shows the text only once. Calculate Count shows the text as often as it fits on top of the path. When using Count and Calculate Count Distance is the distance between the single repetitions.