How to space characters on curved path

[Terra Australis]

Have just finished watching a helpful video explaining How to space text characters on a curved path.

Problem is the video instruction place cursor between characters and use right or left arrow on keyboard to shift letters. 

Does not work for me! When I hit right keyboard arrow, cursor jumps to next letter. Is this a Mac vs PC issue?

I then tried highlighting text and using tracking in Character palette. Charaters did not respond.

How do I letter-space please ?

 

[firstdefence]

If you are on Mac, hold down the option key while using the left and right arrow keys, if you select all of the text and use option + right arrow all of the characters will expand, if you place the cursor between letters, that space will expand.

[GarryP]

Welcome to the forums @Terra Australis

I’m curious as to why changing the Tracking, as can be seen in my attached video, didn’t work for you.

Would you be able to record and upload a full-screen (whole application UI) video showing us what you are doing?

If you can’t record a video, can you give us a full-screen (whole application UI) screenshot where you have the text selected and we can see the Character Panel and Layers Panel?

[G13RL]

4 hours ago, Terra Australis said:

 

If you are using Windows, the method is the same as that given by @firstdefence, but using the ‘Alt’ key instead of ‘Option’.
But that doesn't explain why the tracking didn't work for you.

[thomaso]

6 hours ago, Terra Australis said:

How do I letter-space please ?

Alternatively to tracking or kerning you can use a "Narrow Non-Breaking Space" + the paragraph alignment "Justify All" and adjust the line width (<-> spacing) with the two (green, red) markers.

[Terra Australis]

As usual, You guys have risen to the occasion and given the answers I need.

I am most grateful.

When I opened the Design file today, Affinity asked me to upload an update which I did.

1. The Option / Arrow keys worked perfectly.

2. The Text tracking control worked perfectly.

3. Thomaso, Great to know that alternative method. However in Design V2, the Insert option is not available in the Text Menu. This suggests an advantage with Design V1? - or is the Insert feature lurking around V2 under a different name?

Anyway, all that was dark is now light!

Thanks a million.

Tony

PS. Am running an Intel iMac 2019 with 3.7 Ghz i5 with Ventura 13.6.7.

 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2024 by Terra Australis
Update

[R C-R]

5 hours ago, Terra Australis said:

However in Design V2, the Insert option is not available in the Text Menu.

It is for me at Text > Insert Character.

[Terra Australis]

Dear R C-R,

Thank you for your consideration. Thomaso showed access to ’Narrow Non-Breaking Space‘. That is not shown below ‘Non-Breaking Space’ in my V2 of Affinity Designer.

Using Insert Character and with Paragraph selected justified right and left, I tested with the text highlighted as some text options are greyed out unless text is highlighted. No Narrow Non-Breaking Space!

Are we on the same page?

Edited September 4, 2024 by Terra Australis

[R C-R]

2 hours ago, Terra Australis said:

No Narrow Non-Breaking Space!

You are right. I missed the 'narrow' part.

[Terra Australis]

No sweat, I appreciates your good intentions.

Tony