---
title: "Drawing, Positioning, and Cloning Images in GDI+"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "raster images [Windows Forms]"
  - "images [Windows Forms], positioning"
  - "drawing [Windows Forms], images"
  - "drawing [Windows Forms], raster images"
  - "images [Windows Forms], cloning"
  - "images [Windows Forms], drawing"
  - "GDI+, drawing images"
  - "GDI+, cloning images"
  - "GDI+, positioning images"
ms.assetid: 09f0c07a-19c0-43b4-90a2-862a10545ce8
---
# Drawing, Positioning, and Cloning Images in GDI+
You can use the <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> class to load and display raster images, and you can use the <xref:System.Drawing.Imaging.Metafile> class to load and display vector images. The <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> and <xref:System.Drawing.Imaging.Metafile> classes inherit from the <xref:System.Drawing.Image> class. To display a vector image, you need an instance of the <xref:System.Drawing.Graphics> class and a <xref:System.Drawing.Imaging.Metafile>. To display a raster image, you need an instance of the <xref:System.Drawing.Graphics> class and a <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap>. The instance of the <xref:System.Drawing.Graphics> class provides the <xref:System.Drawing.Graphics.DrawImage%2A> method, which receives the <xref:System.Drawing.Imaging.Metafile> or <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> as an argument.  
  
## File Types and Cloning  
 The following code example shows how to construct a <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> from the file Climber.jpg and displays the bitmap. The destination point for the upper-left corner of the image, (10, 10), is specified in the second and third parameters.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles#11](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles/CS/Class1.cs#11)]
 [!code-vb[System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles#11](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles/VB/Class1.vb#11)]  
  
 The following illustration shows the image.  
  
 ![Image Sample](./media/aboutgdip03-art04.gif "AboutGdip03_Art04")  
  
 You can construct <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> objects from a variety of graphics file formats: BMP, GIF, JPEG, EXIF, PNG, TIFF, and ICON.  
  
 The following code example shows how to construct <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> objects from a variety of file types and then displays the bitmaps.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles#12](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles/CS/Class1.cs#12)]
 [!code-vb[System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles#12](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles/VB/Class1.vb#12)]  
  
 The <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> class provides a <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap.Clone%2A> method that you can use to make a copy of an existing <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap>. The <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap.Clone%2A> method has a source rectangle parameter that you can use to specify the portion of the original bitmap that you want to copy. The following code example shows how to create a <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap> by cloning the top half of an existing <xref:System.Drawing.Bitmap>. Then both images are drawn.  
  
 [!code-csharp[System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles#13](~/samples/snippets/csharp/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles/CS/Class1.cs#13)]
 [!code-vb[System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles#13](~/samples/snippets/visualbasic/VS_Snippets_Winforms/System.Drawing.ImagesBitmapsMetafiles/VB/Class1.vb#13)]  
  
 The following illustration shows the two images.  
  
 ![Cropping](./media/aboutgdip03-art05.gif "AboutGdip03_Art05")  
  
## See also

- [Images, Bitmaps, and Metafiles](images-bitmaps-and-metafiles.md)
- [How to: Create Graphics Objects for Drawing](how-to-create-graphics-objects-for-drawing.md)
- [Working with Images, Bitmaps, Icons, and Metafiles](working-with-images-bitmaps-icons-and-metafiles.md)