By default, the Transparency property is 0, which means that the panel's caption is opaque. The Transparency property have effect if you perform some owner draw during the OwnerDrawStart event, or you are displaying a progress-bar and the text in the same panel. Use the Text property to assign a caption to a panel. Use the Percent property to show a progress-bar inside the panel.

The icon and the 45% are shown using 50% transparency.

The following VB sample shows "How can I show the percent value over the progress bar using a semi-transparent color":

With StatusBar1
	.BeginUpdate 
	.Images "gBJJgBAIDAAGAAEAAQhYAf8Pf4hh0QihCJo2AEZjQAjEZFEaIEaEEaAIAkcbk0olUrlktl0vmExmUzmk1m03nE5nU7nk9n0" & _
"/oFBoVDolFo1HpFJpVLplNp1PqFRqVTqlVq1XrFZrVbrldr1fsFhsVjslls1ntFptVrtltt1vuFxuVzul1u13vF5vV7vl9v1" & _
"/wGBwWDwmFw2HxGJxWLxmNx0xiFdyOTh8Tf9ZymXx+QytcyNgz8r0OblWjyWds+m0ka1Vf1ta1+r1mos2xrG2xeZ0+a0W0qO" & _
"x3GO4NV3WeyvD2XJ5XL5nN51aiw+lfSj0gkUkAEllHanHI5j/cHg8EZf7w8vl8j4f/qfEZeB09/vjLAB30+kZQAP/P5/H6/y" & _
"NAOAEAwCjMBwFAEDwJBMDwLBYAP2/8Hv8/gAGAD8LQs9w/nhDY/oygIA="
	With .VisualAppearance
		.Add 4,"c:\exontrol\images\border.ebn"
		.Add 5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1"
	End With
	.BackColorPanels = 83886080
	.BackColor = -2147483633
	.Format = "1/2,(24;5/6)"
	With .Panel(5)
		.Text = "<fgcolor=FFFFFF><img>1</img>75%</fgcolor>"
		.Alignment = exAlignMiddleLeft
		.Percent = 75
		.Transparency = 35
		.Offset = "4 2 -4 -2"
	End With
	.EndUpdate 
End With

The following VB.NET sample shows "How can I show the percent value over the progress bar using a semi-transparent color":

With AxStatusBar1
	.BeginUpdate 
	.Images "gBJJgBAIDAAGAAEAAQhYAf8Pf4hh0QihCJo2AEZjQAjEZFEaIEaEEaAIAkcbk0olUrlktl0vmExmUzmk1m03nE5nU7nk9n0" & _
"/oFBoVDolFo1HpFJpVLplNp1PqFRqVTqlVq1XrFZrVbrldr1fsFhsVjslls1ntFptVrtltt1vuFxuVzul1u13vF5vV7vl9v1" & _
"/wGBwWDwmFw2HxGJxWLxmNx0xiFdyOTh8Tf9ZymXx+QytcyNgz8r0OblWjyWds+m0ka1Vf1ta1+r1mos2xrG2xeZ0+a0W0qO" & _
"x3GO4NV3WeyvD2XJ5XL5nN51aiw+lfSj0gkUkAEllHanHI5j/cHg8EZf7w8vl8j4f/qfEZeB09/vjLAB30+kZQAP/P5/H6/y" & _
"NAOAEAwCjMBwFAEDwJBMDwLBYAP2/8Hv8/gAGAD8LQs9w/nhDY/oygIA="
	With .VisualAppearance
		.Add 4,"c:\exontrol\images\border.ebn"
		.Add 5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1"
	End With
	.GetOcx().BackColorPanels = &H5000000
	.GetOcx().BackColor = &H8000000f
	.Format = "1/2,(24;5/6)"
	With .get_Panel(5)
		.Text = "<fgcolor=FFFFFF><img>1</img>75%</fgcolor>"
		.Alignment = EXSTATUSBARLib.TextAlignEnum.exAlignMiddleLeft
		.Percent = 75
		.Transparency = 35
		.Offset = "4 2 -4 -2"
	End With
	.EndUpdate 
End With

The following C++ sample shows "How can I show the percent value over the progress bar using a semi-transparent color":

/*
	Copy and paste the following directives to your header file as
	it defines the namespace 'EXSTATUSBARLib' for the library: 'ExStatusBar 1.0 Control Library'

	#import "C:\\WINNT\\system32\\ExStatusBar.dll"
	using namespace EXSTATUSBARLib;
*/
EXSTATUSBARLib::IStatusBarPtr spStatusBar1 = GetDlgItem(IDC_STATUSBAR1)->GetControlUnknown();
spStatusBar1->BeginUpdate();
spStatusBar1->Images(_bstr_t("gBJJgBAIDAAGAAEAAQhYAf8Pf4hh0QihCJo2AEZjQAjEZFEaIEaEEaAIAkcbk0olUrlktl0vmExmUzmk1m03nE5nU7nk9n0") +
"/oFBoVDolFo1HpFJpVLplNp1PqFRqVTqlVq1XrFZrVbrldr1fsFhsVjslls1ntFptVrtltt1vuFxuVzul1u13vF5vV7vl9v1" +
"/wGBwWDwmFw2HxGJxWLxmNx0xiFdyOTh8Tf9ZymXx+QytcyNgz8r0OblWjyWds+m0ka1Vf1ta1+r1mos2xrG2xeZ0+a0W0qO" +
"x3GO4NV3WeyvD2XJ5XL5nN51aiw+lfSj0gkUkAEllHanHI5j/cHg8EZf7w8vl8j4f/qfEZeB09/vjLAB30+kZQAP/P5/H6/y" +
"NAOAEAwCjMBwFAEDwJBMDwLBYAP2/8Hv8/gAGAD8LQs9w/nhDY/oygIA=");
EXSTATUSBARLib::IAppearancePtr var_Appearance = spStatusBar1->GetVisualAppearance();
	var_Appearance->Add(4,"c:\\exontrol\\images\\border.ebn");
	var_Appearance->Add(5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1");
spStatusBar1->PutBackColorPanels(83886080);
spStatusBar1->PutBackColor(-2147483633);
spStatusBar1->PutFormat(L"1/2,(24;5/6)");
EXSTATUSBARLib::IPanelPtr var_Panel = spStatusBar1->GetPanel(long(5));
	var_Panel->PutText(L"<fgcolor=FFFFFF><img>1</img>75%</fgcolor>");
	var_Panel->PutAlignment(EXSTATUSBARLib::exAlignMiddleLeft);
	var_Panel->PutPercent(75);
	var_Panel->PutTransparency(35);
	var_Panel->PutOffset(L"4 2 -4 -2");
spStatusBar1->EndUpdate();

The following C# sample shows "How can I show the percent value over the progress bar using a semi-transparent color":

axStatusBar1.BeginUpdate();
axStatusBar1.Images("gBJJgBAIDAAGAAEAAQhYAf8Pf4hh0QihCJo2AEZjQAjEZFEaIEaEEaAIAkcbk0olUrlktl0vmExmUzmk1m03nE5nU7nk9n0" +
"/oFBoVDolFo1HpFJpVLplNp1PqFRqVTqlVq1XrFZrVbrldr1fsFhsVjslls1ntFptVrtltt1vuFxuVzul1u13vF5vV7vl9v1" +
"/wGBwWDwmFw2HxGJxWLxmNx0xiFdyOTh8Tf9ZymXx+QytcyNgz8r0OblWjyWds+m0ka1Vf1ta1+r1mos2xrG2xeZ0+a0W0qO" +
"x3GO4NV3WeyvD2XJ5XL5nN51aiw+lfSj0gkUkAEllHanHI5j/cHg8EZf7w8vl8j4f/qfEZeB09/vjLAB30+kZQAP/P5/H6/y" +
"NAOAEAwCjMBwFAEDwJBMDwLBYAP2/8Hv8/gAGAD8LQs9w/nhDY/oygIA=");
EXSTATUSBARLib.Appearance var_Appearance = axStatusBar1.VisualAppearance;
	var_Appearance.Add(4,"c:\\exontrol\\images\\border.ebn");
	var_Appearance.Add(5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1");
(axStatusBar1.GetOcx() as EXSTATUSBARLib.StatusBar).BackColorPanels = 0x5000000;
(axStatusBar1.GetOcx() as EXSTATUSBARLib.StatusBar).BackColor = 0x8000000f;
axStatusBar1.Format = "1/2,(24;5/6)";
EXSTATUSBARLib.Panel var_Panel = axStatusBar1.get_Panel(5);
	var_Panel.Text = "<fgcolor=FFFFFF><img>1</img>75%</fgcolor>";
	var_Panel.Alignment = EXSTATUSBARLib.TextAlignEnum.exAlignMiddleLeft;
	var_Panel.Percent = 75;
	var_Panel.Transparency = 35;
	var_Panel.Offset = "4 2 -4 -2";
axStatusBar1.EndUpdate();

The following VFP sample shows "How can I show the percent value over the progress bar using a semi-transparent color":

with thisform.StatusBar1
	.BeginUpdate
	var_s = "gBJJgBAIDAAGAAEAAQhYAf8Pf4hh0QihCJo2AEZjQAjEZFEaIEaEEaAIAkcbk0olUrlktl0vmExmUzmk1m03nE5nU7nk9n0/"
	var_s = var_s + "oFBoVDolFo1HpFJpVLplNp1PqFRqVTqlVq1XrFZrVbrldr1fsFhsVjslls1ntFptVrtltt1vuFxuVzul1u13vF5vV7vl9v1/"
	var_s = var_s + "wGBwWDwmFw2HxGJxWLxmNx0xiFdyOTh8Tf9ZymXx+QytcyNgz8r0OblWjyWds+m0ka1Vf1ta1+r1mos2xrG2xeZ0+a0W0qOx"
	var_s = var_s + "3GO4NV3WeyvD2XJ5XL5nN51aiw+lfSj0gkUkAEllHanHI5j/cHg8EZf7w8vl8j4f/qfEZeB09/vjLAB30+kZQAP/P5/H6/yN"
	var_s = var_s + "AOAEAwCjMBwFAEDwJBMDwLBYAP2/8Hv8/gAGAD8LQs9w/nhDY/oygIA="
	.Images(var_s)
	with .VisualAppearance
		.Add(4,"c:\exontrol\images\border.ebn")
		.Add(5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1")
	endwith
	.BackColorPanels = 83886080
	.BackColor = -2147483633
	.Format = "1/2,(24;5/6)"
	with .Panel(5)
		.Text = "<fgcolor=FFFFFF><img>1</img>75%</fgcolor>"
		.Alignment = 16
		.Percent = 75
		.Transparency = 35
		.Offset = "4 2 -4 -2"
	endwith
	.EndUpdate
endwith