Curved names on a jersey: a vector guide
Setting the name on the back along an arc. Notes for a clean curve in Illustrator and similar tools.
Jersey namesets often sit not flat but on a gentle arc. This curve is not arbitrary; it follows the shoulder line and keeps the name legible from a distance. A good curve guides the letters without distorting them.
Type on a path, not envelope warp
The first rule: do not wrap the letters in an envelope and stretch them. Envelope warp strains stem weights unevenly and breaks the font's measure. Instead, draw an arc and set the name on that path — the letters follow the curve yet keep their own shape.
- —Draw a single arc with a constant radius
- —Set the name on the path, adjust tracking afterwards
- —Avoid envelope and perspective warp
- —Keep the number separate and flat — the curve is for the name only
After drawing the curve, balance the tracking by eye; at the top of the arc the letters open naturally and tighten toward the ends. Small manual corrections make a large difference in print.
The curve carries the name, it does not crush it. The right arc is the work of the shoulders, not the letters.