WarpFor crafters
Curved and warped text that actually cuts
Cricut's Warp tool needs Cricut Access to cut, cannot be welded, and sometimes cuts a straight line. Our SVG is already outlined, so what you see is what the blade does.
Make arched text for a shirt Make curved text
Calculator and size sheet
Tumbler curve calculator
Measure a tapered tumbler and get the exact Bend that makes text sit straight on it, then open the generator with the value set.
Shirt size sheet (PDF)
One printable page: how wide to cut for adult, youth, toddler and onesie blanks, where the top of the design goes, which Bend to use. Also as a PNG, from the arched text guide.
Cricut
How to curve text in Cricut Design Space: three methods compared
The built-in Curve tool, the Warp tool, and uploading a curved SVG. What each is good for, and which one to use for shirts, tumblers and signs.
Arched text for shirts and hats: sizes, placement and the varsity look
Arch versus Arc, how wide to cut for adult, youth and toddler shirts, where to place it, and the two HTV steps people forget.
Curved text for tumblers: decorative arcs and the taper fix, with numbers
Why straight text slants on a tapered tumbler, the exact Bend value that fixes it for a 20 oz skinny, and sizes for arched names and quotes.
Cricut Warp not working? The fixes, in order
Warp missing from the toolbar, greyed out, or cutting in a straight line: a checklist that resolves each case, plus a no-Warp alternative.
How to use the Cricut Warp tool in Design Space (and when to skip it)
Where the Warp tool lives on desktop and mobile, why you may not see it, the 30 styles it offers, and what to do when a warped cut goes wrong.
Silhouette
How to warp and curve text in Silhouette Studio (Basic vs Designer Edition)
Text to Path in the free Basic edition, the Warp panel and Warp Templates in Designer Edition, and how to bring in a curved SVG when your edition cannot.
Laser cutters
Curved text for laser cutters: LightBurn, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge
What LightBurn, xTool Creative Space and Glowforge can each do with curved text, and how to prepare an SVG that engraves, scores or cuts as intended.
Other software
How to curve text in Canva, and what to do when an arc is not enough
Canva's Curve effect bends a line of text along a circle. For an arch, a wave, a flag or a cut file, make the text here and upload it as a transparent PNG.
How to curve text in Google Docs (it has no curve tool)
Google Docs and its Word Art cannot bend text along a curve. Make the curved text as a transparent PNG and insert it as an image: free and quick.
How to curve text in Photoshop: Warp Text and text on a path
Type > Warp Text bends a type layer into an arc, arch, flag or wave and keeps it editable; type on a path runs it round a circle. Or make it as an SVG here.
How to curve text in Word with WordArt, and when to use a picture instead
Word curves text with WordArt and Text Effects > Transform, in the Windows and Mac apps but not in Word for the web. Or insert a curved PNG made here.
Warp text in Inkscape with Envelope Deformation, then export for Cricut
Step-by-step Inkscape path effect workflow for bending text, why you must convert to path twice, and a faster alternative.