A label which is capable to draw attributed strings and add outer strokes, inner shadows and gradients to it. All attributed string properties are supported - like NSTextAttachments, NSParagraphStyles, ...

Usage

You are encouraged to set the attributedStringproperty of the label. But there are also convenient setter for the UILabel default properties like text, textColor, textAlignmentand font.

SEBLabel* label = [[SEBLabel alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 200, 100)];
label.attributedString = [[NSAttributedString alloc] initWithString:@"Test text to draw"];

Add stroke

To add a single stroke:

label.strokeColor = [UIColor blackColor];
label.strokeWidth = 4;

To add multiple strokes:

label.strokeColors = @[[UIColor whiteColor], [UIColor blackColor]];
label.strokeWidths = @[@3, @6];

Notice that stroke width is the overall width and not added. So the white stroke will have a width of 3 and the black a width of 6 but 3 of this 6 will be overlaid by the white one.

Add inner shadow

To add a single inner shadow you set a NSShadow object to the innerShadow property:

NSShadow* shadow = [[NSShadow alloc] init];
shadow.shadowColor = [UIColor whiteColor];
shadow.shadowOffset = CGSizeMake(0, 2);
shadow.shadowBlurRadius = 0;
label.innerShadow = shadow;

To add multiple inner shadows add multiple shadow objects to the innerShadowsarray.

Inner shadow blend modes

You have the possibility to alter the inner shadow blend mode with the property innerShadowBlendMode or innerShadowBlendModes

label.innerShadowBlendMode = kCGBlendModeDarken;

label.innerShadowBlendModes = @[@(kCGBlendModeDarken), @(kCGBlendModeOverlay)];

Add gradient

You can set the gradient start and end point and the different colors. Default is a linear gradient from top to bottom:

label.gradientStartColor = [UIColor yellowColor];
label.gradientEndColor = [UIColor orangeColor];

Or set multiple colors:

label.gradientColors = @[[UIColor yellowColor], [UIColor orangeColor], [UIColor redColor]];

To change the start or end point set gradientStartPoint and gradientEndPoint. The values are in range 0-1. To set a gradient from left to right do the following:

label.gradientStartPoint = CGPointMake(0, 0.5);
label.gradientEndPoint = CGPointMake(1, 0.5);

Font scaling

With setting the minimumScaleFactor property to a value smaller than 1 you achieve a font scaling in case the label's text doesn't fit in its frame.

Frame resizing

In case you want your label to grow in height or width depended on its content text length you set the maxSize property. This defines the maximum size to which the label is allowed to grow. With setting the attributed string the new label size is calculated so that you can access its new size immediately and perform further positioning with the label in its new size.

To create a label which grows in height and scales down its text:

SEBLabel* growAndScaleLabel = [[SEBLabel alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0, 0, 200, 50)];
growAndScaleLabel.minimumScaleFactor = 0.75;
growAndScaleLabel.maxSize = CGSizeMake(CGRectGetWidth(growAndScaleLabel.bounds), 150);

Credits

Original source and inspiration from:

• THLabel by Tobias Hagemann

Contact

• https://twitter.com/bastian83