Ever tried customizing a font in Figma, only to realize you couldn’t tweak the individual parts of a letter? Whether you’re working on a logo, poster, or UI element, turning text into editable vector shapes can give you full creative control — especially when you want to modify letterforms, merge them with other shapes, or apply detailed customizations.
In this tutorial, we’ll walk through two simple methods to convert text into vector shapes in Figma — using Flatten and Outline Stroke. Follow the steps in the tutorial below and click “Next” to learn it step by step in a visual way.
If you want to learn how to work with shape outlines, click here to check it out.
Method 1: Convert Text to Vector Using Flatten
This is the faster way to "break apart" text and directly turn it into vector paths.
Steps:
- Select the text you want to convert.
- Right-click and choose Flatten.
- Double-click the result to enter vector editing mode and tweak points or segments.
Important Note:
Flattening is not reversible like grouping or combining. Once flattened, the text becomes a shape and can’t be edited as text anymore — unless you undo immediately (shortcut: Ctrl + Z). So be sure you’re ready to commit before flattening!
Method 2: Convert Text Using Outline Stroke
This method keeps the original character outlines intact and is often preferred when you want to preserve the font’s structure as vector strokes.
Steps:
- Select your text.
- Right-click and choose Outline Stroke.
- Double-click any letter to enter vector editing mode.
This approach is ideal for more structured designs, like logos or custom typography work, where you want to preserve and refine the shapes of individual letters.
Which One Should You Use?
- Use Flatten if you want a quick way to convert text to editable shapes and don’t need to keep the original font properties.
- Use Outline Stroke if you want cleaner vector outlines and more predictable behavior, especially when combining with other strokes or fills.
Both methods give you full vector control — so feel free to experiment and pick the one that fits your workflow best.