PyCairo – Creating Text Paths

In this article, we will learn how we can display text and converting text into paths using PyCairo in python. You can convert a text string to a path. Once you have the path then you can fill it (that will look similar to just displaying text the normal way), or just outline it, or both.

PyCairo : Pycairo is a Python module providing bindings for the cairo graphics library. This library is used for creating SVG i.e vector files in python. The easiest and quickest way to open an SVG file to view it (read-only) is with a modern web browser like Chrome, Firefox, Edge, or Internet Explorer—nearly all of them should provide some sort of rendering support for the SVG format.  

SVG file is a graphics file that uses a two-dimensional vector graphic format created by the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C). It describes images using a text format that is based on XML. SVG files are developed as a standard format for displaying vector graphics on the web.

Steps of Implementation :

1. Import the Pycairo module.
2. Create a SVG surface object and add context to it.
3. Setting text  font size and style using   set_font_size ( )  , select_font_face( )
4. Display the text using show_path ( )
5. Setting path color and width using set_source_rgb ( ) , set_line_width( )

Below is the implementation :

Python3

# importing pycairo
import cairo

# creating a SVG surface
# here geek95 is file name & 700, 700 is dimension
with cairo.SVGSurface("geek95.svg", 700, 700) as surface:

    # creating a cairo context object for SVG surface
    # using Context method
    Context = cairo.Context(surface)

    # setting color of the context
    Context.set_source_rgb(1, 0, 0)

    # approximate text height
    Context.set_font_size(50)

    # Font Style
    Context.select_font_face(
        "Arial", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL, cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)

    # position for the text
    Context.move_to(35, 45)

    # displays the text
    Context.text_path("GeeksforGeeks.org")

    # Width of outline
    Context.set_line_width(2)

    # stroke out the color and width property
    Context.stroke()

# printing message when file is saved
print("File Saved")

Output :

Example 2 :

Python3

# importing pycairo
import cairo

# Defining surface area
WIDTH = 3
HEIGHT = 3
PIXEL_SCALE = 200

# creating a SVG surface
# here geek95 is file name
surface = cairo.SVGSurface('geek95.svg', WIDTH*PIXEL_SCALE,
                           HEIGHT*PIXEL_SCALE)

# creating a cairo context object for SVG surface
# using Context method
context = cairo.Context(surface)

# Scaling Surface
context.scale(PIXEL_SCALE, PIXEL_SCALE)

# Creating Rectangle For Background
context.rectangle(0, 0, WIDTH, HEIGHT)

# Color of Rectangle For Background
context.set_source_rgb(0.3, 0.5, 1)

# Filling Color in Rectangle
context.fill()

# defining color
context.set_source_rgb(1, 0, 0)

# Font Style
context.set_font_size(0.55)

# font style
context.select_font_face(
    "Arial", cairo.FONT_SLANT_NORMAL, cairo.FONT_WEIGHT_NORMAL)

# Creating Rectangle
context.rectangle(0.2, 0.8, 2.6, 1)

# move to x, y percentage of surface
context.move_to(0.3, 1.5)

# Display Text
context.text_path("MARVEL")

# Filling the area
context.set_fill_rule(cairo.FILL_RULE_EVEN_ODD)

# Filling color
context.fill()

# stroke out the color and width property
context.stroke()

# printing message when file is saved
print("File Saved")

Output: