User Guide Chapter 2 Graphics and Text with pdfgen

(4, 2.5)

(2.5,1) in inches

(0,0) the Origin

Figure 2-4: Scaling the coordinate system

NOTE Note: scaling may also move objects or parts of objects off the page, or may cause objects to "shrink to
nothing."
Scaling and translation can be combined, but the order of the operations are important.

def scaletranslate(canvas):
from reportlab.lib.units import inch
canvas.setFont("Courier-BoldOblique", 12)
# save the state
canvas.saveState()
# scale then translate
canvas.scale(0.3, 0.5)
canvas.translate(2.4*inch, 1.5*inch)
canvas.drawString(0, 2.7*inch, "Scale then translate")
coords(canvas)
# forget the scale and translate...
canvas.restoreState()
# translate then scale
canvas.translate(2.4*inch, 1.5*inch)
canvas.scale(0.3, 0.5)
canvas.drawString(0, 2.7*inch, "Translate then scale")
coords(canvas)

This example function first saves the current canvas state and then does a scale followed by a
translate. Afterward the function restores the state (effectively removing the effects of the scaling and
translation) and then does the same operations in a different order. Observe the effect below.

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