Reasons for why a WinForms label does not want to

Question

Why can't I set the BackColor of a Label to Transparent? I have done it before, but now it just don't want to...

I created a new UserControl, added a progressbar and a label to it. When I set the BackColor of the label to transparent it is still gray =/ Why is this?

What I wanted was to have the label on top of the progressbar so that its text was "in" the progressbar...

Answer 1

Use a LinkLabel not a normal Label

    private void MakeTransparentLabel(System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel LinkLabel)
    {
        this.MakeTransparentLabel(LinkLabel, Color.White);
    }
    private void MakeTransparentLabel(System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel LinkLabel, Color ForeColor)
    {
        LinkLabel.ForeColor = ForeColor;
        LinkLabel.LinkColor = ForeColor;
        LinkLabel.VisitedLinkColor = ForeColor;
        LinkLabel.ActiveLinkColor = ForeColor;
        LinkLabel.DisabledLinkColor = ForeColor;
        LinkLabel.LinkArea = new LinkArea(0, 0);
        LinkLabel.LinkBehavior = LinkBehavior.NeverUnderline;
        LinkLabel.Cursor = Cursors.Arrow;
        LinkLabel.BackColor = Color.Transparent;
    }
    private void SetTransparentLabelText(System.Windows.Forms.LinkLabel LinkLabel, string Text)
    {
        if (string.IsNullOrEmpty(Text)) { LinkLabel.Text = " "; return; }
        LinkLabel.Text = Text;
    }

Answer 2

It is possible to do exactly what you want to achieve. It just takes a little time to play with controls. It is possible to create a Label control with transparent background, and place it on top of Progressbar control.

Check my answer to another SO question.

Answer 3

Add a new class to your project and post the code shown below. Build. Drop the new control from the top of the toolbox onto your form.

using System;
using System.Windows.Forms;

public class TransparentLabel : Label {
  public TransparentLabel() {
    this.SetStyle(ControlStyles.Opaque, true);
    this.SetStyle(ControlStyles.OptimizedDoubleBuffer, false);
  }
  protected override CreateParams CreateParams {
    get {
      CreateParams parms = base.CreateParams;
      parms.ExStyle |= 0x20;  // Turn on WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
      return parms;
    }
  }
}

Answer 4

If you want to focus on designing your windows application, I suggest you use WPF.

Making controles transparent in WPF is very easy.

<TextBox Width="200" Height="40" Opacity="0.5"/>

Answer 5

This is a very simple solution and works great:

public class MyLabel : Label
{
    private bool fTransparent = false;
    public bool Transparent
    {
        get { return fTransparent; }
        set { fTransparent = value; }
    }
    public MyLabel() : base()
    {
    }
    protected override CreateParams CreateParams
    {
        get
        {
            if (fTransparent)
            {
                CreateParams cp = base.CreateParams;
                cp.ExStyle |= 0x00000020; //WS_EX_TRANSPARENT
                return cp;
            }
            else return base.CreateParams;
        }
    }
    protected override void WndProc(ref Message m)
    {
        if (fTransparent)
        {
            if (m.Msg != 0x14 /*WM_ERASEBKGND*/ && m.Msg != 0x0F /*WM_PAINT*/)
                base.WndProc(ref m);
            else 
            {
                if (m.Msg == 0x0F) // WM_PAINT
                    base.OnPaint(new PaintEventArgs(Graphics.FromHwnd(Handle), ClientRectangle));
                DefWndProc(ref m);
            }
        }
        else base.WndProc(ref m);
    }
}

When label backcolor is transparent, then label only takes picture of its underlying control the first time when it is created, after that label backcolor is constant. And each time when label repaints itself, it repaints to that fixed color or pattern.

Overriding CreateParams affects on how window for control will be created, this enables real transparency.

Overriding WndProc you control which messages should be passed to base class. We must filtrate WM_ERASEBKGND and WM_PAINT, but we also have to trigger paint event.