Q154515: HOWTO: Print Text Sideways in a Picture Box Using Win32 API

Article: Q154515
Product(s): Microsoft Visual Basic for Windows
Version(s): WINDOWS:4.0,6.0
Operating System(s): 
Keyword(s): kbAPI kbSDKWin32 kbVBp kbVBp400 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport
Last Modified: 11-JAN-2001

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The information in this article applies to:

- Microsoft Visual Basic Learning Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition for Windows, version 6.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Standard Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Professional Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
- Microsoft Visual Basic Enterprise Edition, 32-bit, for Windows, version 4.0 
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SUMMARY
=======

By using the CreateFont and CreateFontIndirect Win32 API calls, it is possible
to rotate text on a Device context such as a picture box, a form, or the Printer
Object. This article provides a Win32 Code sample demonstrating how this can be
done.

MORE INFORMATION
================

1. Start a new Visual Basic Project. Form1 is created by default.

2. Add a Command button to Form1.

3. Place a PictureBox on Form1.

4. Place the following code in the General Declarations section of Form1:

     Option Explicit

     Private Declare Function CreateFontIndirect Lib "gdi32" Alias _
       "CreateFontIndirectA" (lpLogFont As LOGFONT) As Long
     Private Declare Function SelectObject Lib "gdi32" (ByVal hdc _
       As Long, ByVal hObject As Long) As Long
     Private Declare Function DeleteObject Lib "gdi32" (ByVal _
       hObject As Long) As Long
     Private Const LF_FACESIZE = 32

     Private Type LOGFONT
       lfHeight As Long
       lfWidth As Long
       lfEscapement As Long
       lfOrientation As Long
       lfWeight As Long
       lfItalic As Byte
       lfUnderline As Byte
       lfStrikeOut As Byte
       lfCharSet As Byte
       lfOutPrecision As Byte
       lfClipPrecision As Byte
       lfQuality As Byte
       lfPitchAndFamily As Byte
       lfFaceName as String * LF_FACESIZE
     End Type

     Sub Command1_Click()
       Dim font As LOGFONT
       Dim prevFont As Long, hFont As Long, ret As Long
       Const FONTSIZE = 10 ' Desired point size of font
       font.lfEscapement = 1800    ' 180-degree rotation
       font.lfFaceName = "Arial" & Chr$(0) 'Null character at end
      ' Windows expects the font size to be in pixels and to
       ' be negative if you are specifying the character height
       ' you want.
       font.lfHeight = (FONTSIZE * -20) / Screen.TwipsPerPixelY
       hFont = CreateFontIndirect(font)
       prevFont = SelectObject(Picture1.hdc, hFont)
       Picture1.CurrentX = Picture1.ScaleWidth
       Picture1.CurrentY = Picture1.ScaleHeight / 2
       Picture1.Print "Rotated Text"
       ' Clean up by restoring original font.
       ret = SelectObject(Picture1.hdc, prevFont)
       ret = DeleteObject(hFont)
       Picture1.CurrentY = Picture1.ScaleHeight / 2
       Picture1.Print "Normal Text"
     End Sub

5. Press the F5 key to run the project, and then press the Command Button. You
  will see two pieces of text appear, one the right way up and one inverted.

NOTE: These instructions will not work if you attempt to use Printer.hDC in
Visual Basic 5.0, SP2 or SP3, instead of using Picture1.hDC.

REFERENCES
==========

For additional information about how to properly rotate text using a printer,
please see the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q175535 PRB: Printing Rotated Text with Visual Basic

For additional information about the 16-bit equivalent of this sample, please see
the following article in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

  Q119673 How to Print with Rotated Text

Additional query words:

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Keywords          : kbAPI kbSDKWin32 kbVBp kbVBp400 kbVBp600 kbGrpDSVB kbDSupport 
Technology        : kbVBSearch kbAudDeveloper kbZNotKeyword6 kbZNotKeyword2 kbVB600Search kbVBA600 kbVB600 kbVB400Search kbVB400
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,6.0
Issue type        : kbhowto

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