2.11 Print Document Support

Print document support allows you to print a report in the same way as printing to a printer and producing a PDF document. The difference between this method of producing a PDF file and using PdfContents to produce a PDF file is the difference between raster graphics to vector graphics. Print document support creates one jpeg image per page. PrintExample.cs has an example of creating a three page document.

Normally each page is a full image of the page. If your page is letter size and the resolution is 300 pixels per inch, each pixel is 3 bytes, the bit map of the page will be 25.245MB long. PrintPdfDocument has a method CropRect that can reduce the size of the bit map significantly. Assuming one inch margin is used, the active size of the bit map will be reduced to 15.795 MB. That is 37.4% reduction.

// main program
// Create empty document
Document = new PdfDocument(PaperType.Letter, false, UnitOfMeasure.Inch);

// create PrintPdfDocument producing an image with 300 pixels per inch
PdfImageControl ImageControl = new PdfImageControl();
ImageControl.Resolution = 300.0;
PrintPdfDocument Print = new PrintPdfDocument(Document, ImageControl);

// PrintPage in the delegate method PrintPageEventHandler
// This method will print one page at a time to PrintDocument 
Print.PrintPage += PrintPage;

// set margins in user units (Left, top, right, bottom)
// note the margins order are per .net standard and not PDF standard
Print.SetMargins(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0);

// crop the page image result to reduce PDF file size
// the crop rectangle is per .net standard.
// The origin is top left.
Print.CropRect = new RectangleF(0.95F, 0.95F, 6.6F, 9.1F);

// initiate the printing process (calling the PrintPage method)
// after the document is printed, add each page as an image to PDF file.
Print.AddPagesToPdfDocument();

// dispose of the PrintDocument object
Print.Dispose();

// create the PDF file
Document.CreateFile(FileName);

Example of PrintPage method

// Print each page of the document to PrintDocument class
// You can use standard PrintDocument.PrintPage(...) method.
// NOTE: The graphics origin is top left and Y axis is pointing down.
// In other words, this is not PdfContents printing.
public void PrintPage(object sender, PrintPageEventArgs e)
{
// graphics object short cut
Graphics G = e.Graphics;

// Set everything to high quality
G.SmoothingMode = SmoothingMode.HighQuality;
G.InterpolationMode = InterpolationMode.HighQualityBicubic;
G.PixelOffsetMode = PixelOffsetMode.HighQuality;
G.CompositingQuality = CompositingQuality.HighQuality;

// print area within margins
Rectangle PrintArea = e.MarginBounds;

// draw rectangle around print area
G.DrawRectangle(Pens.DarkBlue, PrintArea);

// line height
Int32 LineHeight = DefaultFont.Height + 8;
Rectangle TextRect = new Rectangle(PrintArea.X + 4, PrintArea.Y + 4, PrintArea.Width - 8, LineHeight);

// display page bounds
// DefaultFont is defined somewhere else
String text = String.Format("Page Bounds: Left {0}, Top {1}, Right {2}, Bottom {3}",
	e.PageBounds.Left, e.PageBounds.Top, e.PageBounds.Right, e.PageBounds.Bottom);
G.DrawString(text, DefaultFont, Brushes.Black, TextRect);
TextRect.Y += LineHeight;

// display print area
text = String.Format("Page Margins: Left {0}, Top {1}, Right {2}, Bottom {3}",
	PrintArea.Left, PrintArea.Top, PrintArea.Right, PrintArea.Bottom);
G.DrawString(text, DefaultFont, Brushes.Black, TextRect);
TextRect.Y += LineHeight;

// print some lines
for(Int32 LineNo = 1; ; LineNo++)
	{
	text = String.Format("Page {0}, Line {1}", PageNo, LineNo);
	G.DrawString(text, DefaultFont, Brushes.Black, TextRect);
	TextRect.Y += LineHeight;
	if(TextRect.Bottom > PrintArea.Bottom) break;
	}
        
// move on to next page
PageNo++;
e.HasMorePages = PageNo <= 3;
return;
}