diff --git a/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.cpp b/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.cpp
index 147182bab0..f199ed7d0e 100644
--- a/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.cpp
+++ b/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.cpp
@@ -1,113 +1,98 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
 The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
 Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
 Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
 All rights reserved.
 
 This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
 even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
 A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
 See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
 ===================================================================*/
 
 #include "mitkTextOverlay2D.h"
 #include <vtkTextProperty.h>
 #include "vtkUnicodeString.h"
-#include <vtkImageMapper.h>
-#include <vtkTextRendererStringToImage.h>
 #include <vtkTextActor.h>
-#include <vtkImageData.h>
-#include <vtkImageMapper.h>
-#include <vtkTextRenderer.h>
-#include <vtkImageData.h>
 
 mitk::TextOverlay2D::TextOverlay2D()
 {
   mitk::Point2D position;
   position[0] = position[1] = 0;
   SetPosition2D(position);
   SetOffsetVector(position);
 }
 
 
 mitk::TextOverlay2D::~TextOverlay2D()
 {
 }
 
 mitk::Overlay::Bounds mitk::TextOverlay2D::GetBoundsOnDisplay(mitk::BaseRenderer *renderer) const
 {
   LocalStorage* ls = this->m_LSH.GetLocalStorage(renderer);
   mitk::Overlay::Bounds bounds;
-  bounds.Position = ls->m_textActor->GetPosition();
-  bounds.Size[0] = ls->m_textImage->GetDimensions()[0];
-  bounds.Size[1] = ls->m_textImage->GetDimensions()[1];
+  bounds.Position = ls->m_TextActor->GetPosition();
+
+  double size[2];
+  ls->m_TextActor->GetSize(renderer->GetVtkRenderer(), size);
+  bounds.Size[0] = size[0];
+  bounds.Size[1] = size[1];
   return bounds;
 }
 
 void mitk::TextOverlay2D::SetBoundsOnDisplay(mitk::BaseRenderer *renderer, const mitk::Overlay::Bounds& bounds)
 {
   vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor2D> actor = GetVtkActor2D(renderer);
   actor->SetDisplayPosition(bounds.Position[0],bounds.Position[1]);
-//  actor->SetWidth(bounds.Size[0]);
-//  actor->SetHeight(bounds.Size[1]);
 }
 
 mitk::TextOverlay2D::LocalStorage::~LocalStorage()
 {
 }
 
 mitk::TextOverlay2D::LocalStorage::LocalStorage()
 {
-  m_textActor = vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor2D>::New();
-  m_textImage = vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageData>::New();
-  m_imageMapper = vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageMapper>::New();
-  m_imageMapper->SetInputData(m_textImage);
-  m_textActor->SetMapper(m_imageMapper);
+  m_TextActor = vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextActor>::New();
 }
 
 void mitk::TextOverlay2D::UpdateVtkOverlay2D(mitk::BaseRenderer *renderer)
 {
   LocalStorage* ls = this->m_LSH.GetLocalStorage(renderer);
 
   if(ls->IsGenerateDataRequired(renderer,this))
   {
-    vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextRendererStringToImage> freetype = vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextRendererStringToImage>::New();
     vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextProperty> prop = vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextProperty>::New();
-    float color[3] = {1,1,1};
+    float color[3] = {0.0,1.0,0.0};
     float opacity = 1.0;
     GetColor(color,renderer);
     GetOpacity(opacity,renderer);
     prop->SetColor( color[0], color[1], color[2]);
     prop->SetFontSize(GetFontSize());
     prop->SetOpacity(opacity);
 
-    freetype->SetScaleToPowerOfTwo(false);
-
-    freetype->RenderString(prop,vtkUnicodeString::from_utf8(GetText().c_str()),ls->m_textImage);
-//    vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextRenderer> fds = vtkTextRenderer::New();
-//    int bbox[4];
-//    fds->GetBoundingBox(prop,vtkUnicodeString::from_utf8(GetText().c_str()),bbox);
-
-    ls->m_textImage->Modified();
+    bool drawShadow;
+    GetBoolProperty( "drawShadow", drawShadow );
+    prop->SetShadow( drawShadow );
 
-    //Levelwindow has to be set to full range, that the colors are displayed properly.
-    ls->m_imageMapper->SetColorWindow(255);
-    ls->m_imageMapper->SetColorLevel(127.5);
+    int offset[2] = {21, -21};
+    prop->SetShadowOffset( offset );
 
-    ls->m_imageMapper->Update();
-    ls->m_textActor->SetPosition(GetPosition2D(renderer)[0]+GetOffsetVector(renderer)[0], GetPosition2D(renderer)[1]+GetOffsetVector(renderer)[1]);
+    ls->m_TextActor->SetInput( GetText().c_str() );
+    ls->m_TextActor->SetTextProperty( prop );
+    ls->m_TextActor->SetPosition(GetPosition2D(renderer)[0]+GetOffsetVector(renderer)[0], GetPosition2D(renderer)[1]+GetOffsetVector(renderer)[1]);
     ls->UpdateGenerateDataTime();
   }
 
 }
 
 vtkActor2D* mitk::TextOverlay2D::GetVtkActor2D(BaseRenderer *renderer) const
 {
   LocalStorage* ls = this->m_LSH.GetLocalStorage(renderer);
-  return ls->m_textActor;
+  return ls->m_TextActor;
 }
 
diff --git a/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.h b/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.h
index 7902853043..1c60bcfb90 100644
--- a/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.h
+++ b/Modules/Overlays/mitkTextOverlay2D.h
@@ -1,86 +1,82 @@
 /*===================================================================
 
   The Medical Imaging Interaction Toolkit (MITK)
 
   Copyright (c) German Cancer Research Center,
   Division of Medical and Biological Informatics.
   All rights reserved.
 
   This software is distributed WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without
   even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR
   A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.
 
   See LICENSE.txt or http://www.mitk.org for details.
 
   ===================================================================*/
 
 #ifndef TEXTOVERLAY2D_H
 #define TEXTOVERLAY2D_H
 
 #include <mitkVtkOverlay2D.h>
 #include <mitkLocalStorageHandler.h>
 #include <vtkSmartPointer.h>
 #include "MitkOverlaysExports.h"
 
 class vtkTextActor;
-class vtkImageMapper;
-class vtkImageData;
 
 namespace mitk {
 
 /** \brief Displays text on the renderwindow */
 class MitkOverlays_EXPORT TextOverlay2D : public mitk::VtkOverlay2D {
 public:
 
   class LocalStorage : public mitk::Overlay::BaseLocalStorage
   {
   public:
     /** \brief Actor of a 2D render window. */
-    vtkSmartPointer<vtkActor2D> m_textActor;
-    vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageData> m_textImage;
-    vtkSmartPointer<vtkImageMapper> m_imageMapper;
+    vtkSmartPointer<vtkTextActor> m_TextActor;
 
     /** \brief Timestamp of last update of stored data. */
     itk::TimeStamp m_LastUpdateTime;
 
     /** \brief Default constructor of the local storage. */
     LocalStorage();
     /** \brief Default deconstructor of the local storage. */
     ~LocalStorage();
   };
 
   mitkClassMacro(TextOverlay2D, mitk::VtkOverlay2D);
   itkFactorylessNewMacro(Self)
   itkCloneMacro(Self)
 
   virtual Overlay::Bounds GetBoundsOnDisplay(BaseRenderer *renderer) const;
   virtual void SetBoundsOnDisplay(BaseRenderer *renderer, const Bounds& bounds);
 
 protected:
 
   /** \brief The LocalStorageHandler holds all LocalStorages for the render windows. */
   mutable mitk::LocalStorageHandler<LocalStorage> m_LSH;
 
   virtual vtkActor2D* GetVtkActor2D(BaseRenderer *renderer) const;
   void UpdateVtkOverlay2D(mitk::BaseRenderer *renderer);
 
   /** \brief explicit constructor which disallows implicit conversions */
   explicit TextOverlay2D();
 
   /** \brief virtual destructor in order to derive from this class */
   virtual ~TextOverlay2D();
 
 private:
 
   /** \brief copy constructor */
   TextOverlay2D( const TextOverlay2D &);
 
   /** \brief assignment operator */
   TextOverlay2D &operator=(const TextOverlay2D &);
 
 };
 
 } // namespace mitk
 #endif // TEXTOVERLAY2D_H