Array Modifier - Text - using empty - unexpected results

Trying to emulate the process shown here:

Using cubes, I’ve created three empties (one for
each axis) and am able to expand the array,
horizontally as well as vertically.

I thought it might be interesting to do it with
text instead (and I’ve gotten some REALLY
interesting results).

If I leave it as text and add an array modifier,
it moves as expected along it’s axis.

Once I add an empty as shown in the tutorial,
that’s when it goes south.

I’ve tried converting the text and moving the
origin.

Doesn’t matke a difference.

What’s going on? And how best to fix it?

Or can I?

Using v2.71

Thanx

P.S. Think I figured this one out. I was rotating the text
before applying the empties and the array. Had to do some
fiddling with the camera and the lighting, but, I got it working
for my purposes.

Text_array_test_blend.blend (457 KB)