SVG Curved Text Along a Path
textPath lets you flow a line of text along any custom SVG path, from a gentle curve to a full circular badge shape.
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Setting Up textPath with a Referenced Path
Curved text requires first defining a <path> element with the desired curve (often with no visible stroke or fill), then wrapping the text content in a <textPath> element that references that path's id via href, causing the browser to lay out each character along the referenced path's curve rather than a straight baseline.
- A defined path (often invisible) supplies the curve shape to follow
- textPath references that path's id via href to inherit its curve
- Each character lays out along the curve instead of a straight line
Common Uses for Curved SVG Text
Circular badge logos, stamp-style designs, and decorative wordmarks commonly use curved text along a circular or arced path, and adjusting the startOffset attribute controls where along the path the text begins, letting the same curved path be reused with different starting positions for multiple text elements.
- Circular badges and stamp-style designs are the most common use case
- startOffset attribute controls where text begins along the path
- Same underlying path can be reused for multiple curved text elements
Frequently Asked Questions
Can curved text along a path still be styled with normal CSS font properties?
Yes, font-family, font-size, fill, and other standard text styling properties all apply normally to text inside a textPath element, just as they would to regular SVG text.
Does the reference path need to be visible on the page?
No, the reference path is commonly given fill="none" and stroke="none" so only the curved text itself is visible, with the path shape existing purely to guide the text's layout.
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