IronWord How-Tos Text Outline Effect on Text How to Add Text Outline Effect to Text Chaknith Bin Updated:June 22, 2025 A text outline effect adds a visible border around the characters of text, creating a defined outline that enhances readability or visual impact. This effect can be customized in terms of color, thickness, and style to suit design preferences. It's commonly used in graphics, typography, and digital design to make text stand out against backgrounds or to create a stylized appearance. Get started with IronWord Start using IronWord in your project today with a free trial. First Step: Start for Free How to Add Text Outline Effect to Text Download a C# library to add a text outline to text Apply the text effect to either newly created or existing text Apply a preset text outline effect using the static named instance of the TextOutlineEffect class Configure the TextOutlineEffect properties to achieve a customized text outline Export the edited Word document as a new file Add Text Outline Effect To specify the text outline effect for the text, create the TextStyle object and populate the TextOutlineEffect property with a TextOutlineEffect 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-text-outline-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() { TextOutlineEffect = TextOutlineEffect.DefaultEffect, }; // Add text with style doc.AddText("Hello World").Style = textStyle; // Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("textOutlineEffect.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 {.TextOutlineEffect = TextOutlineEffect.DefaultEffect} ' Add text with style doc.AddText("Hello World").Style = textStyle ' Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("textOutlineEffect.docx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Text Outline Effect Properties The text outline effect offers a variety of customizable properties to suit any design need. Below are the properties along with their descriptions: PenAlignment: Gets or sets the alignment of the pen used for the outline effect. LineCapType: Gets or sets the type of line cap used for the outline effect. LineWidth: Gets or sets the width of the outline effect line. Note: The width is specified in points (1/72 inch). CompoundLineType: Gets or sets the type of compound line used for the outline effect. LineJoin: Gets or sets the stroke join style used for the outline effect. Color: Gets or sets the solid fill color for the outline effect. PresetLineDash: Gets or sets the preset line dash style for the outline effect. :path=/static-assets/word/content-code-examples/how-to/text-effect-customized-text-outline-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() { TextOutlineEffect = new TextOutlineEffect() { Color = IronWord.Models.Color.Red, CompoundLineType = CompoundLineValues.Double, LineCapType = LineCapValues.Round, LineJoin = StrokeJoinStyleValues.Bevel, LineWidth = 0.3, PenAlignment = PenAlignmentValues.Center, presetLineDash = PresetLineDashValues.Solid }, }; // Add text with style doc.AddText("Customized text outline").Style = textStyle; // Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("customizedTextOutlineEffect.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 { .TextOutlineEffect = New TextOutlineEffect() With { .Color = IronWord.Models.Color.Red, .CompoundLineType = CompoundLineValues.Double, .LineCapType = LineCapValues.Round, .LineJoin = StrokeJoinStyleValues.Bevel, .LineWidth = 0.3, .PenAlignment = PenAlignmentValues.Center, .presetLineDash = PresetLineDashValues.Solid } } ' Add text with style doc.AddText("Customized text outline").Style = textStyle ' Export new Word document doc.SaveAs("customizedTextOutlineEffect.docx") $vbLabelText $csharpLabel Frequently Asked Questions What is a text outline effect in a Word document? A text outline effect in a Word document adds a visible border around text characters, enhancing their readability and visual impact. This effect is customizable in terms of color, thickness, and style to better suit design preferences. How can I apply a text outline effect in C#? In C#, you can apply a text outline effect by using the TextOutlineEffect class in IronWord. You can configure its properties such as color, line width, and style to customize the effect for your text. What are the steps to add a text outline effect using IronWord? The steps include downloading the IronWord library, applying the text effect to new or existing text, configuring the TextOutlineEffect properties, and exporting the edited document as a new file. Can I customize the properties of a text outline effect in C#? Yes, you can customize the text outline effect by adjusting properties like PenAlignment, LineCapType, LineWidth, CompoundLineType, LineJoin, Color, and PresetLineDash using IronWord. What is the unit of measurement for line width in a text outline effect? The line width for a text outline effect is measured in points, where one point is equivalent to 1/72 of an inch. How do I export a Word document after applying a text outline effect? After applying a text outline effect in IronWord, you can export the edited Word document using the library's export functions to save your changes as a new file. What is the purpose of using text outline effects in design? Text outline effects are used to make text stand out against backgrounds or to create a stylized appearance, enhancing the readability and visual impact in digital design. How do I define a text style with a text outline effect in C#? You can define a text style by creating a TextStyle object and populating its TextOutlineEffect property with a TextOutlineEffect object. Assign this style to your text through the TextEffect property. 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? Free NuGet Download View Licenses