Is ReportLab able to rotate content?

Yes, ReportLab is indeed capable of rotating content. It provides several mechanisms to achieve this, allowing you to rotate text, images, and other graphical elements within your PDF documents.

Here's how you can rotate content using ReportLab:

1. Rotating Text:

- You can rotate text using the `Canvas.rotate()` method. This method rotates the coordinate system, so subsequent drawing operations will be affected. To rotate text, you typically rotate the canvas before drawing the text.

- Example:

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

def rotate_text_example(filename="rotated_text.pdf"):
  c = canvas.Canvas(filename)
  c.translate(inch, inch) # Move the origin
  c.rotate(45) # Rotate the canvas by 45 degrees
  c.drawString(0, 0, "Rotated Text")
  c.save()

if __name__ == '__main__':
  rotate_text_example()


2. Rotating Images:

- Similar to text, you can rotate images by rotating the canvas before drawing the image. The `Canvas.drawImage()` method is used to draw images, and the rotation will apply to the image's placement.

- Example:

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

def rotate_image_example(filename="rotated_image.pdf", image_path="path/to/your/image.jpg"):
  c = canvas.Canvas(filename)
  c.translate(inch, inch) # Move the origin
  c.rotate(90) # Rotate the canvas by 90 degrees
  c.drawImage(image_path, 0, 0, width=2inch, height=1inch) # Draw the image
  c.save()

if __name__ == '__main__':
  rotate_image_example(image_path="test.jpg") # Replace with your image path


3. Rotating Other Elements:

- The same principle applies to other graphical elements. By rotating the canvas before drawing, you can rotate lines, shapes, and other objects.

4. Important Considerations:

- The `Canvas.rotate()` method rotates the coordinate system around the current origin. You may need to use `Canvas.translate()` to move the origin to the desired rotation point.

- Remember to save and restore the canvas state using `Canvas.saveState()` and `Canvas.restoreState()` if you need to apply rotations to specific elements without affecting others.

In summary, ReportLab provides robust support for rotating content, making it a versatile tool for creating complex and visually appealing PDF documents. By using the `Canvas.rotate()` method in conjunction with `Canvas.translate()`, you can achieve a wide range of rotation effects.

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