GIMP Version: 2.8.10
Operating System: Linux
GIMP Experience: Intermediate Level

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Is there any built in way to smudge along a path?
It would be handy if it's possible but I must admit I'm not sure how it would work. (direction, end fades, etc..)
Just curious.

Yes, alpha select your text, then select to path, > deselect. Go to paths and use the paint along path option and use the dropdown and select smudge.

Ack!
How did I miss that before?
Not doing text, but this is exactly what I needed. Thank you Molly!

I have never tried it so let us know if it does what you want.
Here is mine at 10 pixels.

If the path is obtained from a text layer, it is much faster to use "Layer>Text to path".

It works exactly as I wanted it to.
I work on a lot of anime images to try and restore the quality that was lost in a scan or other bad media. Smoothing filters can help a lot, but usually leave some nasty artifacts along lines of different colors. Smoothing with the smudge tool by hand is way too difficult most of the time. Now I can draw a path line the exact shape I want and clean it up wonderfully.

Thanks again Molly!

Wow, I was wondering what advantage it would be. Glad to hear it is good for what you want. I must try some of the other options in that drop down. As I said one other time that a person could spend a life time and still not cover all the bases of Gimp.

akovia thanks for the question and molly thanks for your response! Learned something new.

me too Dalia, there are so many things in Gimp that we never see.

Molly you are so practical! I think the need to do something at a time is what opens our mind or wit to know where and how to find the tools that we have to develop it. It's great to have a team like Gimp-Chat is with so much talent.

Molly, how did you do to get smudge was out od the path? Mine is all inside of the path.

In the previous one I hadn't set out the selection to the path. But in this one I have. However I don't get my result. I like yours much more, Molly.

After you do the text, alplha to selection > Selection to Path > Select NONE. Go to your path dialogue > at the bottom you will see an icon paint along path.. I set this one to 15 then clicked where it says stroke with paint tool, then use the drop down and choose smudge then stroke
Make sure you do the selection NONE before you go over to the paths dialogue

If you want more smudge, repeat the smudge. I did another one repeating 5 times.

Thank you so much Molly. I'll do it.

The more you repeat it the more smudge you will get. kind of cool.

what a great experiment, Molly! It's fantastic! you're a clever girl!

Thank you Molly. Here my last tries one of the with a pattern and the other simple. I think that the font makes a difference. better yours,

cool, the green one looks best to me.