There are a few things you need to know before starting to arc text in Illustrator. First, the basic steps are to create a rectangle, then add a line above and below it. You can also add a curve or gradient to the rectangle, but we’ll just focus on the basic steps here. Next, you’ll want to create a layer above the rectangle and name it “text.” Next, select all of the text and drag it up into the layer. Now, use your selection marquee tool (M) to select all of the text and press Command-V (or right-click on the selection and choose “vary” from the contextual menu). This will change how all of your text is treated - now your text will be aligned vertically instead of horizontally. Now that your text is aligned vertically, you’ll want to add some borders around it. To do this, select all of your text and press Command-B (or right-click on the selection and choose “border” from the contextual menu). Then use your Selection marquee tool (M) to pick one edge of each border and press Command-C (or right-click on each edge and choose “join” from the contextual menu). Finally, use your Pencil tool (P) to draw some lines around each border - these lines should be long enough so that they cover both sides of your text. Now that everything is set up, you can start drawing! Just make sure that you keep everything consistent - for example, when drawing borders around your text, make sure that they’re always long enough so that they cover both sides of your work.
