Do you want to create a logo? Launch Illustrator now!
- Illustrator User Guide
- Get to know Illustrator
- Introduction to Illustrator
- Workspace
- Workspace basics
- Learn faster with the Illustrator Discover panel
- Create documents
- Toolbar
- Default keyboard shortcuts
- Customize keyboard shortcuts
- Introduction to artboards
- Manage artboards
- Customize the workspace
- Properties panel
- Set preferences
- Touch Workspace
- Microsoft Surface Dial support in Illustrator
- Undo edits and manage design history
- Rotate view
- Rulers, grids, and guides
- Accessibility in Illustrator
- Safe Mode
- View artwork
- Use the Touch Bar with Illustrator
- Files and templates
- Tools in Illustrator
- Tools at a glance
- Select tools
- Navigate tools
- Paint tools
- Text tools
- Draw tools
- Modify tools
- Generative AI (not available in mainland China)
- Quick actions
- Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Illustrator on the web (beta) overview
- Illustrator on the web (beta) FAQ
- Troubleshooting issues FAQ
- Keyboard shortcuts for Illustrator on the web (beta)
- Create and combine shapes on the web
- Add and edit text on the web
- Apply colors and gradients on the web
- Draw and edit paths on the web
- Work with cloud documents on the web
- Invite collaborators to edit on the web
- Illustrator on the iPad
- Introduction to Illustrator on the iPad
- Workspace
- Documents
- Select and arrange objects
- Drawing
- Type
- Work with images
- Color
- Cloud documents
- Basics
- Troubleshooting
- Add and edit content
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Drawing basics
- Edit paths
- Draw pixel-perfect art
- Draw with the Pen, Curvature, or Pencil tool
- Draw simple lines and shapes
- Draw rectangular and polar grids
- Draw and edit flares
- Image Trace
- Simplify a path
- Symbolism tools and symbol sets
- Adjust path segments
- Design a flower in 5 easy steps
- Create and edit a perspective grid
- Draw and modify objects on a perspective grid
- Use objects as symbols for repeat use
- Draw pixel-aligned paths for web workflows
- Measure and plot dimensions
- 3D objects and materials
- Color
- Painting
- Select and arrange objects
- Reshape objects
- Crop images
- Transform objects
- Combine objects
- Cut, divide, and trim objects
- Puppet Warp
- Scale, shear, and distort objects
- Blend objects
- Reshape using envelopes
- Reshape objects with effects
- Build new shapes with Shaper and Shape Builder tools
- Work with Live Corners
- Enhanced reshape workflows with touch support
- Edit clipping masks
- Live shapes
- Create shapes using the Shape Builder tool
- Global editing
- Type
- Add text and work with type objects
- Create bulleted and numbered lists
- Manage text area
- Fonts and typography
- Convert text within images into editable text
- Add basic formatting to text
- Add advanced formatting to text
- Import and export text
- Format paragraphs
- Special characters
- Create type on a path
- Character and paragraph styles
- Tabs
- Find missing fonts (Typekit workflow)
- Arabic and Hebrew type
- Fonts | FAQ and troubleshooting tips
- Create 3D text effect
- Creative typography designs
- Scale and rotate type
- Line and character spacing
- Hyphenation and line breaks
- Spelling and language dictionaries
- Format Asian characters
- Composers for Asian scripts
- Create text designs with blend objects
- Create a text poster using Image Trace
- Create special effects
- Web graphics
- Drawing and dimensioning
- Import, export, and save
- Import
- Creative Cloud Libraries in Illustrator
- Save and export
- Printing
- Prepare for printing
- Printing
- Automate tasks
- Troubleshooting
Whether you create a logo, brochure, banner, or artwork, you can add text in different ways to enrich your design. You can also delete empty type objects, remove default placeholder text, fill only selected type objects with placeholder text, and wrap text.
Watch this 1 minute 24 seconds video to learn how to create a logo using text in Illustrator.
Add text at a point, in an area or shape, and on a path as per your design requirement:
Point type is a horizontal or vertical line of text that begins where you click and expands as you enter characters. Each line of text is independent. The line expands or shrinks as you enter or delete the text, but doesn’t wrap to the following line. Follow these steps to enter text at a point:
Area type (also called paragraph type) uses the boundaries of an object to control the flow of characters, either horizontally or vertically. When the text reaches a border, it automatically wraps to fit inside the defined area. Follow these steps to enter text in any area of your vector art:
-
Use any of the following ways to define a bounding area:
Drag to define a bounding area
Select the Rectangle tool (M) and drag diagonally to create a rectangular object.
Convert any shape to bounding area
Select shape tools such as Ellipse tool , Polygon tool or any shape tool to create an object.
-
Select Area Type tool or Vertical Area Type tool .
-
Click anywhere on the path of your object. Your object is now filled with placeholder text.
You can enter text on any path or shape outline. Follow these steps to learn how:
Delete unused type objects to reduce the file size thereby making it easy to export or print. You may inadvertently create empty type objects if you select the Type tool in the artwork area and then choose another tool. Follow these steps to delete empty type objects:
-
Choose Object > Path > Clean Up.
-
Select Empty Text Paths.
Illustrator fills all new type objects with placeholder text. However, follow these steps to disable this default Illustrator behavior:
Follow these steps to fill selected objects with placeholder text:
-
Create a type object or select an existing one on the artboard.
-
Choose Type > Fill With Placeholder Text.
You can wrap area text around any object, including type objects, imported images, and objects you draw.
Before you proceed, ensure that the type object you want to wrap your text around is:
- An area type (typed in a box).
- In the same layer as the wrap object.
- Located directly under the wrap object in the layer’s hierarchy.
- If the layer contains multiple type objects, move the objects you don’t want to wrap the text around into another layer or above the wrap object.
Unwrap text from an object
-
Select the object around which your text is wrapped.
-
Choose Object > Text Wrap > Release.
You can further customize the way you wrap your text by setting the following wrap options.
Set wrap options
You can set wrap options before or after you wrap the text.
-
Select the wrap object.
-
Choose Object > Text Wrap > Text Wrap Options and specify the following options:
- Offset: Specifies the amount of space between the text and the wrap object. You can enter a positive or negative value.
- Invert Wrap: Wraps the text around the reverse side of the object.
- Offset: Specifies the amount of space between the text and the wrap object. You can enter a positive or negative value.
Type objects created in Illustrator 10 and earlier are uneditable until you update them for use in later versions. After you update you have access to all the text features in Illustrator CS5 and later releases, such as paragraph and character styles, optical kerning, and full OpenType® font support.
Follow any of these options:
-
To update the text without creating a copy, select the type object and choose Type > Legacy Text > Update Selected Legacy Text.
Alternatively, select the text you want to update with Type tool, or double-click the text with the Selection tool and select Update.
If you create a copy of legacy text when you update it, you can use the following commands:
Tips and tricks
Now that you know how to add text to your artwork, here are a few tips and tricks while you work with text in an area:
- Do not click an existing object when you work with the Type tool. Doing so converts the type object into Area Type to enter text in an area or Type on a path to enter text on a path. You can lock or hide the object to keep it as it is.
- Set the bounding box setting to Show Bounding Box. If you cannot see the bounding box, click View > Show Bounding Box.
- You can use the Area Type tool to define the bounding area for an object with an open path. Illustrator draws an imaginary line between the ends of the path to define the boundaries.
- To convert a shape into a text area, make sure to click on the path and not inside the path.
related resources
Talk to us
We would love to hear from you. Share your thoughts with the Adobe Illustrator Community.