A method of displaying text on a path includes creating a mapping between distances along the path and points on a line based on changes in direction of the path, composing glyphs on the line, having a total line length defined in accordance with the mapping, to form a composed line, associating the glyphs with the path in accordance with the mapping and the composed line, and outputting the association of the glyphs with the path for display of the glyphs along the path.