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CanvasRenderingContext2D: translate() method

The CanvasRenderingContext2D.translate() method of the Canvas 2D API adds a translation transformation to the current matrix.

Syntax

js

translate(x, y)

The translate() method adds a translation transformation to the current matrix by moving the canvas and its origin x units horizontally and y units vertically on the grid.

A canvas's origin moved on the x and y axes based on the values of the translate method.

Parameters

x

Distance to move in the horizontal direction. Positive values are to the right, and negative to the left.

y

Distance to move in the vertical direction. Positive values are down, and negative are up.

Return value

None (undefined).

Examples

Moving a shape

This example draws a square that is moved from its default position by the translate() method. An unmoved square of the same size is then drawn for comparison.

HTML

html

<canvas id="canvas"></canvas>

JavaScript

The translate() method translates the context by 110 horizontally and 30 vertically. The first square is shifted by those amounts from its default position.

js

const canvas = document.getElementById("canvas");
const ctx = canvas.getContext("2d");

// Moved square
ctx.translate(110, 30);
ctx.fillStyle = "red";
ctx.fillRect(0, 0, 80, 80);

// Reset current transformation matrix to the identity matrix
ctx.setTransform(1, 0, 0, 1, 0, 0);

// Unmoved square
ctx.fillStyle = "gray";
ctx.fillRect(0, 0, 80, 80);

Result

The moved square is red, and the unmoved square is gray.

Specifications

Browser compatibility

Desktop Mobile
Chrome Edge Firefox Internet Explorer Opera Safari WebView Android Chrome Android Firefox for Android Opera Android Safari on IOS Samsung Internet
translate 1 12 1.5 9 ≤12.1 2 4.4 18 4 ≤12.1 1 1.0

See also

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Licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License v2.5 or later.
https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/API/CanvasRenderingContext2D/translate