How to Convert Text to a Shape in Adobe Illustrator

Sometimes it's advantageous to convert text to a vector shape in Adobe Illustrator. Converting text to a shape is a feature in Illustrator that allows you to work with the text in the same way you would work with other shapes instead of facing the limitations of text.

There are various ways you can convert your text to a shape. In this article, we'll discuss three ways to convert text to a shape in Illustrator.

Method 1: Converting Text to Shape Using the Warp Option

This method will let you have more fun with your text. Using this method for turning text into a shape, you can get access to 15 default preset warp styles that you can apply to your text to give it a different shape.

Step 1

Add your text and make all the necessary changes to it.

Step 2

Select the text using the Selection Tool (keyboard shortcut V).

Step 3

Go to Object in the overhead toolbar, choose Envelop Distort, and select Make with Warp. You can also use the keyboard shortcut for this feature which is Alt+ Shift+ Ctrl+ W.

Step 4

After selecting “Make with Warp”, you'll get a new window with the Warp Options. You can customize the shape of the text here.

• Style: There are various presets for warping shapes inside the Style option. You can click each of them to see which fits your text best. you can also choose if you want the shape to be horizontal or vertical
• Bend: This option will let you bend the shape of the text.
• Distortion: In the distortion option, you can determine how to bend the shape vertically or horizontally.

Note: Select the preview option to see the changes in the shape in real time.

Method 2: Using Create Outline

Another way of converting text to a shape is by creating an outline. This feature assists you in adding a unique touch to your text or font and also converts it into a shape for convenience. By creating an outline of the text, you're actually converting the text into a vector image. This increases flexibility and allows possibilities that don't exist with traditional text.

Note: Once your text is converted to a shape, it is no longer text. This means you won't be able to change the text or make other modifications with the Type Tool. Don't convert text to a shape until you are sure that you don't need to make additional changes.

Step 1

Add your text and prepare your text by making all the necessary changes to it before you create outline to your text. Because after selecting create outline, you cannot make any changes to your text as it is no longer text anymore.

Step 2

Using the Selection Tool (V), select the text you want to apply the outline to. When you choose your text, you'll see the text is underlined. Make sure there is no typo or mistake in your text at this point because we will convert our text to shape. Here, I am using only one letter for demonstration.

Step3

Go to Type and select Create Outline. Once you created an outline, the blue underline will be gone. That's because the text is no longer text. It is converted to a shape. You can also select create an outline from the right-click menu or by using the shortcut key Shift+ Ctrl+ O.

Step 4

Select the Direct Selection Tool (A) and click on the shape (text shape). Now you can see anchor points around the path (text shape). These anchor points will let you edit and customize the text shape.

Note: It is better if you ungroup the shape so that you can edit each letter separately.

Step 5

With the Direct Selection Tool activated, click on any anchor points and drag them around to customize the font or the text. You can freely edit each letter by moving and dragging the anchor points.

Method 3: Using the Type Tool

In this method, you can wrap your text inside any object and convert the text to the shape of that object.

Step 1

Select the Rectangle Tool or any shape tool and draw a shape. This will be your text area. You can also import other objects from external sources as a shape for your text.

Step 2

Copy the text you want to give a shape to.

Step 3

Once you place your shape, select Area Type Tool from the left toolbar. You'll find it inside the type tool submenu.

Step 4

With the area type tool activated, take the cursor around the edge of the shape, and you'll find a path option. Once you see the path, click on the edge, and your copied text will be pasted here inside the shape.

Converting text to shape is so easy and quick in Illustrator that it will not take much time for you to learn and implement it immediately. I hope you can convert any text to a shape by applying one of the methods in this article.