PDF to PostScript conversion

The following code snippet also work with Aspose.PDF.Drawing library.

PDF To Postscript in C#

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. To install a PS printer, refer to instructions provided by your printer vendor. The following code snippet shows you how to print and convert a PDF to PostScript format.

.NET Core 3.1

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void PrintToPostscriptFile()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using (var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer())
    {
        // Open document
        viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

        // Set PrinterSettings and PageSettings
        var printerSettings = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();
        printerSettings.Copies = 1;

        // Set PS printer, one can find this driver in the list of preinstalled printer drivers in Windows
        printerSettings.PrinterName = "HP LaserJet 2300 Series PS";

        // Set output file name and PrintToFile attribute
        printerSettings.PrintFileName = dataDir + "PdfToPostScript_out.ps";
        printerSettings.PrintToFile = true;
        
        // Disable print page dialog
        viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;
        
        // Pass printer settings object to the method
        viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(printerSettings);
    }
}

.NET 8

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void PrintToPostscriptFile()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer();

    // Open document
    viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

    // Set PrinterSettings and PageSettings
    var printerSettings = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    printerSettings.Copies = 1;

    // Set PS printer, one can find this driver in the list of preinstalled printer drivers in Windows
    printerSettings.PrinterName = "HP LaserJet 2300 Series PS";

    // Set output file name and PrintToFile attribute
    printerSettings.PrintFileName = dataDir + "PdfToPostScript_out.ps";
    printerSettings.PrintToFile = true;
        
    // Disable print page dialog
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;
        
    // Pass printer settings object to the method
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(printerSettings);
}

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.

.NET Core 3.1

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void CheckingPrintJobStatus()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Instantiate PdfViewer object
    using (var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer())
    {
        // Bind source PDF file
        viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

        viewer.AutoResize = true;       // Print the file with adjusted size

        // Hide printing dialog
        viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;

        // Create Printer Settings object
        var ps = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();
        var pgs = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PageSettings();

        // Specify the printer name
        ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";

        // Resultant Printout name
        ps.PrintFileName = dataDir + "CheckingPrintJobStatus_out.xps";

        // Print the output to file
        ps.PrintToFile = true;

        // Set a range of pages to print
        ps.FromPage = 1;
        ps.ToPage = 2;
        ps.PrintRange = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrintRange.SomePages;

        // Specify the page size of printout
        pgs.PaperSize = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PaperSizes.A4;
        ps.DefaultPageSettings.PaperSize = pgs.PaperSize;

        // Specify page margins
        pgs.Margins = new Aspose.Pdf.Devices.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

        // Print the document with settings specified above
        viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

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

.NET 8

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void CheckingPrintJobStatus()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Instantiate PdfViewer object
    using var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer();

    // Bind source PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

    viewer.AutoResize = true;       // Print the file with adjusted size

    // Hide printing dialog
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;

    // Create Printer Settings object
    var ps = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    var pgs = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Specify the printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";

    // Resultant Printout name
    ps.PrintFileName = dataDir + "CheckingPrintJobStatus_out.xps";

    // Print the output to file
    ps.PrintToFile = true;

    // Set a range of pages to print
    ps.FromPage = 1;
    ps.ToPage = 2;
    ps.PrintRange = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrintRange.SomePages;

    // Specify the page size of printout
    pgs.PaperSize = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PaperSizes.A4;
    ps.DefaultPageSettings.PaperSize = pgs.PaperSize;

    // Specify page margins
    pgs.Margins = new Aspose.Pdf.Devices.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Print the document with settings specified above
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);

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

Get/Set Print Job Owner name

Sometimes there occurs a need to get or set the print job owner name (i.e., the actual user who pressed a print button on a web page). This information is required when printing the PDF file. In order to accomplish this requirement, the property PrinterJobName is used.

.NET Core 3.1

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void SetPrinterJobName()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using (var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer())
    {
        // Bind source PDF file
        viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

        // Specify the name of Print job
        viewer.PrinterJobName = GetCurrentUserCredentials();

        // Fill the necessary settings and print the documents, as shown in examples in this section
    }
}

private static string GetCurrentUserCredentials()
{
    // The implementation depends on type of running application (ASP.NET, Windows forms, etc.)
    var userCredentials = string.Empty;
    return userCredentials;
}

.NET 8

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void SetPrinterJobName()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer();

    // Bind source PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

    // Specify the name of Print job
    viewer.PrinterJobName = GetCurrentUserCredentials();

    // Fill the necessary settings and print the documents, as shown in examples in this section
}

private static string GetCurrentUserCredentials()
{
    // The implementation depends on type of running application (ASP.NET, Windows forms, etc.)
    var userCredentials = string.Empty;
    return userCredentials;
}

Using Impersonation

Another approach of getting the Print Job owner name is to use impersonation (running printing routines in another user context) or user may change owner name directly by using SetJob routine.

Please note that there is no possibility to set owner value using Aspose.PDF printing API by security considerations. The property PrinterJobName may be used to set document name column value in spooler print application. Code snippet shared above just shows how the user can join user name into document name column (for example using syntax UserName\documentName). But the setting of Owner columns can be implemented in following ways directly by user:

1. Impersonation. As owner column value contains the value of user who runs the printing code, there is a way to invoke Aspose.PDF printing API inside another user context. For example, take a look on solution described here. Using this Impersonator class the user can reach a goal:

.NET Core 3.1

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void PrintWithImpersonation()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using (var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer())
    {
        // Open document
        viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

        // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing
        viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;

        // Impersonate another user
        using (new Impersonator("OwnerUserName", "SomeDomain", "OwnerUserPassword"))
        {
            // Set PrinterSettings
            var ps = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();

            // Set the name of the printer
            ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";

            // Pass printer settings object to the method
            viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(ps); // OwnerUserName is a value of Owner column in spooler app
        }
    }
}

.NET 8

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

private static void PrintWithImpersonation()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer();

    // Open document
    viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "PrintDocument.pdf");

    // Do not produce the page number dialog when printing
    viewer.PrintPageDialog = false;

    // Impersonate another user
    using var impersonator = new Impersonator("OwnerUserName", "SomeDomain", "OwnerUserPassword");

    // Set PrinterSettings
    var ps = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();

    // Set the name of the printer
    ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";

    // Pass printer settings object to the method
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(ps); // OwnerUserName is a value of Owner column in spooler app
}

2. Using Spooler API and SetJob routine

The following code snippet shows how to print some pages of PDF file in Simplex and some pages in Duplex mode.

.NET Core 3.1

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

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

private static void PrintUsingSpoolerApi()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    int printingJobIndex = 0;
    string outputDir = dataDir;
    var printingJobs = new List<PrintingJobSettings>();

    // Create multiple printing jobs to print different page ranges with different duplex settings
    var printingJob1 = new PrintingJobSettings();
    printingJob1.FromPage = 1;
    printingJob1.ToPage = 3;
    printingJob1.OutputFile = outputDir + "PrintUsingSpoolerApi_p1-3_out.xps";
    printingJob1.Mode = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.Duplex.Default;

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob1);

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob2 = new PrintingJobSettings();
    printingJob2.FromPage = 4;
    printingJob2.ToPage = 6;
    printingJob2.OutputFile = outputDir + "PrintUsingSpoolerApi_p4-6_out.xps";
    printingJob2.Mode = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.Duplex.Simplex;

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob2);

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob3 = new PrintingJobSettings();
    printingJob3.FromPage = 7;
    printingJob3.ToPage = 7;
    printingJob3.OutputFile = outputDir + "PrintUsingSpoolerApi_p7_out.xps";
    printingJob3.Mode = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.Duplex.Default;

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob3);

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using (var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer())
    {
        // Open input PDF file
        viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "Print-PageRange.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
        var ps = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();
        var pgs = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PageSettings();

        // Set printer name
        ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";

        // Set output file name and PrintToFile attribute
        ps.PrintFileName = Path.GetFullPath(printingJobs[printingJobIndex].OutputFile);
        ps.PrintToFile = true;

        // Set parameters for the first print job
        ps.FromPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].FromPage;
        ps.ToPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].ToPage;
        ps.Duplex = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].Mode;
        ps.PrintRange = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrintRange.SomePages;

        // Set paper size and margins
        pgs.PaperSize = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PaperSizes.A4;
        ps.DefaultPageSettings.PaperSize = pgs.PaperSize;
        pgs.Margins = new Aspose.Pdf.Devices.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

        // Chain other print jobs at the end of the finished job
        viewer.EndPrint += (sender, args) =>
        {
            if (++printingJobIndex < printingJobs.Count)
            {
                // Set the next print job parameters
                ps.PrintFileName = Path.GetFullPath(printingJobs[printingJobIndex].OutputFile);
                ps.FromPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].FromPage;
                ps.ToPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].ToPage;
                ps.Duplex = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].Mode;

                // Run the next print job
                viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
            }
        };

        // Run the first print job
        viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
    }
}

.NET 8

// For complete examples and data files, visit https://github.com/aspose-pdf/Aspose.PDF-for-.NET

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

private static void PrintUsingSpoolerApi()
{
    // The path to the documents directory
    string dataDir = RunExamples.GetDataDir_AsposePdfFacades_Printing();

    int printingJobIndex = 0;
    string outputDir = dataDir;
    var printingJobs = new List<PrintingJobSettings>();

    // Create multiple printing jobs to print different page ranges with different duplex settings
    var printingJob1 = new PrintingJobSettings();
    printingJob1.FromPage = 1;
    printingJob1.ToPage = 3;
    printingJob1.OutputFile = outputDir + "PrintUsingSpoolerApi_p1-3_out.xps";
    printingJob1.Mode = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.Duplex.Default;

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob1);

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob2 = new PrintingJobSettings();
    printingJob2.FromPage = 4;
    printingJob2.ToPage = 6;
    printingJob2.OutputFile = outputDir + "PrintUsingSpoolerApi_p4-6_out.xps";
    printingJob2.Mode = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.Duplex.Simplex;

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob2);

    PrintingJobSettings printingJob3 = new PrintingJobSettings();
    printingJob3.FromPage = 7;
    printingJob3.ToPage = 7;
    printingJob3.OutputFile = outputDir + "PrintUsingSpoolerApi_p7_out.xps";
    printingJob3.Mode = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.Duplex.Default;

    printingJobs.Add(printingJob3);

    // Create PdfViewer object
    using var viewer = new Aspose.Pdf.Facades.PdfViewer();

    // Open input PDF file
    viewer.BindPdf(dataDir + "Print-PageRange.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
    var ps = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrinterSettings();
    var pgs = new Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PageSettings();

    // Set printer name
    ps.PrinterName = "Microsoft XPS Document Writer";

    // Set output file name and PrintToFile attribute
    ps.PrintFileName = Path.GetFullPath(printingJobs[printingJobIndex].OutputFile);
    ps.PrintToFile = true;

    // Set parameters for the first print job
    ps.FromPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].FromPage;
    ps.ToPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].ToPage;
    ps.Duplex = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].Mode;
    ps.PrintRange = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PrintRange.SomePages;

    // Set paper size and margins
    pgs.PaperSize = Aspose.Pdf.Printing.PaperSizes.A4;
    ps.DefaultPageSettings.PaperSize = pgs.PaperSize;
    pgs.Margins = new Aspose.Pdf.Devices.Margins(0, 0, 0, 0);

    // Chain other print jobs at the end of the finished job
    viewer.EndPrint += (sender, args) =>
    {
        if (++printingJobIndex < printingJobs.Count)
        {
            // Set the next print job parameters
            ps.PrintFileName = Path.GetFullPath(printingJobs[printingJobIndex].OutputFile);
            ps.FromPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].FromPage;
            ps.ToPage = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].ToPage;
            ps.Duplex = printingJobs[printingJobIndex].Mode;

            // Run the next print job
            viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
        }
    };

    // Run the first print job
    viewer.PrintDocumentWithSettings(pgs, ps);
}