Shapes
Shape
elements are drawings composed of geometric objects such as lines, curves, rectangles, and triangles. Shapes can be filled using the Shape.Fill
property and outlined using the Shape.Outline
property.
The ShapeType
enumeration contains a list of built-in shape types that are directly supported through GemBox.Document's API. Types that are not directly supported use ShapeType.Custom
enum and are supported through preservation.
The following example shows how you can create and customize shapes or different types and layouts.

using GemBox.Document;
using GemBox.Document.Drawing;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// If using Professional version, put your serial key below.
ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");
var document = new DocumentModel();
var section = new Section(document);
document.Sections.Add(section);
var pageSetup = section.PageSetup;
pageSetup.PageColor = Color.LightGray;
var paragraph = new Paragraph(document);
section.Blocks.Add(paragraph);
// Add yellow rounded rectangle with 35% rounded corners.
var roundedRectangle = new Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Inline(
new Size(4, 2, LengthUnit.Centimeter)));
roundedRectangle.AdjustValues["adj"] = 35000;
roundedRectangle.Outline.Width = 10;
roundedRectangle.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Yellow);
roundedRectangle.Fill.SetEmpty();
paragraph.Inlines.Add(roundedRectangle);
// Add red horizontal line.
var width = pageSetup.PageWidth - pageSetup.PageMargins.Left - pageSetup.PageMargins.Right;
var horizontalLine = new Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
new HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Left, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
new VerticalPosition(6, LengthUnit.Centimeter, VerticalPositionAnchor.InsideMargin),
new Size(width, 0)));
horizontalLine.Outline.Width = 4;
horizontalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Red);
paragraph.Inlines.Add(horizontalLine);
// Add green vertical line.
var height = pageSetup.PageHeight - pageSetup.PageMargins.Top - pageSetup.PageMargins.Bottom;
var verticalLine = new Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
new HorizontalPosition(16, LengthUnit.Centimeter, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
new VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Top, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
new Size(85, height)));
verticalLine.Outline.Width = 8;
verticalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.DarkGreen);
paragraph.Inlines.Add(verticalLine);
// Add blue down arrow with 15% rotation.
var downArrowLayout = Layout.Floating(
new HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Center, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
new VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Center, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
new Size(8, 12, LengthUnit.Centimeter));
downArrowLayout.Transform.Rotation = 15;
var downArrow = new Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, downArrowLayout);
downArrow.Outline.Width = 3;
downArrow.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.White);
downArrow.Fill.SetSolid(new Color(91, 155, 213));
paragraph.Inlines.Add(downArrow);
document.Save("Shapes.%OutputFileType%");
}
}
Imports GemBox.Document
Imports GemBox.Document.Drawing
Module Program
Sub Main()
' If using Professional version, put your serial key below.
ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")
Dim document As New DocumentModel()
Dim section As New Section(document)
document.Sections.Add(section)
Dim pageSetup = section.PageSetup
pageSetup.PageColor = Color.LightGray
Dim paragraph As New Paragraph(document)
section.Blocks.Add(paragraph)
' Add yellow rounded rectangle with 35% rounded corners.
Dim roundedRectangle As New Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Inline(
New Size(4, 2, LengthUnit.Centimeter)))
roundedRectangle.AdjustValues("adj") = 35000
roundedRectangle.Outline.Width = 10
roundedRectangle.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Yellow)
roundedRectangle.Fill.SetEmpty()
paragraph.Inlines.Add(roundedRectangle)
' Add red horizontal line.
Dim width = pageSetup.PageWidth - pageSetup.PageMargins.Left - pageSetup.PageMargins.Right
Dim horizontalLine As New Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
New HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Left, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
New VerticalPosition(6, LengthUnit.Centimeter, VerticalPositionAnchor.InsideMargin),
New Size(width, 0)))
horizontalLine.Outline.Width = 4
horizontalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.Red)
paragraph.Inlines.Add(horizontalLine)
' Add green vertical line.
Dim height = pageSetup.PageHeight - pageSetup.PageMargins.Top - pageSetup.PageMargins.Bottom
Dim verticalLine As New Shape(document, ShapeType.Line, Layout.Floating(
New HorizontalPosition(16, LengthUnit.Centimeter, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
New VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Top, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
New Size(85, height)))
verticalLine.Outline.Width = 8
verticalLine.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.DarkGreen)
paragraph.Inlines.Add(verticalLine)
' Add blue down arrow with 15% rotation.
Dim downArrowLayout = Layout.Floating(
New HorizontalPosition(HorizontalPositionType.Center, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Margin),
New VerticalPosition(VerticalPositionType.Center, VerticalPositionAnchor.Margin),
New Size(8, 12, LengthUnit.Centimeter))
downArrowLayout.Transform.Rotation = 15
Dim downArrow As New Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, downArrowLayout)
downArrow.Outline.Width = 3
downArrow.Outline.Fill.SetSolid(Color.White)
downArrow.Fill.SetSolid(New Color(91, 155, 213))
paragraph.Inlines.Add(downArrow)
document.Save("Shapes.%OutputFileType%")
End Sub
End Module
TextBox
is a shape that has text content and Picture
is a shape that contains an image.
Shapes can be inline (of InlineLayout
type), in which case the position of a shape is constrained to the lines of text on the page. Alternatively, they can be floating (of FloatingLayout
type), in which case they can be positioned anywhere on the page.
You can read more about this on the Shapes and Layout help page.
Shape groups
You can organize shapes and other drawings into Groups
. Each group has its own layout that affects all its children drawings.
The following example shows how you can create a group and add various drawings to it.

using GemBox.Document;
using GemBox.Document.Drawing;
class Program
{
static void Main()
{
// If using Professional version, put your serial key below.
ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");
var document = new DocumentModel();
var section = new Section(document);
document.Sections.Add(section);
var paragraph = new Paragraph(document);
section.Blocks.Add(paragraph);
var shapes = new Group(document, new FloatingLayout(
new HorizontalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
new VerticalPosition(50, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.Page),
new Size(200, 250, LengthUnit.Point)));
shapes.Layout.Transform.Rotation = 30;
paragraph.Inlines.Add(shapes);
// Add rounded rectangle.
var roundedRectangle = new Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Floating(
new HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
new VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
new Size(50, 50, LengthUnit.Point)));
shapes.Add(roundedRectangle);
// Add down arrow.
var downArrowLayout = new Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, Layout.Floating(
new HorizontalPosition(60, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
new VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
new Size(50, 100, LengthUnit.Point)));
shapes.Add(downArrowLayout);
// Add picture.
var picture = new Picture(document, "%#Dices.png%");
picture.Layout = Layout.Floating(
new HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
new VerticalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
new Size(200, 150, LengthUnit.Point));
shapes.Add(picture);
document.Save("GroupShapes.%OutputFileType%");
}
}
Imports GemBox.Document
Imports GemBox.Document.Drawing
Module Program
Sub Main()
' If using Professional version, put your serial key below.
ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")
Dim document As New DocumentModel()
Dim section As New Section(document)
document.Sections.Add(section)
Dim paragraph As New Paragraph(document)
section.Blocks.Add(paragraph)
Dim shapes As New Group(document, New FloatingLayout(
New HorizontalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.Page),
New VerticalPosition(50, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.Page),
New Size(200, 250, LengthUnit.Point)))
shapes.Layout.Transform.Rotation = 30
paragraph.Inlines.Add(shapes)
' Add rounded rectangle.
Dim roundedRectangle As New Shape(document, ShapeType.RoundedRectangle, Layout.Floating(
New HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
New VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
New Size(50, 50, LengthUnit.Point)))
shapes.Add(roundedRectangle)
' Add down arrow.
Dim downArrowLayout = New Shape(document, ShapeType.DownArrow, Layout.Floating(
New HorizontalPosition(60, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
New VerticalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
New Size(50, 100, LengthUnit.Point)))
shapes.Add(downArrowLayout)
' Add picture.
Dim picture As New Picture(document, "%#Dices.png%")
picture.Layout = Layout.Floating(
New HorizontalPosition(0, LengthUnit.Point, HorizontalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
New VerticalPosition(100, LengthUnit.Point, VerticalPositionAnchor.TopLeftCorner),
New Size(200, 150, LengthUnit.Point))
shapes.Add(picture)
document.Save("GroupShapes.%OutputFileType%")
End Sub
End Module