IronWord How-Tos Shadow Effect on Text How to Add Shadow Effect to Text Chaknith Bin Updated:June 9, 2025 The Shadow Effect on text is a visual enhancement technique used to create depth and distinction for text elements. When applied, it introduces a duplicated version of the text behind the original, slightly offset to give the appearance of a shadow. This secondary text, known as the shadow, can be adjusted in several ways to achieve different visual effects. Get started with IronWord Start using IronWord in your project today with a free trial. First Step: Start for Free How to Add Shadow Effect to Text Download a C# library to add a shadow effect to text Apply the text effect to either newly created or existing text Apply a preset shadow effect using the static named instance of the Shadow class Configure the Shadow properties to achieve a customized shadow Export the edited Word document as a new file Add Shadow Effect To specify the shadow effect for the text, create the TextStyle object and populate the ShadowEffect property with a Shadow object. Finally, add new text with the style by assigning the TextStyle object to the TextEffect property. :path=/static-assets/word/content-code-examples/how-to/text-effect-shadow-effect.cs using IronWord; using IronWord.Models; // Create new Word document WordDocument doc = new WordDocument(); // Create and configure text style TextStyle textStyle = new TextStyle(); textStyle.TextEffect = new TextEffect() { ShadowEffect = Shadow.OuterShadow1, }; // Add text with style doc.AddText("Hello World").Style = textStyle; // Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("shadowEffect.docx"); Imports IronWord Imports IronWord.Models ' Create new Word document Private doc As New WordDocument() ' Create and configure text style Private textStyle As New TextStyle() textStyle.TextEffect = New TextEffect() With {.ShadowEffect = Shadow.OuterShadow1} ' Add text with style doc.AddText("Hello World").Style = textStyle ' Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("shadowEffect.docx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Shadow Effect Properties Besides assigning a predefined shadow value, all of the shadow effect's properties can be configured. This provides a very flexible option to customize the shadow effect in any way possible. Please see the properties and their descriptions below: Alignment: Gets or sets the alignment of the shadow. BlurRadius: Gets or sets the blur radius of the shadow effect. The blur radius is specified in points (1/72 inch). DirectionAngle: Gets or sets the direction angle of the shadow effect. The direction angle is specified in degrees. DistanceFromText: Gets or sets the distance of the shadow effect from the text or object. The distance is specified in points (1/72 inch). HorizontalScalingFactor: Gets or sets the horizontal scaling factor of the shadow effect. HorizontalSkewAngle: Gets or sets the horizontal skew angle of the shadow effect. The skew angle is specified in degrees. SchemeColor: Gets or sets the scheme color of the shadow effect. VerticalScalingFactor: Gets or sets the vertical scaling factor of the shadow effect. VerticalSkewAngle: Gets or sets the vertical skew angle of the shadow effect. The skew angle is specified in degrees. :path=/static-assets/word/content-code-examples/how-to/text-effect-customized-shadow-effect.cs using IronWord; using IronWord.Models; using IronWord.Models.Enums; // Create new Word document WordDocument doc = new WordDocument(); // Create and configure text style TextStyle textStyle = new TextStyle(); textStyle.TextEffect = new TextEffect() { ShadowEffect = new Shadow() { Alignment = RectangleAlignmentValues.BottomLeft, BlurRadius = 5, DirectionAngle = 45, DistanceFromText = 3, HorizontalScalingFactor = 100, VerticalScalingFactor = 100, HorizontalSkewAngle = 0, SchemeColor = IronWord.Models.Color.Aqua, VerticalSkewAngle = 0, }, }; // Add text with style doc.AddText("Customized shadow").Style = textStyle; // Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("customizedShadowEffect.docx"); Imports IronWord Imports IronWord.Models Imports IronWord.Models.Enums ' Create new Word document Private doc As New WordDocument() ' Create and configure text style Private textStyle As New TextStyle() textStyle.TextEffect = New TextEffect() With { .ShadowEffect = New Shadow() With { .Alignment = RectangleAlignmentValues.BottomLeft, .BlurRadius = 5, .DirectionAngle = 45, .DistanceFromText = 3, .HorizontalScalingFactor = 100, .VerticalScalingFactor = 100, .HorizontalSkewAngle = 0, .SchemeColor = IronWord.Models.Color.Aqua, .VerticalSkewAngle = 0 } } ' Add text with style doc.AddText("Customized shadow").Style = textStyle ' Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("customizedShadowEffect.docx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Frequently Asked Questions How can I add a shadow effect to text in C#? You can add a shadow effect to text in C# by using the IronWord library. First, download the library, then apply the shadow effect using the Shadow class. Configure the properties as needed and export your document with the applied effects. What are the customizable properties of a shadow effect in IronWord? IronWord allows you to customize several properties of the shadow effect, including Alignment, BlurRadius, DirectionAngle, DistanceFromText, HorizontalScalingFactor, HorizontalSkewAngle, SchemeColor, VerticalScalingFactor, and VerticalSkewAngle. How do I apply a preset shadow effect using IronWord? To apply a preset shadow effect using IronWord, use the static named instance of the Shadow class and configure its properties to fit your needs. Can I apply a shadow effect to existing text in a Word document? Yes, you can apply a shadow effect to both newly created and existing text in a Word document using IronWord by creating a TextStyle object and populating the ShadowEffect property with a Shadow object. What is the role of the BlurRadius property in a shadow effect? The BlurRadius property in a shadow effect specifies the blur radius in points (1/72 inch), which determines how soft or sharp the shadow appears. How do I control the direction of a shadow effect in a Word document? To control the direction of a shadow effect in IronWord, set the DirectionAngle property, which is specified in degrees, to orient the shadow as desired. Is it possible to align the shadow differently from the text? Yes, IronWord's Alignment property allows you to set the alignment of the shadow relative to the text, providing flexibility in how the shadow is positioned. How do I set the color of a shadow effect to match my document theme? Use the SchemeColor property in IronWord to set the color scheme of the shadow effect, allowing the shadow to match the overall design theme of your document. What does the DistanceFromText property control in a shadow effect? The DistanceFromText property controls the distance of the shadow from the text or object, measured in points (1/72 inch), affecting how far the shadow appears from the text. Chaknith Bin Chat with engineering team now Software Engineer Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience. Ready to Get Started? Nuget Downloads 23,662 | Version: 2025.10 just released Free NuGet Download Total downloads: 23,662 View Licenses