# UIImageView

# UIImage masked with Label

This makes image masked to the shape of the letters of the label:

# Objective-C

self.maskImage.layer.mask = self.maskLabel.layer;
self.maskImage.layer.masksToBounds = YES;

# Swift 3

maskImageView.mask = maskLabel
maskImageView.masksToBounds = true

Here is the result:

result (opens new window)

# Making an image into a circle or rounded

This example shows, how to make a UIView or UIImageView, rounded with some radius like this:

example screenshot (opens new window)

# Objective-C

someImageView.layer.cornerRadius = CGRectGetHeight(someImageView.frame) / 2;
someImageView.clipsToBounds = YES;

# Swift

someImageView.layer.cornerRadius = someImageView.frame.height/2
// this should alleviate the performance hit that adding transparency may cause - see http://stackoverflow.com/a/6254531/189804
// Be sure to check scrolling performance with Instruments if you take this approach.
someImageView.layer.shouldRasterize = true
someImageView.clipsToBounds = true // All parts of the image that are outside its bounds (the frame) are cut out (makes the rounded corners visible)

It is suggested that if you use autolayout that you put the someImageView.layer.cornerRadius code in viewDidLayoutSubviews. This will allow the image's cornerRadius to update if the image changes size.

override func viewDidLayoutSubviews() {
    super.viewDidLayoutSubviews()
    someImageView.layer.cornerRadius = someImageView.frame.size.width/2
    someImageView.layer.masksToBounds = true
}

# How the Mode property affects an image

The content mode property (opens new window) of a view tells how its content should be laid out. In the Interface Builder, the various modes can be selected in the Attributes Inspector.

attributes inspector screenshot (opens new window)

Let's use two image views to see how the various modes work.

Interface builder screenshot (opens new window)

# Scale to Fill

Scale to Fill (opens new window)

The image heights and widths are stretched to match the size of the UIImageView.

# Aspect Fit

Aspect Fit (opens new window)

The longest side (either height or width) of the image is stretched to match the view. This makes the image as big as possible while still showing the entire image and not distorting the height or width. (I set the UIImageView background to blue so that its size is clear.)

# Aspect Fill

Aspect Fill (opens new window)

The shortest side (either height or width) of the image is stretched to match the view. Like "Aspect Fit", the proportions of the image are not distorted from their original aspect ratio.

# Redraw

Redraw (opens new window)

Redraw is only for custom views that need to do their own scaling and resizing. We aren't using a custom view, so we shouldn't use Redraw. Notice that here UIImageView just gives us the same result as Scale to Fill, but it is doing more work behind the scenes.

About Redraw, the Apple documentation (opens new window) says:

Content modes are good for recycling the contents of your view, but you can also set the content mode to the UIViewContentModeRedraw (opens new window) value when you specifically want your custom views to redraw themselves during scaling and resizing operations. Setting your view’s content mode to this value forces the system to call your view’s drawRect: method in response to geometry changes. In general, you should avoid using this value whenever possible, and you should certainly not use it with the standard system views.

# Center

Center (opens new window)

The image is centered in the view, but the length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Top

Top (opens new window)

The top edge of the image is centered horizontally at the top of the view, and the length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Bottom

Bottom (opens new window)

The bottom edge of the image is centered horizontally at the bottom of the view, and the length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Left

Left (opens new window)

The left edge of the image is centered vertically at the left of the view, and the length and width of the image are not stretched.

Right (opens new window)

The right edge of the image is centered vertically at the right of the view, and the length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Top Left

Top Left (opens new window)

The top left corner of the image is placed at the top left corner of the view. The length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Top Right

Top Right (opens new window)

The top right corner of the image is placed at the top right corner of the view. The length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Bottom Left

Bottom Left (opens new window)

The bottom left corner of the image is placed at the bottom left corner of the view. The length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Bottom Right

Bottom Right (opens new window)

The bottom right corner of the image is placed at the bottom right corner of the view. The length and width of the image are not stretched.

# Notes

  • This example comes originally from [here](http://stackoverflow.com/a/32151862/3681880).
  • If the content (in our case the image) is the same size as the view (in our case the `UIImageView`), then changing the content mode will make no noticeable difference.
  • See [this](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/12827710/what-type-of-contents-uiviewcontentmode-mode-refers-to) and [this](http://stackoverflow.com/questions/32152138/setting-content-mode-for-something-besides-uiimageview-in-ios) question for a discussion about content modes for views other than `UIImageView`.
  • In Swift, to set to set the content mode programmatically you do the following:
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.scaleToFill
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.scaleAspectFit
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.scaleAspectFill
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.redraw
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.center
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.top
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.bottom
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.left
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.right
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.topLeft
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.topRight
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.bottomLeft
      imageView.contentMode = UIViewContentMode.bottomRight
    
    
  • # Animating a UIImageView

    You can animate a UIImageView by quickly displaying images on it in a sequence using the UIImageView's animation properties:

    imageView.animationImages = [UIImage(named: "image1")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image2")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image3")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image4")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image5")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image6")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image7")!,
                                 UIImage(named: "image8")!] 
    imageView.animationDuration = 0.3
    imageView.animationRepeatCount = 1
    
    

    The animationImages property is an Array of UIImages that is run through from top to bottom when the animation is triggered.

    The animationDuration property is a Double saying how many seconds the animation will run for.

    The animationRepeatCount property is an Int that says how many times the animation will run.

    To start and stop the animation, you can call the appropriate methods to do so:

    imageView.startAnimating()
    imageView.stopAnimating()
    
    

    There is method isAnimating() which returns a Boolean value indicating whether the animation is running at a moment or not.

    Please note that this's not a very efficient way to create animations: it's quite slow and resource-consuming. Consider using Layers or Sprites for better results

    # Create a UIImageView

    To create a UIImageView programmatically, all you need to do is create an instance of UIImageView:

    //Swift
    let imageView = UIImageView()
    
    //Objective-C
    UIImageView *imageView = [[UIImageView alloc] init];
    
    

    You can set the size and position of the UIImageView with a CGRect:

    //Swift
    imageView.frame = CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 200, height: 200)
    
    //Objective-C
    imageView.frame = CGRectMake(0,0,200,200);
    
    

    Or you can set the size during initialization:

    //Swift
    UIImageView(frame: CGRect(x: 0, y: 0, width: 200, height: 200))
    
    //Objective-C
    UIImageView *imageView = [[UIImageView alloc] initWithFrame:CGRectMake(0,0,200,200);
    
    //Alternative way of defining frame for UIImageView
    UIImageView *imageView = [[UIImageView alloc] init];
    CGRect imageViewFrame = imageView.frame;
    imageViewFrame.size.width = 200;
    imageViewFrame.size.height = 200;
    imageViewFrame.origin.x = 0;
    imageViewFrame.origin.y = 0;
    imageView.frame = imageViewFrame;
    
    

    Note: You must import UIKit to use a UIImageView.

    # Assigning an image to a UIImageView

    You can assign an image to a UIImageView during initialization, or later using the image property:

    //Swift
    UIImageView(image: UIImage(named: "image1"))
    
    UIImageView(image: UIImage(named: "image1"), highlightedImage: UIImage(named: "image2"))
    
    imageView.image = UIImage(named: "image1") 
    
    //Objective-C
    [[UIImageView alloc] initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"image1"];
    
    [[UIImageView alloc] initWithImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"image1"] highlightedImage:[UIImage imageNamed:@"image2"]];
    
    imageView.image = [UIImage imageNamed:@"image1"];
    
    

    # Change color of an image

    //Swift
    imageView.tintColor = UIColor.redColor()
    imageView.image = imageView.image?.imageWithRenderingMode(.AlwaysTemplate)
    
    //Swift 3
    imageView.tintColor = UIColor.red
    imageView.image = imageView.image?.withRenderingMode(.alwaysTemplate)
    
    //Objective-C
    imageView.tintColor = [UIColor redColor];
    imageView.image = [imageView.image imageWithRenderingMode:UIImageRenderingModeAlwaysTemplate]