Warp text in Inkscape with Envelope Deformation, then export for Cricut

Inkscape is free and does real envelope warping. It also has three steps that trip almost everyone up. Here is the full sequence.

Steps

1. Type your text with the Text tool.
2. Path → Object to Path. Warp effects only work on paths.
3. Path → Path Effects (Shift+Ctrl+7), click +, choose Envelope Deformation.
4. In the effects panel, click the edit icons next to Top, Bottom, Left and Right bend paths. Drag their nodes on the canvas to shape the envelope.
5. When it looks right, Path → Object to Path again. This bakes the effect; without it the SVG still contains the original straight text.
6. Select all letters and Path → Union so overlapping letters weld.
7. Save As → Plain SVG. Upload that file to Design Space.

The three traps

• Skipping the second Object to Path. Design Space ignores path effects, so the upload arrives straight.
• Saving as Inkscape SVG. Extra metadata is harmless but Plain SVG is smaller and imports faster.
• Document units. Set File → Document Properties to inches before you size the text, or the upload lands at the wrong scale.

The faster route

If you only need arc, arch, wave or the other Photoshop-style warps, the generator below does all seven steps in one click and writes a Plain SVG with the width already in inches.