property Panel.Offset as String
Specifies the offset to apply when text is being diplayed.

TypeDescription
String A string expression that indicates the padding of the caption in the panel. The list should be as "l t b r" where the l indicates the padding to left, t indicates the padding to top, and so on. For instance, "2 2 -2 -2" indicates that the text is padded 2 pixels from all sides.
Use the Offset property to add extra padding to the text being displayed in panel. Use the Text property to assign a caption to a panel. Use the OffsetPercent property to specify the padding to display the progress-bar inside the panel.

The following VB sample shows "How do I control the padding on the left, top or other sides": 

With StatusBar1
	.BeginUpdate 
	.Debug = True
	.VisualAppearance.Add 4,"c:\exontrol\images\border.ebn"
	.VisualAppearance.Add 5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1"
	.BackColorPanels = 83886080
	.BackColor = -2147483633
	.Format = "1/2/(3,4)"
	With .Panel(3)
		.Text = "Arrange the panels as you want using CRD strings"
		.Alignment = exAlignTopLeft
		.ToolTipText = .Text
		.Offset = "10 10 -10 -10"
	End With
	.EndUpdate 
End With
The following VB.NET sample shows "How do I control the padding on the left, top or other sides": 
With AxStatusBar1
	.BeginUpdate 
	.Debug = True
	.VisualAppearance.Add 4,"c:\exontrol\images\border.ebn"
	.VisualAppearance.Add 5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1"
	.GetOcx().BackColorPanels = &H5000000
	.GetOcx().BackColor = &H8000000f
	.Format = "1/2/(3,4)"
	With .get_Panel(3)
		.Text = "Arrange the panels as you want using CRD strings"
		.Alignment = EXSTATUSBARLib.TextAlignEnum.exAlignTopLeft
		.ToolTipText = .Text
		.Offset = "10 10 -10 -10"
	End With
	.EndUpdate 
End With
The following C++ sample shows "How do I control the padding on the left, top or other sides": 
/*
	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->PutDebug(VARIANT_TRUE);
spStatusBar1->GetVisualAppearance()->Add(4,"c:\\exontrol\\images\\border.ebn");
spStatusBar1->GetVisualAppearance()->Add(5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1");
spStatusBar1->PutBackColorPanels(83886080);
spStatusBar1->PutBackColor(-2147483633);
spStatusBar1->PutFormat(L"1/2/(3,4)");
EXSTATUSBARLib::IPanelPtr var_Panel = spStatusBar1->GetPanel(long(3));
	var_Panel->PutText(L"Arrange the panels as you want using CRD strings");
	var_Panel->PutAlignment(EXSTATUSBARLib::exAlignTopLeft);
	var_Panel->PutToolTipText(var_Panel->GetText());
	var_Panel->PutOffset(L"10 10 -10 -10");
spStatusBar1->EndUpdate();
The following C# sample shows "How do I control the padding on the left, top or other sides": 
axStatusBar1.BeginUpdate();
axStatusBar1.Debug = true;
axStatusBar1.VisualAppearance.Add(4,"c:\\exontrol\\images\\border.ebn");
axStatusBar1.VisualAppearance.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/(3,4)";
EXSTATUSBARLib.Panel var_Panel = axStatusBar1.get_Panel(3);
	var_Panel.Text = "Arrange the panels as you want using CRD strings";
	var_Panel.Alignment = EXSTATUSBARLib.TextAlignEnum.exAlignTopLeft;
	var_Panel.ToolTipText = var_Panel.Text;
	var_Panel.Offset = "10 10 -10 -10";
axStatusBar1.EndUpdate();
The following VFP sample shows "How do I control the padding on the left, top or other sides": 
with thisform.StatusBar1
	.BeginUpdate
	.Debug = .T.
	.VisualAppearance.Add(4,"c:\exontrol\images\border.ebn")
	.VisualAppearance.Add(5,"CP:4 1 1 -1 -1")
	.BackColorPanels = 83886080
	.BackColor = -2147483633
	.Format = "1/2/(3,4)"
	with .Panel(3)
		.Text = "Arrange the panels as you want using CRD strings"
		.Alignment = 0
		.ToolTipText = .Text
		.Offset = "10 10 -10 -10"
	endwith
	.EndUpdate
endwith