True Gradient Label Control

[DavesChillaxin]

I don't know about you but when I did a "gradient label [vb.net]" search in Google all I got was nothing of the sort. Only controls out there in the first few pages draw the label text with a flat brush, while the background was drawn gradient... This to me is not a "gradient label".

So I created one myself This is my version of a gradient label in around 120 LOC.

Because of how short it is, I just pasted the code instead of uploading the entire project. Just create a new User-Control and paste in the code below.

Imports System.Drawing.Drawing2D
 
Public Class GradientLabel
    Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Label
 
    Public Overrides Property Text As String
        Get
            Return MyBase.Text
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As String)
            MyBase.Text = value
            'TextRender method.
            Me._sf = TextRenderer.MeasureText(value, Me.Font)
            'MeasureString method.
            'Using g As Graphics = Me.CreateGraphics()
            '    Me._sf = g.MeasureString(value, Me.Font)
            'End Using
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Public Overrides Property Font As System.Drawing.Font
        Get
            Return MyBase.Font
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As System.Drawing.Font)
            MyBase.Font = Value
            Me.Invalidate()
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Private _ColorHigh As Color = Color.WhiteSmoke
    Public Property ColorHigh As Color
        Get
            Return Me._ColorHigh
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Color)
            Me._ColorHigh = value
            Me.Invalidate()
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Private _ColorLow As Color = Color.Silver
    Public Property ColorLow As Color
        Get
            Return Me._ColorLow
        End Get
        Set(ByVal value As Color)
            Me._ColorLow = value
            Me.Invalidate()
        End Set
    End Property
 
    Dim _sf As SizeF = New SizeF(0, 0)
    Private ReadOnly Property sf() As SizeF
        Get
            Return Me._sf
        End Get
    End Property
 
 
    Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint(e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)
        Dim rfb As RectangleF 'Brush area rectangle
        Dim rfa As RectangleF = New RectangleF(0, 0, Me.Width, Me.Height+16) 'String area rectangle.
        Dim pf As PointF
        Dim gp As New GraphicsPath
 
        Using Format As New StringFormat()
 
            Select Case Me.TextAlign
                Case ContentAlignment.TopLeft
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Near
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
                Case ContentAlignment.TopCenter
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Near
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
                Case ContentAlignment.TopRight
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Near
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Far
                Case ContentAlignment.MiddleLeft
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
                Case ContentAlignment.MiddleCenter
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
                Case ContentAlignment.MiddleRight
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Center
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Far
                Case ContentAlignment.BottomLeft
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Near
                Case ContentAlignment.BottomCenter
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Center
                Case ContentAlignment.BottomRight
                    Format.LineAlignment = StringAlignment.Far
                    Format.Alignment = StringAlignment.Far
            End Select
 
            gp.AddString(Me.Text, Me.Font.FontFamily, Me.Font.Style, sf.Height, rfa, Format)
 
            Select Format.LineAlignment
                Case StringAlignment.Near:  pf = New PointF(0, 0)
                Case StringAlignment.Center:  pf = New PointF(0, CSng(Me.Height/2-(gp.GetBounds.Height+24)/2))
                Case Stringalignment.Far:  pf = New PointF(0, CSng(Me.Height-(gp.GetBounds.Height+24)))
            End Select
            rfb = New RectangleF(pf, New SizeF(Me.Width, gp.GetBounds.Height+24))
 
            e.Graphics.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.HighQuality 'Change the smoothing mode before doing any actual drawing.
            'e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Black, rfb) 'Brush indicator
            Using base As New LinearGradientBrush(rfb, ColorHigh, ColorLow, 90), 
                border As New LinearGradientBrush(rfb, ColorHigh, ColorHigh, 90)
                e.Graphics.FillPath(base, gp)
                e.Graphics.DrawPath(New Pen(border, 2), gp)
            End Using   
        End Using
    End Sub
 
End Class

EDIT: I know it's buggy when messing with most fonts. This actually has to do with the trickiest part of this control, which was maintaining a steady gradient of the label. Regardless of it's alignments. So for now, in my example I used arial, as I do with most of my projects. So I cannot be exact with which fonts work or do not work.

If anyone has another method they'd like to share that could possible fix this please do share.