Hi Rich:

If you use a box, you need to be able to somehow specify that the rotated text strings logically start printing way before the box so that the upper left corner of the box catches the end of the first text string, then, you move the next printed angled string along a character (or some other unit) so that the box gets the next couple of characters and so on until the whole box or rectangle is full with angled strings, in the case of my requirement, at 45 degrees. However, the strings that are logically printed before (and therefore outside of the box) do not show and the end stings that print beyond the box don't show either. So the foreground text is not obscured, I need to specify a custom true type font that I use that is very very light (made of dots like a matrix printer font) - and then, I overprint in the box with the foreground text in a different font. This idea provides a "security" print effect. If someone tries to meddle (forge) the foreground details, they mess up the 45 degree background printing which uses a series of values to give a unique security message. It is hard to replicate this effect.

I already do this but I have to go through hoops and automate three different tools to achieve the effect. The angled characters I print are about 7 point and I must be able to create a watermark effect (very, very light grey) so they dont obscure what is printed "on-top" of the background.

As to truncation, its got to be at character level otherwise, the box/rectangle could have unsightly gaps at the edges. With characters, the whole box background is "covered". My custom font is monospaced so that the gap above, below and to the right and left of each character is equidistant. It produces as superb effect. It is so subtle that sometimes, recipients of the documents don't notice the background angled text until it is pointed out to them. When they see it, they marvel at the detail. If you take the angled background text out of the document altogether, the resultant "white space" in the boxes looks stark and "bare".

If you can do this Rich, and produce the output straight to PDF, I am sold.

Let me know.

-=Gary


>Hi Gary,
>
>I don't cut the text length At the moment when you add Rotated Text using the AddText() Method of my MindsEyeReportEngine ActiveX control to keep it defined within a specified Box. However, that wouldn't be hard to add support for that. I could either modify the current AddText() Method or I may add a new method to specify a Box and do rotated text all in one. I could see how this would be helpful for the rotated text. The next question would be do you want the text to be truncated at the character level or at the word level like the VFP Report Engine does it now. I could truncate it either way.
>
>Rich
>
>> Can you specify mutiple rotated text string(s) in a square or rectangular area so that the
>> excess string does not show outside of the "box". In otherwords, create a background text
>> effect in a box (or over the whole page) with mutiple rotated text strings?