Working with PDF printing - Facades

Printing PDF File to Default Printer using Printer and Page Settings

Firstly document is converted into image and then printed on the printer. We create an instance of the PdfViewer class that allows you to print a PDF file to the default printer, using BindPdf method for document to it, and make certain settings. In our example, we are using A4 format, portrait orientation. In the printerSettings, first of all, we indicate the name of the printer to which we are printing. Or else it will print to the default printer. Next, put down the number of copies we need.

public static void PrintingPDFFile()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;   // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument prtdoc = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument();

    // Set printer name
    ps.PrinterName = prtdoc.PrinterSettings.PrinterName;

    // Set PageSize (if required)
    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);

    // Set PageMargins (if required)
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print document using printer and page settings
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

    // Close the PDF file after printing
    viewer.Close();
}

In order to display a print dialog, try using the following code snippet:

public static void PrintingPDFDisplayPrintDialog()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument

    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings
    {
        // Set PageSize (if required)
        PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169),

        // Set PageMargins (if required)
        Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0)
    };

    System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog printDialog = new System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog();
    if (printDialog.ShowDialog() == System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
    {
        // Document printing code goes here
        // Print document using printer and page settings
        System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = printDialog.PrinterSettings;
        viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
    }

    // Close the PDF file after priting
    viewer.Close();
}

Print PDF to Soft Printer

There are printers that print to a file. We set the name of the virtual printer, and, by analogy with the previous example, we make the settings.

public static void PrintingPDFToSoftPrinter()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;   // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing

    viewer.PrintAsImage = false;

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Set printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "HP Universal Printing PS (v7.0.0)";
    // Or set the PDF printer
    //ps.PrinterName = "Adobe PDF";

    // Set PageSize (if required)
    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);

    // Set PageMargins (if required)
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print document using printer and page settings
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

    // Close the PDF file after priting
    viewer.Close();
}

Hiding Print Dialog

Aspose.PDF for .NET allows you to hide the print dialog. For this use PrintPageDialog method.

The following code snippet shows you how to hide the print dialog.

public static void PrintingPDFHidePrintDialog()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;   // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Set XPS/PDF printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "OneNote for Windows 10";

    // Set PageSize (if required)
    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);

    // Set PageMargins (if required)
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print document using printer and page settings
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

    // Close the PDF file after priting
    viewer.Close();
}

Printing Color PDF to XPS File as Grayscale

A color PDF document can be printed to an XPS printer as grayscale, using PdfViewer. In order to achieve that you need to use the property PdfViewer.PrintAsGrayscale and set it to true. Following code snippet demonstrates the implementation of PdfViewer.PrintAsGrayscale Property.

public static void PrintingPDFasGrayscale()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;   // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing
    viewer.PrintAsGrayscale = false;

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Set XPS/PDF printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "OneNote for Windows 10";

    // Set PageSize (if required)
    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);

    // Set PageMargins (if required)
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print document using printer and page settings
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

    // Close the PDF file after priting
    viewer.Close();
}

PDF to PostScript conversion

The PdfViewer class provides the capability to print PDF documents and with the help of this class, we can also convert PDF files to PostScript format. To convert a PDF file into PostScript, first install any PS printer and just print to file with the help of PdfViewer.

The following code snippet shows you how to print and convert a PDF to PostScript format.

public static void PrintingPDFToPostScript()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;   // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing
    viewer.PrintAsImage = false;

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Set XPS/PDF printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "HP Universal Printing PS (v7.0.0)";
    // Set output file name and PrintToFile attribute
    ps.PrintFileName = _dataDir + "PdfToPostScript_out.ps";
    ps.PrintToFile = true;

    // Set PageSize (if required)
    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);

    // Set PageMargins (if required)
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print document using printer and page settings
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

    // Close the PDF file after priting
    viewer.Close();
}

Checking Print Job Status

A PDF file can be printed to a physical printer as well as to the Microsoft XPS Document Writer, without showing a print dialog, using the PdfViewer class. When printing large PDF files, the process might take a long time so the user might not be certain whether the printing process completed or encountered an issue. To determine the status of a printing job, use the PrintStatus property. The following code snippet shows you how to print the PDF file to an XPS file and get the printing status.

public static void CheckingPrintJobStatus()
{
    // Create PdfViewer object
    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(_dataDir + "sample1.pdf");

    // Set attributes for printing
    viewer.AutoResize = true;         // Print the file with adjusted size
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;         // Print the file with adjusted rotation
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;   // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing
    viewer.PrintAsImage = false;

    // Create objects for printer and page settings and PrintDocument
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings ps = new System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings pgs = new System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Set XPS/PDF printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "HP Universal Printing PS (v7.0.0)";
    // Set output file name and PrintToFile attribute
    ps.PrintFileName = _dataDir + "PdfToPostScript_out.ps";
    ps.PrintToFile = true;

    // Set PageSize (if required)
    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);

    // Set PageMargins (if required)
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print document using printer and page settings
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

    // Check the print status
    if (viewer.PrintStatus != null && viewer.PrintStatus is Exception ex)
    {
        Console.WriteLine(ex.Message);
    }
    else
    {
        // No errors were found. Printing job has completed successfully
        Console.WriteLine("Printing completed without any issue..");
    }

    // Close the PDF file after priting
    viewer.Close();
}

struct PrintingJobSettings
{
    public int ToPage { get; set; }
    public int FromPage { get; set; }
    public string OutputFile { get; set; }
    public System.Drawing.Printing.Duplex Mode { get; set; }
}

Printing pages in Simplex and Duplex mode

In a particular printing job, the pages of PDF document can either be printed in Duplex or in Simplex mode but you cannot print some pages as simplex and some pages as duplex within a single print job. However in order to accomplish the requirement, different page ranges and PrintingJobSettings object can be used. The following code snippet shows how to print some pages of PDF file in Simplex and some pages in Duplex mode.

public static void PrintingPagesInSimplexAndDuplexMode()
{
    int printingJobIndex = 0;
    string inPdf = _dataDir + "sample-8page.pdf";
    string output = _dataDir;
    IList<PrintingJobSettings> printingJobs = new List<PrintingJobSettings>();

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob1 = new PrintingJobSettings
    {
        FromPage = 1,
        ToPage = 3,
        OutputFile = output + "sample_1_3.xps",
        Mode = Duplex.Default
    };

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob1);

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob2 = new PrintingJobSettings
    {
        FromPage = 4,
        ToPage = 6,
        OutputFile = output + "sample_4_6.xps",
        Mode = Duplex.Simplex
    };

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob2);

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob3 = new PrintingJobSettings
    {
        FromPage = 7,
        ToPage = 7,
        OutputFile = output + "sample_7.xps",
        Mode = Duplex.Default
    };

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob3);

    PdfViewer viewer = new PdfViewer();

    viewer.BindPdf(inPdf);
    viewer.AutoResize = true;
    viewer.AutoRotate = true;
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;

    PrinterSettings ps = new PrinterSettings();
    PageSettings pgs = new PageSettings();

    ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";
    ps.PrintFileName = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath(printingJobs[printingJobIndex].OutputFile);
    ps.PrintToFile = true;
    ps.FromPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].FromPage;
    ps.ToPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].ToPage;
    ps.Duplex = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].Mode;
    ps.PrintRange = PrintRange.SomePages;

    pgs.PaperSize = new System.Drawing.Printing.PaperSize("A4", 827, 1169);
    ps.DefaultPageSettings.PaperSize = pgs.PaperSize;
    pgs.Margins = new System.Drawing.Printing.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    viewer.EndPrint += (sender, args) =>
    {
        if (++printingJobIndex < printingJobs.Count)
        {
            ps.PrintFileName = System.IO.Path.GetFullPath(printingJobs[printingJobIndex].OutputFile);
            ps.FromPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].FromPage;
            ps.ToPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].ToPage;
            ps.Duplex = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].Mode;
            viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
        }
    };

    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
}