Add Headers and Footers in Word Documents

The following example shows how you can add headers and footers to a Word document in C# and VB.NET, using the GemBox.Document library.

C#
VB.NET

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using GemBox.Document;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        var document = new DocumentModel();
        document.DefaultCharacterFormat.Size = 48;

        var section = new Section(document,
            new Paragraph(document, "First page"),
            new Paragraph(document, new SpecialCharacter(document, SpecialCharacterType.PageBreak)),
            new Paragraph(document, "Even page"),
            new Paragraph(document, new SpecialCharacter(document, SpecialCharacterType.PageBreak)),
            new Paragraph(document, "Odd page"),
            new Paragraph(document, new SpecialCharacter(document, SpecialCharacterType.PageBreak)),
            new Paragraph(document, "Even page"));

        document.Sections.Add(section);

        // Add default (odd) header.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            new HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.HeaderDefault,
                new Paragraph(document, "Default Header")));

        // Add default (odd) footer with page number.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            new HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.FooterDefault,
                new Paragraph(document, "Default Footer")));

        // Add first header.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            new HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.HeaderFirst,
                new Paragraph(document, "First Header")));

        // Add first footer.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            new HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.FooterFirst,
                new Paragraph(document, "First Footer"),
                new Paragraph(document,
                    new Field(document, FieldType.Page),
                    new Run(document, " of "),
                    new Field(document, FieldType.NumPages))
                {
                    ParagraphFormat = new ParagraphFormat() { Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right }
                }));

        // Add even header.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            new HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.HeaderEven,
                new Paragraph(document, "Even Header")));

        // Add even footer with page number.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            new HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.FooterEven,
                new Paragraph(document, "Even Footer"),
                new Paragraph(document,
                    new Field(document, FieldType.Page),
                    new Run(document, " of "),
                    new Field(document, FieldType.NumPages))
                {
                    ParagraphFormat = new ParagraphFormat() { Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right }
                }));

        document.Save("Header and Footer.%OutputFileType%");
    }
}

Imports GemBox.Document

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Dim document As New DocumentModel()
        document.DefaultCharacterFormat.Size = 48

        Dim section As New Section(document,
            New Paragraph(document, "First page"),
            New Paragraph(document, New SpecialCharacter(document, SpecialCharacterType.PageBreak)),
            New Paragraph(document, "Even page"),
            New Paragraph(document, New SpecialCharacter(document, SpecialCharacterType.PageBreak)),
            New Paragraph(document, "Odd page"),
            New Paragraph(document, New SpecialCharacter(document, SpecialCharacterType.PageBreak)),
            New Paragraph(document, "Even page"))

        document.Sections.Add(section)

        ' Add default (odd) header.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            New HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.HeaderDefault,
                New Paragraph(document, "Default Header")))

        ' Add default (odd) footer with page number.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            New HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.FooterDefault,
                New Paragraph(document, "Default Footer")))

        ' Add first header.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            New HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.HeaderFirst,
                New Paragraph(document, "First Header")))

        ' Add first footer.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            New HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.FooterFirst,
                New Paragraph(document, "First Footer"),
                New Paragraph(document,
                    New Field(document, FieldType.Page),
                    New Run(document, " of "),
                    New Field(document, FieldType.NumPages)) With
                {
                    .ParagraphFormat = New ParagraphFormat() With {.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right}
                }))

        ' Add even header.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            New HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.HeaderEven,
                New Paragraph(document, "Even Header")))

        ' Add even footer with page number.
        section.HeadersFooters.Add(
            New HeaderFooter(document, HeaderFooterType.FooterEven,
                New Paragraph(document, "Even Footer"),
                New Paragraph(document,
                    New Field(document, FieldType.Page),
                    New Run(document, " of "),
                    New Field(document, FieldType.NumPages)) With
                {
                    .ParagraphFormat = New ParagraphFormat() With {.Alignment = HorizontalAlignment.Right}
                }))

        document.Save("Header and Footer.%OutputFileType%")

    End Sub
End Module

Word document with Header and Footer elements — Screenshot of Word file with headers and footers

In the GemBox.Document component, headers and footers are represented with HeaderFooter elements, repeated on each page. They are defined for each Section element, whose content can occupy one or more pages. Each Section.HeadersFooters collection can contain only one instance of each HeaderFooterType type.

In other words, you can define different headers and footers for the first page, even pages, and odd pages. If you need different headers and footers on various pages, you can set up multiple sections and create the desired headers and footers for each one of them.

Next steps

GemBox.Document is a .NET component that enables you to read, write, edit, convert, and print document files from your .NET applications using one simple API. How about testing it today?

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Add Headers and Footers in Word Documents

See also

Next steps