---
title: "Using a Pen to Draw Lines and Shapes"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "pens"
  - "examples [Windows Forms], drawing lines and shapes"
  - "examples [Windows Forms], pens"
  - "drawing"
ms.assetid: 8a7542ab-3e9e-443f-8405-2d6053528e20
---
# Using a Pen to Draw Lines and Shapes
Use GDI+ `Pen` objects to draw line segments, curves, and the outlines of shapes. In this section, *line* refers to any of these, unless specified to mean only a line segment. Set the properties of a pen to control the color, width, alignment, and style of lines drawn with that pen.  
  
## In This Section  
 [How to: Use a Pen to Draw Lines](how-to-use-a-pen-to-draw-lines.md)  
 Explains how to draw lines.  
  
 [How to: Use a Pen to Draw Rectangles](how-to-use-a-pen-to-draw-rectangles.md)  
 Describes how to draw rectangles.  
  
 [How to: Set Pen Width and Alignment](how-to-set-pen-width-and-alignment.md)  
 Explains how to change the width and alignment of a `Pen` object.  
  
 [How to: Draw a Line with Line Caps](how-to-draw-a-line-with-line-caps.md)  
 Describes how to add end caps when drawing a line.  
  
 [How to: Join Lines](how-to-join-lines.md)  
 Shows how to join two lines.  
  
 [How to: Draw a Custom Dashed Line](how-to-draw-a-custom-dashed-line.md)  
 Describes how to draw a dashed line.  
  
 [How to: Draw a Line Filled with a Texture](how-to-draw-a-line-filled-with-a-texture.md)  
 Explains how to draw a texture-filled line.  
  
## Reference  
 <xref:System.Drawing.Pen>  
 Describes this class and has links to all its members.