Type on a path - non compound, non masking paths

Question

I'm trying to figure out how to use the type on a path tool in Illustrator. I used the curvature tool to draw a wavy line, which I now want to type on. I keep getting a message that I cannot make any sense of. It reads:

YOU MUST CLICK ON A NON-COMPOUND, NON-MASKING PATH TO CREATE TEXT INSIDE A PATH.

I have seen this post, which describes the same problem, but I tried the answers suggested and they're not working. I wonder if something has changed in illustrator since this question was last answered?

Answer 1

That message tells that your path isn't a simple path. Type on Path tool doesn't accept anything else. An example:

A circle isn't accepted. But closer inspection reveals that my circle is a compound path:

It's made of a circular path by applying Outline Stroke. Expanding a closed path and some Pathfinder panel operations make also compound paths. They are the way to have holes in Illustrator.

Try Object > Compound Path > Release.

Make a copy because if your path happens to have several components you may want to delete the unwanted ones. What's left vanishes when it's used as a path of text.

A path which is clipping mask for another path also cannot be a path of a text. You get the same error message if you try to edit a clipping mask and apply Type on Path.

A path which is made partially invisible with a clipping mask can well be a path of text. Only that part of the text stays visible which fits below the clipping mask.

Answer 2

Other than the path being compound or masking, if it is a sub-layer you will not be able to type text onto it. If this is the case copy the sub-layer into a new layer.