Text of a Path from SVG

Forum|Forum|11 months ago
February 23, 2025
3 replies
1038 views

I was surprised to see that Illustrator cannot import Text of a path from an SVG file. I create maps with a program that generates svg files which I then import to Illustrator for final editing. I recently learned how to do Text on a pth in SVG but when I imported this into Illustrator the text became individual letters jumbled together away from the path. This is an important feature that needs to be included.

Feature request

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

@johncarlnelson What exact Illustrator version are you using?

Larry G. Schneider

Community Expert

Does it respond the same way in Inkscape (which outputs SVG as its native file format)?

J

johncarlnelsonAuthor

New Participant

Thanks for your help. I have exported an AI file to SVG to see how it is done and will try to revise my program accordingly.

Monika Gause

Community Expert

Probably post a uservoice request.

B

Bobby Henderson

Community Expert

Does this map application work in pure SVG? Or does it use its own proprietary format or customized twist on SVG to save in-progress work files?

The SVG format on its own has significant limitations, such as no native support for CMYK. It wouldn't surprise me if the SVG format had no true support for text on path effects. That might explain why the effect is importing into Illustrator already expanded, maybe even with the live text expanded into raw outlines as well. SVG is one of my least favorite vector file formats to use as an interchange format to move artwork between applications. At my workplace I only use SVG on rare occasions, such as making art files for Onyx Thrive to be cut in a vinyl cutter but not printed. For print and cut jobs I'm using PDF files saved out of Adobe Illustrator.

Another common problem: it's always going to be an adventure exporting artwork from one application and make it import into a different application accurately. Even if the application has an Illustrator .AI export filter there can be things that get lost in translation when opening the exported .AI file in Illustrator.

J

johncarlnelsonAuthor

New Participant

Thanks for your reply Bobby. The SVG files are created by a VB program that I wrote myself, starting in 2004 and much modified since, so it may not be "pure" SVG. Here is the SVG heading and the part that does the text on path. It displays correctly in the firefox and edge browsers.

<g id="gla test" fill="none" stroke="none">
<path id="east_rongbuk_52698T" d="M 301.3 228.2 S 328.3 226.12 342.6 228.2 362.18 234.12 372.8 238.6 382.72 246.12 395.7 250.6 424.16 257.16 437.7 261 453.24 265 463.4 269.8 478.9 277.32 488.5 285 501.9 294.26 511.4 308.2 529.72 338.36 536 354.7 539.44 378.22 542.8 389.9 547 403.66 552.8 413.1 562.52 427.18 571.8 437.1 589.8 453.58 599.2 462.7 611.64 474.86 618.8 482.7 630.2 487.98 635 501.9 638.9 527.1 642.8 552.3" />
<text fill="deepskyblue" text-anchor="middle" dominant-baseline="middle">
<textPath href="#east_rongbuk_52698T" startOffset="50%">
Dong Rongbu (East Rongbuck) Glacier
</textPath>
</text>
</g>

Doug A Roberts

Community Expert

Since text on a path doesn't export to SVG as a textPath element either, I would guess Illustrator doesn't support it.

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