Form/Report Heading Text with the above Design can be created within seconds filling-in your own text and forecolor of your choice. Even though you can do it manually by copying and pasting the same label several times one over the other slightly off-setting with the previous one, doing it every time, when you need them, is a waste of time. Instead, adding a few functions to the global module of your Project will help you to create it in seconds and can be added to your Forms/Reports, while designing them with required text, color and style.

Before proceeding further ensure that you have linked the essential Project Library Files to your Project otherwise you may end up with Error while running the code. Read my earlier post Command-Button Animation and follow the steps described there to Link all the essential Library Files to your Project.

1. Copy and Paste the following code in a new Global Module and save it:

Option Compare Database
 Option Explicit
 '-- Global declarations
 Private Const lngheight as long = 0.45 * 1440
 Private Const lngWidth as long = 4.5 * 1440
 Private Const intFontSize as integer = 26
 Private Const intTextAlign as integer = 0
 Private Const intBackStyle as integer = 0
 Private Const LngI as long = 0.0104 * 1440
 Private Const intX as long = 0.15 * 1440
 Private Const intY as long = 0.15 * 1440
 Dim MyFrm As Form 

Public Function FormTxtLabels(Optional ByVal ControlType As Integer) As String '---------------------------------------------------
'Author : a.p.r. pillai
'Date : September 2006
'ControlType = 0 for label
'ControlTYPE = 1 for TextBox
'---------------------------------------------------
Dim ctl As Control
'On Error GoTo FormTxtLabels_Err
If ControlType > 0 Then ControlType = 1 

Set MyFrm = CreateForm 

If ControlType = 1 Then
   Set ctl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, acTextBox, acDetail, , , (0.2 * 1440), (0.2 * 1440), lngWidth, lngheight) 

  With ctl
    .ControlSource = "=" & Chr(34) & "msaccesstips.com" & Chr(34)
   End With
 Else
   Set ctl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, acLabel, _acDetail, , , (0.2 * 1440), (0.2 * 1440), lngWidth, lngheight)

With ctl
 .Caption = "msaccesstips.com"
End With End If 

FormTxtLabels = MyFrm.NAME 

FormTxtLabels_Exit:
Exit Function 

FormTxtLabels_Err:
MsgBox Err.Description, , "FormTxtLabels"
FormTxtLabels = ""
Resume FormTxtLabels_Exit
End Function 

Public Function Validate_Dup(ByRef MyFrm As Form, ByVal intNooflabels As Integer) As Integer 

Dim mysec As Section, lblcount As Integer
Dim myctrl As Control, newctrl As Control, j As Integer
Dim lngx As Long, lngY As Long, lngH As Long, lngW As Long
Dim strCap As String, ctrltype As Integer, intlbls As Integer
Dim ctrlName() As String, ctrlIndex() As Integer, i As Long
Dim strFont As String, intFntSize As Integer, x As Integer
Dim intFntWeight As Integer  

'On Error GoTo Validate_Dup_Err 

Set mysec = MyFrm.Section(acDetail) intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1 

Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(0)
ctrltype = myctrl.ControlType
intNooflabels = intNooflabels - 1
If intlbls > 0 Then
ReDim ctrlName(intlbls) As String
ReDim ctrlIndex(intlbls) As Integer
End If
If ctrltype = 109 And intlbls > 0 Then
For j = 0 To intlbls
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j)
ctrlIndex(j) = myctrl.ControlType
ctrlName(j) = myctrl.NAME
Next
For j = 0 To intlbls
If ctrlIndex(j) = 100 Then
DeleteControl MyFrm.NAME, ctrlName(j)
End If
Next
intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1
End If 

Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(0)
If intlbls < intNooflabels Then
With myctrl
   lngx = .Left
   lngY = .Top
   lngW = .Width
   lngH = 0.0208 * 1440 ' 0.0208 inches
   strFont = .FontName
   intFntSize = .FontSize
   intFntWeight = .FontWeight
End With 

If ctrltype = 100 Then
strCap = myctrl.Caption
ElseIf ctrltype = 109 Then
strCap = myctrl.ControlSource
End If
If ctrltype = 109 And intlbls > 0 Then
For j = 0 To intlbls
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j)
ctrlIndex(j) = myctrl.ControlType
ctrlName(j) = myctrl.NAME
Next
For j = 0 To intlbls
If ctrlIndex(j) = 100 Then
DeleteControl MyFrm.NAME, ctrlName(j)
End If
Next
intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(intlbls)
With myctrl
lngx = .Left
lngY = .Top
lngW = .Width
lngH = .Height
ctrltype = .ControlType
strFont = .FontName
intFntSize = .FontSize
intFntWeight = .FontWeight
End With
End If 

i = 0.0104 * 1440 + lngH ' 0.0104 inches
lngY = lngY + i
For j = intlbls + 1 To intNooflabels 

Set newctrl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, ctrltype, _acDetail, "","", lngx, lngY, lngW, lngH) 

If ctrltype = 100 Then
newctrl.Caption = strCap
newctrl.FontName = strFont
newctrl.FontSize = intFntSize
newctrl.FontWeight = intFntWeight
Else
newctrl.ControlSource = strCap
newctrl.FontName = strFont
newctrl.FontSize = intFntSize
newctrl.FontWeight = intFntWeight
End If
lngY = lngY + i
Next
End If 

If intlbls > intNooflabels Then
For j = intNooflabels + 1 To intlbls
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j)
ctrlIndex(j) = myctrl.ControlType
ctrlName(j) = myctrl.NAME
Next
For j = intNooflabels + 1 To intlbls
DeleteControl MyFrm.NAME, ctrlName(j)
Next
Validate_Dup = 0
End If 

intlbls = mysec.Controls.Count - 1
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(0)
ctrltype = myctrl.ControlType
If ctrltype = 109 Then
For j = 0 To intlbls
Set myctrl = mysec.Controls(j)
With myctrl
.Enabled = False
.Locked = True
.SpecialEffect = 0
End With
Next
End If
Validate_Dup = 0 

Validate_Dup_Exit:
Exit Function 

Validate_Dup_Err:
MsgBox Err.Description, ,"Validate_Dup"
Validate_Dup = 1
Resume Validate_Dup_Exit
End Function 

Public Function MsgLabel() '------------------------------------------------------------
'Author : a.p.r. pillai 'Date : September 2006 '------------------------------------------------------------
Dim mySection As Section, ctl As Control, xForm As Form
Dim l As Long, t As Long, w As Long, h As Long, F As Long
F = 1440
l = 0.5 * F: t = 1.2 * F: w = 3.6563 * Fh = 0.4896 * F 'values in inches
On Error Resume Next
Set mySection = MyFrm.Section(acDetail)
Set ctl = CreateControl(MyFrm.NAME, acLabel, _acDetail, , "", l, t, w, h)
ctl.Caption = "Click outside the Controls and Drag Over. "  & "Display the Property Sheet. " & "Type New Text for Caption/Control " & "Source Property area for Label/ Text Boxes. " & "Copy and Paste the Controls to " & "Target Form/Report Area." 

End Function 

Public Function Heading3D(ByVal intStyle As Integer, ByVal intForeColor As Integer, Optional ByVal Label0Text1 As Integer) As String 

'------------------------------------------------------------
'Author : a.p.r. pillai
'Date : September 2006
'------------------------------------------------------------
Dim intlbls As Integer, mySection As Section
Dim j As Integer, intFSize As Integer
Dim lblName() As String, lngForecolor As Long, x As Integer
Dim l As Long, t As Long 

On Error Resume Next 

Heading3D = FormTxtLabels(Label0Text1) 

Set mySection = MyFrm.Section(acDetail)
intlbls = mySection.Controls.Count - 1 

On Error GoTo Heading3D_Err 

x = Validate_Dup(MyFrm, 5) 'check type and duplicate 

If x = 1 Then
Exit Function
End If 

intlbls = mySection.Controls.Count - 1 

x = intStyle
intStyle = IIf(x < 0, 0, IIf(x > 3, 3, intStyle)) 

x = intForeColor
intForeColor = IIf(x < 0, 0, IIf(x > 15, 15, intForeColor)) 

ReDim lblName(0 To intlbls) As String 

For j = 0 To intlbls
lblName(j) = mySection.Controls(j).NAME
Next 

For j = 0 To intlbls
With mySection.Controls(lblName(j))
.Height = lngheight
.Width = lngWidth
.FontName = "Times New Roman"
intFSize = .FontSize
If intFSize < intFontSize Then
.FontSize = intFontSize
End If
.FontUnderline = False
.TextAlign = intTextAlign
.BackStyle = intBackStyle
Select Case j
       Case 0
              lngForecolor = 0
       Case 1 To intlbls - 2
              lngForecolor = 9868950
       Case intlbls - 1
              lngForecolor = 16777215
       Case intlbls
              lngForecolor = QBColor(intForeColor)
End Select
.ForeColor = lngForecolor
End With
Next 

l = intX: t = intY
With mySection.Controls(lblName(1))
     .Left = l
     .Top = t
End With 

For j = 0 To intlbls
     Select Case intStyle
          Case 0
                l = l + LngI
                t = t + LngI
          Case 1
                l = l + LngI
                t = t - LngI
           Case 3
                l = l - LngI
               t = t - LngI
           Case 2
               l = l - LngI
               t = t + LngI
        End Select
With mySection.Controls(lblName(j))
       .Left = l
        .Top = t
End With
Next 

MsgLabel 

Heading3D_Exit:
Exit Function 

Heading3D_Err:
Msgbox Err.Description, ,"Heading3D"
Resume Heading3D_Exit
End Function

The first 3 Functions in the above code:

FormTxtLabels()

Validate_Dup()

MsgLabel()

are Sub-Routines for the Heading3D() Function (they are not directly run) and will be used for other forth-coming Heading Styles too.

To create the 3D-Heading on a new Form, display the Visual Basic Window (if not already open) press Alt+F11. Press Ctrl+G (or select Immediate Window from View Menu) to display the Immediate Window.

Type the next line in the immediate window and press Enter Key:

Heading3D 1, 0

The module window will flash as if it is refreshed. Minimize the Visual Basic window. You will see the program has created a new Form (with name like Form1 etc.) and created a 3D-Heading with default text msaccesstips.com with help-text below it suggesting modifications. Select all the controls together by clicking outside the controls and draging the mouse over them. Copy and paste them in your Form/Report where you need it. Display the property sheet while all the controls are selected together and change the caption property with your own text. Change the font or style like Bold, Italic etc, if needed. Click on the top control carefully (so that the top label is not moved out of place) and change the color of your choice. If you have selected all the controls together to change Color by mistake, press Ctrl+Z (undo).

The position of the 3D-Text shadow can be controlled by the First Parameter to the Function and the following Values are used:

0 – Shadow tilted to Left top corner

1 – Left Bottom Corner

2 – Right top Corner

3 – Bottom Right corner

The Second Parameter Value 0 creates Label based 3D-Heading and 1 creates TextBox based 3D-Heading with it's Control Source Property set with a Formula to display the Text. On the TextBox's Control Source Property you may change to Display Values from the underlying Data Fields (of Tables/Queries) which will change when the Records are moved from one to the other on your Data Editing Form.

Tip: You may omit the second parameter while running the Function, if you need only a Label based 3D-Heading.

Download Demo Database