---
title: Margin and Padding in Controls
description: Learn how to add margins and padding in Windows Form controls with the Margin and Padding properties.
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "Padding property [Windows Forms]"
  - "layout [Windows Forms], margins and padding"
  - "Windows Forms, layout"
  - "Margin property [Windows Forms]"
ms.assetid: 3781b5a1-3085-4072-bed0-44670c23ffdc
---
# Margin and Padding in Windows Forms Controls
Precise placement of controls on your form is a high priority for many applications. The <xref:System.Windows.Forms?displayProperty=nameWithType> namespace gives you many layout features to accomplish this. Two of the most important are the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Margin%2A> and <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Padding%2A> properties.  
  
 The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Margin%2A> property defines the space around the control that keeps other controls a specified distance from the control's borders.  
  
 The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Padding%2A> property defines the space in the interior of a control that keeps the control's content (for example, the value of its <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Text%2A> property) a specified distance from the control's borders.  
  
 The following illustration shows the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Padding%2A> and <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Margin%2A> properties on a control.  
  
 ![Padding And Margin for Windows Forms Controls](./media/vs-winformpadmargin.gif "VS_WinFormPadMargin")  
  
 There is design-time support for this feature in Visual Studio. Also see [Walkthrough: Laying Out Windows Forms Controls with Padding, Margins, and the AutoSize Property](windows-forms-controls-padding-autosize.md).  
  
## See also

- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.AutoSize%2A>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Margin%2A>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Padding%2A>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.LayoutEngine%2A>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.TableLayoutPanel>
- <xref:System.Windows.Forms.FlowLayoutPanel>
