How to: Add Text to a Shape

• Nov 16, 2018
• 2 minutes to read

This example illustrates how to add text to a shape. You can use one of the following approaches to complete the task.

• Create a Text Box
• Add Text to a Shape

Create a Text Box

Call the ShapeCollection.AddTextBox method to create a text box.

The code sample below shows how to insert, rotate and color a text box:

C#

Shape textBox = worksheet.Shapes.AddTextBox(50, 120, 500, 100, "Spreadsheet");
textBox.Fill.SetSolidFill(Color.PowderBlue);
textBox.Rotation = 30;

VB.NET

Dim textBox As Shape = worksheet.Shapes.AddTextBox(50, 120, 500, 100, "Spreadsheet")
textBox.Fill.SetSolidFill(Color.PowderBlue)
textBox.Rotation = 30

Tip

You can change the text box’s geometry type by setting the ShapeGeometry.Preset property to one of the ShapeGeometryPreset values.

Add Text to a Shape

The table below lists an API used to add and format a shape text.

Member	Description
Shape.ShapeText	Provides access to the shape’s text options.
ShapeText.Characters	Returns a ShapeTextRange object representing a shape text range.
ShapeTextRange.AddBefore	Adds a new text range before the current range.
ShapeTextRange.AddAfter	Adds a new range after the current range.
ShapeTextRange.Text	Defines a shape’s text.
ShapeTextRange.Font	Provides access to the shape text’s font properties.
ShapeTextRange.ParagraphFormat	Provides access to the shape text’s paragraph properties.
ShapeText.VerticalAnchor	Specifies the shape text’s vertical alignment.
ShapeText.HorizontalAnchor	Specifies the shape text’s horizontal alignment.

The code sample below creates and formats a shape text to look as it does on the image below.

C#

ShapeText shapeText = shape.ShapeText;

// Create a text range.
ShapeTextRange range = shapeText.Characters();

// Specify the shape's text.
range.Text = "Shape ";

// Set font properties.
range.Font.Bold = true;
range.Font.Color = Color.YellowGreen;

// Add a new text range after the existing text
// and specify its font attributes.         
ShapeTextRange range2 = range.AddAfter("Text");
range2.Font.Italic = true;
range2.Font.Name = "Arial";
range2.Font.Color = Color.BurlyWood;

// Define the text's vertical and horizontal alignment.
shapeText.VerticalAnchor = ShapeTextVerticalAnchorType.Center;
shapeText.HorizontalAnchor = ShapeTextHorizontalAnchorType.Center;

VB.NET

Dim shapeText As ShapeText = shape.ShapeText

' Create a text range.
Dim range As ShapeTextRange = shapeText.Characters()

' Specify the shape's text.
range.Text = "Shape "

' Set font properties.
range.Font.Bold = True
range.Font.Color = Color.YellowGreen

' Add a new text range after the existing text
' and specify its font attributes.  
Dim range2 As ShapeTextRange = range.AddAfter("Text")
range2.Font.Italic = True
range2.Font.Name = "Arial"
range2.Font.Color = Color.BurlyWood

' Define the text's vertical and horizontal alignment.
shapeText.VerticalAnchor = ShapeTextVerticalAnchorType.Center
shapeText.HorizontalAnchor = ShapeTextHorizontalAnchorType.Center