Converting Text to Image on iOS

Question

How to convert Text to Image and show in UIImageview. Can anyone know the conversion from Text to Image?

Answer 1

With Swift 5 and iOS 12, you can choose one the 6 following ways in order to solve your problem.

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#1. Using NSString's draw(at:withAttributes:) method

In the simplest case where you want to convert a String to a UIImage with some attributes, you can use draw(at:withAttributes:). The following Playground codes show how to get an UIImage from a String using draw(at:withAttributes:):

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let text = "Hello, world"
let attributes = [
    NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.yellow,
    NSAttributedString.Key.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
]
let textSize = text.size(withAttributes: attributes)

UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(textSize, true, 0)
text.draw(at: CGPoint.zero, withAttributes: attributes)
let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let text = "Hello, world"
let attributes = [
    NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.yellow,
    NSAttributedString.Key.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
]
let textSize = text.size(withAttributes: attributes)

let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(size: textSize)
let image = renderer.image(actions: { context in
    text.draw(at: CGPoint.zero, withAttributes: attributes)
})

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

Note that NSAttributedString has a similar method called draw(at:).

---

#2. Using NSString's draw(in:withAttributes:) method

As an alternative to draw(at:withAttributes:), you can use draw(in:withAttributes:).

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let text = "Hello, world"
let attributes = [
    NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.yellow,
    NSAttributedString.Key.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
]
let textSize = text.size(withAttributes: attributes)

UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(textSize, true, 0)
let rect = CGRect(origin: .zero, size: textSize)
text.draw(in: rect, withAttributes: attributes)
let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let text = "Hello, world"
let attributes = [
    NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.yellow,
    NSAttributedString.Key.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
]
let textSize = text.size(withAttributes: attributes)

let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(size: textSize)
let image = renderer.image(actions: { context in
    let rect = CGRect(origin: .zero, size: textSize)
    text.draw(in: rect, withAttributes: attributes)
})

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

Note that NSAttributedString has a similar method called draw(in:).

---

#3. Using NSString's draw(with:options:attributes:context:) method

As an alternative to draw(at:withAttributes:) and draw(in:), you can use draw(with:options:attributes:context:). Note that Apple has some recommendations for draw(with:options:attributes:context:):

This method uses the baseline origin by default. If usesLineFragmentOrigin is not specified, the rectangle’s height will be ignored and the operation considered to be single-line rendering.

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let text = "Hello, world"
let attributes = [
    NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.yellow,
    NSAttributedString.Key.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
]
let textSize = text.size(withAttributes: attributes)

UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(textSize, true, 0)
let rect = CGRect(origin: .zero, size: textSize)
text.draw(with: rect, options: [.usesLineFragmentOrigin], attributes: attributes, context: nil)
let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let text = "Hello, world"
let attributes = [
    NSAttributedString.Key.foregroundColor: UIColor.yellow,
    NSAttributedString.Key.font: UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
]
let textSize = text.size(withAttributes: attributes)

let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(size: textSize)
let image = renderer.image(actions: { context in
    text.draw(with: .zero, options: [.usesLineFragmentOrigin], attributes: attributes, context: nil)
})

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

Note that NSAttributedString has a similar method called draw(with:options:context:).

---

#4. Using CALayer's render(in:) method

If you want to capture the text of a UILabel, UITextField or UITextView to a UIImage, you can use render(in:). The following Playground codes show how to snapshot the content text of a UILabel using render(in:):

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let label = UILabel(frame: .zero)
label.textColor = .yellow
label.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
label.text = "Hello, world"
label.sizeToFit()

UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(label.frame.size, true, 0)
guard let context = UIGraphicsGetCurrentContext() else { exit(0) }
label.layer.render(in: context)
let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let label = UILabel(frame: .zero)
label.textColor = .yellow
label.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
label.text = "Hello, world"
label.sizeToFit()

let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(size: label.frame.size)
let image = renderer.image(actions: { context in
    label.layer.render(in: context.cgContext)
})

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

---

#5. Using UIView's drawHierarchy(in:afterScreenUpdates:) method

If you want to capture the text of a UILabel, UITextField or UITextView to a UIImage, you can use drawHierarchy(in:afterScreenUpdates:). Note that Apple has some recommendations for drawHierarchy(in:afterScreenUpdates:):

Use this method when you want to apply a graphical effect, such as a blur, to a view snapshot. This method is not as fast as the snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates:) method.

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let label = UILabel(frame: .zero)
label.textColor = .yellow
label.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
label.text = "Hello, world"
label.sizeToFit()

UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(label.frame.size, true, 0)    
_ = label.drawHierarchy(in: label.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)
let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
UIGraphicsEndImageContext()

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let label = UILabel(frame: .zero)
label.textColor = .yellow
label.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
label.text = "Hello, world"
label.sizeToFit()

let renderer = UIGraphicsImageRenderer(size: label.frame.size)
let image = renderer.image(actions: { context in
    _ = label.drawHierarchy(in: label.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)
})

PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = UIImageView(image: image)

---

#6. Using UIView's snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates:) method

If it's OK for you to get a UIView instead of a UIImage from your snapshot operation, you can use snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates:). The following Playground code shows how to snapshot the content text of a UILabel into a UIView using snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates:):

import UIKit
import PlaygroundSupport

let label = UILabel(frame: .zero)
label.textColor = .yellow
label.font = UIFont.systemFont(ofSize: 22)
label.text = "Hello, world"
label.sizeToFit()

let view = label.snapshotView(afterScreenUpdates: true)
PlaygroundPage.current.liveView = view