WPF Standard Control Demo App › Label

Label Display

Label is a content control that displays text and supports access keys (mnemonics). Unlike TextBlock, it can receive focus and is designed to be paired with other controls using the Target property for keyboard navigation.

Overview

The WPF Label control extends ContentControl and adds two critical features over a plain TextBlock: access key (mnemonic) support and focus delegation via the Target property. Access keys are defined by prefixing an underscore before a character in the Content string — for example, _Name: makes Alt+N the keyboard shortcut for this label. When pressed, focus automatically transfers to the control specified by Target.

This focus delegation makes Label the preferred choice over TextBlock when labeling form fields. By setting Target="{Binding ElementName=firstNameTextBox}", pressing the label's access key moves keyboard focus directly to the associated TextBox. This is a fundamental accessibility requirement for desktop applications and allows users who rely on keyboard navigation to quickly jump between form fields without using the mouse.

Like all ContentControl descendants, Label's Content property accepts any object, not just strings. You can embed images, icons, or complex layouts within a Label. The control's typography properties — FontFamily, FontSize, FontWeight, FontStyle, and FontStretch — cascade to child text elements and provide consistent styling options.

The HorizontalContentAlignment and VerticalContentAlignment properties control how the content is positioned within the Label's bounds. For simple text labels in form layouts, the default Left/Top alignment is typical, but Right alignment is common for labels in a two-column form grid where the label column is right-aligned next to input fields.

Screen Preview

Demonstrated Properties

The following properties are demonstrated interactively in the WPF Standard Control Demo App. Each property can be configured in real time within the app to observe its behavior.

Property	Values	Description
`Target`	`UIElement`	Use this whenever you place a Label next to an input control so that keyboard users can press `Alt`+the access key to jump directly to that field without touching the mouse. When the access key is pressed, WPF moves keyboard focus to the element specified here. Prefer `{x:Reference nameBox}` over `{Binding ElementName=nameBox}` because `x:Reference` is validated at compile time and will catch typos in the element name immediately. Pitfall: `Target` only works when the Label and the target control share the same `FocusScope`. Controls inside a `ToolBar` or `Menu` maintain their own focus scope, so a Label outside those containers cannot target an element inside them.
`Content (ContentControl)`	`object`	Use this to display field description text and optionally define a keyboard shortcut character for the field. Prefix any character in the string with `_` to make it an access key — for example `_Email:` registers `Alt+E` as the shortcut. When the user presses `Alt`, the underscore prefix character is revealed as an underline beneath the access key character. To display a literal underscore character, use a double underscore `__`. Note: the `Target` property only controls where focus moves on key press; the access key underline and Alt-key behavior are visible even without a `Target` set.
`Padding (Control)`	`Thickness`	Adds internal spacing between the Label's border and its content. The WPF default padding for Label is `5,0,0,0` (5px left, 0 on other sides). Adjust this when building compact form layouts or when using a larger font size where the default spacing feels too tight or too loose. Pitfall: setting Padding to `0` on all sides pushes the text flush against the border, which looks cramped. If you change the font size, review the Padding as well to keep the visual proportions correct.
`FontWeight / FontStyle / FontStretch / FontSize / FontFamily (Control)`	`various`	These typography properties control the visual appearance of the label text and are all inherited from ancestor elements. Setting them on a shared parent panel or in an application-level `Style` keeps the form consistent without repeating the same values on every Label. Bold labels are common for required fields; italic for optional or hint labels; larger sizes for section headers. Pitfall: not all fonts support all `FontWeight` values. If you request `Light` or `ExtraBold` and the font doesn't include that weight, WPF substitutes the nearest available weight silently. Always verify the font and weight combination renders as intended.
`Background / Foreground (Control)`	`Brush`	`Foreground` sets the text color and is the most commonly customized brush property for Label. Use a dimmed gray foreground for disabled or hint labels, and red for required-field indicators. For theme-aware apps, use `{DynamicResource ControlTextBrush}` or your own theme brush rather than a hard-coded color, so the label automatically adapts to light and dark themes. Pitfall: hard-coding colors such as `Black` or `White` will make labels unreadable when the OS theme changes or when the user enables high-contrast mode.
`BorderBrush / BorderThickness (Control)`	`Brush / Thickness`	Optional border properties seldom used by default but available when a Label needs a visible frame. Adding a bottom-only border can create an underline-style label that doubles as a visual section separator in a form. Keep border usage minimal to avoid visual noise in dense form layouts.
`HorizontalContentAlignment / VerticalContentAlignment (Control)`	`Left/Center/Right/Stretch / Top/Center/Bottom/Stretch`	Controls where the content is placed within the Label's allocated space. Right-aligning labels in the first column of a two-column form grid aligns the label text flush against the adjacent input control, producing a clean professional form appearance. The default is `Left` / `Top`.

XAML Example

The following XAML demonstrates Label usage with access keys and Target bindings in a form layout:

<Grid Margin="16">
  <Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
    <ColumnDefinition Width="120" />
    <ColumnDefinition Width="*" />
  </Grid.ColumnDefinitions>
  <Grid.RowDefinitions>
    <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
    <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
    <RowDefinition Height="Auto" />
  </Grid.RowDefinitions>

  <!-- Label with access key _N targeting the TextBox -->
  <Label Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="0"
         Content="_Name:"
         Target="{Binding ElementName=nameBox}"
         HorizontalContentAlignment="Right" />
  <TextBox Grid.Row="0" Grid.Column="1"
           x:Name="nameBox" Margin="4" />

  <Label Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="0"
         Content="_Email:"
         Target="{Binding ElementName=emailBox}"
         HorizontalContentAlignment="Right" />
  <TextBox Grid.Row="1" Grid.Column="1"
           x:Name="emailBox" Margin="4" />

  <Label Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="0"
         Content="_Role:"
         Target="{Binding ElementName=roleCombo}"
         HorizontalContentAlignment="Right" />
  <ComboBox Grid.Row="2" Grid.Column="1"
            x:Name="roleCombo" Margin="4" />

</Grid>

Common Use Cases

Form field labels: Paired with TextBox, ComboBox, or DatePicker controls in data-entry forms, providing accessible keyboard shortcuts to jump to each field.
Required field indicators: Displaying an asterisk or using a red foreground to visually mark mandatory fields in registration or configuration forms.
Section headings within GroupBox: Used inside GroupBox headers or as sub-section titles within larger form panels.
Status and descriptor text: Displaying read-only descriptive text next to values in property panels or detail views where the label provides context for the adjacent value.
Toolbar and panel labels: Labeling icon buttons or sliders in tool panels with short descriptive names that also serve as access-key shortcuts.

Tips and Best Practices

Always set Target in forms: Without a Target, access keys have no effect on focus. Every Label next to an input control should have its Target set for proper keyboard accessibility.
Use x:Reference instead of ElementName: Prefer Target="{x:Reference nameBox}" over Target="{Binding ElementName=nameBox}". x:Reference is validated at compile time, so a typo in the element name becomes a build error rather than a silent runtime failure.
Use TextBlock for non-interactive text: If you do not need access keys or focus delegation, TextBlock is lighter and more flexible. Label inherits the full ContentControl stack, which adds overhead not needed for simple read-only text.
Escape literal underscores with double underscore: To display an actual underscore character in a Label's content, write __ (two underscores). A single underscore is always interpreted as the access-key prefix.
Right-align labels in two-column forms: Setting HorizontalContentAlignment="Right" on all labels in the first column produces a cleaner layout where label text aligns flush against the input field column.
Be aware of FocusScope boundaries: The Target property only works when the Label and the target control are in the same focus scope. Controls inside a ToolBar or Menu have their own isolated focus scope, so a Label defined outside cannot move focus to a control inside them.
Ensure sufficient color contrast: Label foreground colors must meet WCAG AA contrast ratio requirements (at least 4.5:1 against the background) to satisfy accessibility guidelines for desktop applications.

Related Controls

GroupBox — uses a header that functions similarly to a label for a group of controls.
TextBox — the most common target control paired with Label in form layouts.
ComboBox — another frequent target control paired with Label for dropdown selection fields.

Source Code

The source code for this demo screen is available on GitHub. Use the built-in code view buttons in the app to see the exact XAML for each property.

View Label source code on GitHub →