<textpath>

In addition to text drawn in a straight line, SVG also includes the ability to place text along the shape of a <path> element. To specify that a block of text is to be rendered along the shape of a <path>, include the given text within a <textPath> element which includes an href attribute with a reference to a <path> element.

Usage context

Categories	Text content element, Text content child element
Permitted content	Character data and any number of the following elements, in any order: Descriptive elements <a>, <altGlyph>, <animate>, <animateColor>, <set>, <tref>, <tspan>

Attributes

Global attributes

• Conditional processing attributes »
• Core attributes »
• Graphical event attributes »
• Presentation attributes »
• Xlink attributes »
• class
• style
• externalResourcesRequired

Specific attributes

• startOffset
• method
• spacing
• href

DOM Interface

This element implements the SVGTextPathElement interface.

Example

SVG

<svg viewBox="0 0 1000 300"
     xmlns="http://www.w3.org/2000/svg" 
     xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink">
  <defs>
    <path id="MyPath"
          d="M 100 200 
             C 200 100 300   0 400 100
             C 500 200 600 300 700 200
             C 800 100 900 100 900 100" />
  </defs>

  <use xlink:href="#MyPath" fill="none" stroke="red"  />

  <text font-family="Verdana" font-size="42.5">
    <textPath xlink:href="#MyPath">
      We go up, then we go down, then up again
    </textPath>
  </text>

  <!-- Show outline of the viewport using 'rect' element -->
  <rect x="1" y="1" width="998" height="298"
        fill="none" stroke="black" stroke-width="2" />
</svg>

Result

Specifications

Specification	Status	Comment
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 2 The definition of '<textPath>' in that specification.	Candidate Recommendation
Scalable Vector Graphics (SVG) 1.1 (Second Edition) The definition of '<textPath>' in that specification.	Recommendation	Initial definition

Browser compatibility