Embodiments are disclosed for text-aware application of a color gradient to text characters. In particular, in one or more embodiments, the disclosed systems and methods comprise receiving an input including a set of text characters in a first layout, determining a first text path of the set of text characters in the first layout, mapping the set of text characters from the first layout to a second layout, wherein the set of text characters in the second text path are aligned along a coordinate axis, applying a linear color gradient across the mapped set of text characters in the second layout, reverse mapping the set of text characters with the applied linear color gradient from the second layout to the first layout, and outputting the set of text characters in the first layout with the applied linear color gradient from the second layout based on the reverse mapping.