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Consider the code:

\documentclass{book} \usepackage[sfdefault]{cabin} \usepackage[english]{babel} \usepackage{tikz,scalerel,scalefnt} \usetikzlibrary{decorations.text} \definecolor{PureGold}{RGB}{255,215,0} \tikzset{ mydecor/.style={ postaction={decorate, decoration={text along path, text align=center, raise=-1.8ex, text={|\color{black}\bfseries\sffamily\huge\scalefont{1.50}\,|#1}}}, postaction={decorate, decoration={text along path, text align=center, raise=-1.5ex, text={|\color{PureGold}\bfseries\sffamily\huge\scalefont{1.50}\,|#1}}} }} \begin{document} \thispagestyle{empty} \begin{center} \begin{tikzpicture} \draw[line width=30mm, red!50!black, mydecor=HOW TO STRETCH THE LETTERS?] (180:7.05)arc(180:0:7.05); \end{tikzpicture} \end{center} \end{document}

which produces:

enter image description here

QUESTION: How may I vertically stretch the letters a bit? I compile the code with xelatex. I have tried, for example, placing \vstretch{} command into the code at different places, but to no avail.

Thank you.

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  • 2
    You could put every letter in a \resizebox but that's tedious. Alternatively, the text effects along path puts every character in its own node where you could apply something like yscale=1.2 for the nodes. Commented May 3 at 1:59
  • I like the node option. Unfortunately, I do not think there is a way to deform them with the arch. Linear transformations on letters is possible, but not non-linear ones. Commented May 3 at 3:43

2 Answers 2

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5

You could use the Condensed font or here for more dramatic effect, a mechanically condensed font that is just 60% of its normal width

enter image description here

\documentclass{book} \usepackage[english]{babel} \usepackage{tikz} \usetikzlibrary{decorations.text} \definecolor{PureGold}{RGB}{255,215,0} \usepackage{fontspec} \newfontfamily\csf[FakeStretch=.60]{Cabin-Bold}% or Bold Codensed might be better \tikzset{ mydecor/.style={ postaction={decorate, decoration={text along path, text align=center, raise=-1.8ex, text={|\color{black}\fontsize{45pt}{45pt}\csf\,|#1}}}, postaction={decorate, decoration={text along path, text align=center, raise=-1.5ex, text={|\color{PureGold}\fontsize{45pt}{45pt}\csf\,|#1}}} }} \begin{document} \thispagestyle{empty} \begin{center} \begin{tikzpicture} \draw[line width=30mm, red!50!black, mydecor=HOW TO STRETCH THE LETTERS?] (180:7.05)arc(180:0:7.05); \end{tikzpicture} \end{center} \end{document}

or more extreme

enter image description here

\documentclass{book} \usepackage[english]{babel} \usepackage{tikz} \usetikzlibrary{decorations.text} \definecolor{PureGold}{RGB}{255,215,0} \usepackage{fontspec} \newfontfamily\csf[FakeStretch=.35]{Cabin-Bold}% or Bold Codensed might be better \tikzset{ mydecor/.style={ postaction={decorate, decoration={text along path, text align=center, raise=-3.8ex, text={|\color{black}\spaceskip=.1pt \fontsize{65pt}{45pt}\csf\,|#1}}}, postaction={decorate, decoration={text along path, text align=center, raise=-3.5ex, text={|\color{PureGold}\spaceskip=.1pt \fontsize{65pt}{45pt}\csf\,|#1}}} }} \begin{document} \thispagestyle{empty} \begin{center} \begin{tikzpicture} \draw[line width=30mm, red!50!black, mydecor=HOW TO STRETCH THE LETTERS?] (180:7.05)arc(180:0:7.05); \end{tikzpicture} \end{center} \end{document}
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4

You want to preprocess the text.

\documentclass[border=4]{standalone} \usepackage[sfdefault]{cabin} \usepackage{graphicx} \usepackage{tikz} \usetikzlibrary{decorations.text} \definecolor{PureGold}{RGB}{255,215,0} \tikzset{ mydecor/.style={ postaction={ decorate, decoration={ text along path, text align=center, raise=-4ex, text={|\color{PureGold}\fontsize{40}{0}\bfseries|#1} }, }, }, } \ExplSyntaxOn \NewDocumentCommand{\vstretch}{mm} { \tl_set:Ne #1 { \tl_map_function:nN {#2} \dds_stretch:n } } \cs_new_protected:Nn \dds_stretch:n { {\scalebox{1}[1.5]{#1}} } \ExplSyntaxOff \begin{document} \begin{tikzpicture} \vstretch{\mytext}{HOW~TO~STRETCH~THE~LETTERS?} \draw[ line width=30mm, red!50!black, mydecor=\mytext, ] (180:7.05)arc(180:0:7.05); \end{tikzpicture} \end{document}

output

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  • Thank you for posting this answer egreg; however, when I run the code, I get an error---underfine control sequence---related to \vstretch{\mytext{How...}}. I am using a 2023 version of Latex; could it be already outdated for the code you post? Commented May 3 at 12:02
  • @DDS Check the braces! \vstretch{\mytext}{How...} Commented May 3 at 12:26

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