w:imprint (Engraved Text Effect)

Applies an engraved (impressed/imprinted) 3-D effect that makes text appear to be stamped into the page surface.

Parent elements

w:rPr

Description

w:imprint is a toggle property that applies an engraved rendering to text — characters appear pressed into the page surface, the visual inverse of the emboss effect. The light and shadow gradients are reversed relative to w:emboss.

It is defined in ECMA-376 Part 1 §17.3.2.18.

Attributes

Attribute	Type	Possible Values	Description
`w:val`	`ST_OnOff`	`true`, `false`, `1`, `0`, `on`, `off`	Enables the engrave/imprint effect. Omit to inherit.

Examples

<w:r>
  <w:rPr>
    <w:imprint/>
  </w:rPr>
  <w:t>Engraved text</w:t>
</w:r>

new Run(
  new RunProperties(new Imprint()),
  new Text("Engraved text"));

<!-- Cancel imprint from parent style -->
<w:rPr>
  <w:imprint w:val="false"/>
</w:rPr>

new RunProperties(new Imprint { Val = false });

Notes

Mutually exclusive with w:emboss; inverse visual effect (pressed into page).
Simulates shadow (top-left pressed down) and light (bottom-right raised).
Legacy 3D effect; DrawingML alternatives available for modern documents.
Appearance details processor-dependent.
Toggle property: w:val="false" cancels imprint from parent style.
Works with all font families and sizes.
RTL text: imprint behavior consistent with text direction.
Compatibility: All Office versions support imprint effect.