docs-desktop/dotnet-desktop-guide/framework/winforms/controls/how-to-custom-draw-a-toolstrip-control.md

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title	ms.date	dev_langs	helpviewer_keywords	ms.assetid
How to: Custom Draw a ToolStrip Control	03/30/2017	csharp vb	toolbars [Windows Forms], custom drawing drawing [Windows Forms], owner ProfessionalColorTable class [Windows Forms], overriding examples [Windows Forms], toolbars drawing [Windows Forms], custom toolbars [Windows Forms], changing colors ToolStrip control [Windows Forms], drawing ToolStrip control [Windows Forms], changing colors custom drawing owner drawing	94e7d7bd-a752-441c-b5b3-7acf98881163

How to: Custom Draw a ToolStrip Control

The xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip controls have the following associated rendering (painting) classes:

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSystemRenderer provides the appearance and style of your operating system.

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripProfessionalRenderer provides the appearance and style of Microsoft Office.

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderer is the abstract base class for the other two rendering classes.

To custom draw (also known as owner draw) a xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip, you can override one of the renderer classes and change an aspect of the rendering logic.

The following procedures describe various aspects of custom drawing.

To switch between the provided renderers

• Set the xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.RenderMode%2A property to the xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode value you want.

  With xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode, the static xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.RenderMode%2A determines the renderer for your application. The other values of xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode are xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode.Custom, xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode.Professional, and xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode.System.

To change the Microsoft Office–style borders to straight

• Override xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripProfessionalRenderer.OnRenderToolStripBorder%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType, but do not call the base class.

Note

There is a version of this method for xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderer, xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSystemRenderer, and xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripProfessionalRenderer.

To change the ProfessionalColorTable

• Override xref:System.Windows.Forms.ProfessionalColorTable and change the colors you want.

  Private Sub Form1_Load(ByVal sender As System.Object, ByVal e As _  
  System.EventArgs) Handles Me.Load  
      Dim t As MyColorTable = New MyColorTable  
      ToolStrip1.Renderer = New ToolStripProfessionalRenderer(t)  
  End Sub  
  
  Class MyColorTable
  Inherits ProfessionalColorTable  
  
  Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ButtonPressedGradientBegin() As Color  
      Get  
          Return Color.Red  
      End Get  
  End Property  
  
  Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ButtonPressedGradientMiddle() _  
  As System.Drawing.Color  
      Get  
          Return Color.Blue  
      End Get  
          End Property  
  
  Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ButtonPressedGradientEnd() _  
  As System.Drawing.Color  
      Get  
          Return Color.Green  
      End Get  
  End Property  
  
  Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ButtonSelectedGradientBegin() _  
  As Color  
      Get  
          Return Color.Yellow  
      End Get  
  End Property  
  
  Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ButtonSelectedGradientMiddle() As System.Drawing.Color  
      Get  
          Return Color.Orange  
      End Get  
  End Property  
  
  Public Overrides ReadOnly Property ButtonSelectedGradientEnd() _  
  As System.Drawing.Color  
      Get  
          Return Color.Violet  
      End Get  
  End Property  
  End Class  
  

To change the rendering for all ToolStrip controls in your application

1. Use the xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripManager.RenderMode%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType property to choose one of the provided renderers.

2. Use xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripManager.Renderer%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType to assign a custom renderer.

3. Ensure that xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStrip.RenderMode%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType is set to the default value of xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderMode.ManagerRenderMode.

To turn off the Microsoft Office colors for the entire application

• Set xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripManager.VisualStylesEnabled%2A?displayProperty=nameWithType to false.

To turn off the Microsoft Office colors for one ToolStrip control

• Use code similar to the following code example.

  Dim colorTable As ProfessionalColorTable()  
  colorTable.UseSystemColors = True  
  Dim toolStrip.Renderer As ToolStripProfessionalRenderer(colorTable)  
  

  ProfessionalColorTable colorTable = new ProfessionalColorTable();  
  colorTable.UseSystemColors = true;  
  toolStrip.Renderer = new ToolStripProfessionalRenderer(colorTable);  
  

See also

• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripSystemRenderer
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripProfessionalRenderer
• xref:System.Windows.Forms.ToolStripRenderer
• Controls with Built-In Owner-Drawing Support
• How to: Create and Set a Custom Renderer for the ToolStrip Control in Windows Forms
• ToolStrip Control Overview