Keeping Text On A Path Vertical

[Dr_No]

Illustrator allows creation of a curved (or straight) path upon which one places text before selecting whether to use ‘stairstep,’ ‘gravity,’ ‘rainbow,’ or two other FX to affect its look. The effect I cannot find (or create) in Designer is VERTICAL text on a curved (e.g., arc-ed) path. It's easy enough to create a path and place text on it, but that appears to be endgame. Text then only follows the shape of the path, skewing left or right, depending on how and where the path curves. Yes, I realise I could convert the text to curves and straighten it manually, but then it's no longer editable.

Question 1: IS there a way to create vertically-oriented text along a curving path in Affinity Designer? If so, how? If not, please consider adding it. I'm fairly certain I can't be the only one asking about this …

Question 2: It would be nice to place the cursor next to a character needing kerning, hold the Option key, and use the arrow keys to bring them closer or space them farther apart. As is stands now, kerning is applied to the entire word (or phrase, depending), which is rather clunky and produces less-than-satisfactory results by throwing otherwise fine kerning at other positions in the text out of whack. Can we PLEASE have kerning between individual characters to adjust spacing? Note: If it's there and I'm just not seeing it, please let me know where and how to access it.

[Old Bruce]

1 hour ago, Dr_No said:

As is stands now, kerning is applied to the entire word

Kerning is not being applied, Tracking is being applied. Kerning is the space between individual letters. So this seems to me to be a bug. But I am not seeing it here with Mac OS 10.14.6

Your first question is answered with a No. It has been requested several times and the developers are aware of it.

Your next question is answered with a... Use the keyboard shortcut Command + Option + Left/Right arrow key to to Tighten/Loosen and if you toss in the Shift key then you can Tighten/Loosen more.

With a selection of characters you can use the same shortcuts to change the tracking.

[Dr_No]

Thanks, Old Bruce. You're right that it's TRACKING being applied across the word. Bit of semantic non-specificity there on my part. Sorry. I have tried the keyboard shortcuts since they're the same ones that work in Illustrator & Photoshop - haven't tossed in the Shift key, tho', so that might make a bit o' diff'rents. I'll give it a try and see where the path [sic] leads …