PrintDocument Class

Definition

public ref class PrintDocument : System::ComponentModel::Component

public class PrintDocument : System.ComponentModel.Component

type PrintDocument = class
 inherit Component

Public Class PrintDocument
Inherits Component

Inheritance

Object

MarshalByRefObject

Component

PrintDocument

Examples

The following code example prints the file named C:\My Documents\MyFile.txt on the default printer. To run the example, create a new Windows Forms project and paste the example code into the form, replacing the file contents. For C#, you will need to delete the Form1.Designer.cs file. Also, change the path to the file you want to print.

#using <System.dll>
#using <System.Windows.Forms.dll>
#using <System.Drawing.dll>
using namespace System;
using namespace System::IO;
using namespace System::Drawing;
using namespace System::Drawing::Printing;
using namespace System::Windows::Forms;
public ref class PrintingExample: public System::Windows::Forms::Form
{
private:
 System::ComponentModel::Container^ components;
 System::Windows::Forms::Button^ printButton;
 System::Drawing::Font^ printFont;
 StreamReader^ streamToPrint;
public:
 PrintingExample()
 : Form()
 {
 
 // The Windows Forms Designer requires the following call.
 InitializeComponent();
 }
private:
 // The Click event is raised when the user clicks the Print button.
 void printButton_Click( Object^ /*sender*/, EventArgs^ /*e*/ )
 {
 try
 {
 streamToPrint = gcnew StreamReader( "C:\\My Documents\\MyFile.txt" );
 try
 {
 printFont = gcnew System::Drawing::Font( "Arial",10 );
 PrintDocument^ pd = gcnew PrintDocument;
 pd->PrintPage += gcnew PrintPageEventHandler( this, &PrintingExample::pd_PrintPage );
 pd->Print();
 }
 finally
 {
 streamToPrint->Close();
 }
 }
 catch ( Exception^ ex ) 
 {
 MessageBox::Show( ex->Message );
 }
 }
 // The PrintPage event is raised for each page to be printed.
 void pd_PrintPage( Object^ /*sender*/, PrintPageEventArgs^ ev )
 {
 float linesPerPage = 0;
 float yPos = 0;
 int count = 0;
 float leftMargin = (float)ev->MarginBounds.Left;
 float topMargin = (float)ev->MarginBounds.Top;
 String^ line = nullptr;
 
 // Calculate the number of lines per page.
 linesPerPage = ev->MarginBounds.Height / printFont->GetHeight( ev->Graphics );
 
 // Print each line of the file.
 while ( count < linesPerPage && ((line = streamToPrint->ReadLine()) != nullptr) )
 {
 yPos = topMargin + (count * printFont->GetHeight( ev->Graphics ));
 ev->Graphics->DrawString( line, printFont, Brushes::Black, leftMargin, yPos, gcnew StringFormat );
 count++;
 }
 
 // If more lines exist, print another page.
 if ( line != nullptr )
 ev->HasMorePages = true;
 else
 ev->HasMorePages = false;
 }
 // The Windows Forms Designer requires the following procedure.
 void InitializeComponent()
 {
 this->components = gcnew System::ComponentModel::Container;
 this->printButton = gcnew System::Windows::Forms::Button;
 this->ClientSize = System::Drawing::Size( 504, 381 );
 this->Text = "Print Example";
 printButton->ImageAlign = System::Drawing::ContentAlignment::MiddleLeft;
 printButton->Location = System::Drawing::Point( 32, 110 );
 printButton->FlatStyle = System::Windows::Forms::FlatStyle::Flat;
 printButton->TabIndex = 0;
 printButton->Text = "Print the file.";
 printButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size( 136, 40 );
 printButton->Click += gcnew System::EventHandler( this, &PrintingExample::printButton_Click );
 this->Controls->Add( printButton );
 }
};
// This is the main entry point for the application.
int main()
{
 Application::Run( gcnew PrintingExample );
}

using System;
using System.IO;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.Windows.Forms;
public partial class Form1 : System.Windows.Forms.Form
{
 private System.ComponentModel.Container components;
 private System.Windows.Forms.Button printButton;
 private Font printFont;
 private StreamReader streamToPrint;
 public Form1()
 {
 // The Windows Forms Designer requires the following call.
 InitializeComponent();
 }
 // The Click event is raised when the user clicks the Print button.
 private void printButton_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
 {
 try
 {
 streamToPrint = new StreamReader
 ("C:\\My Documents\\MyFile.txt");
 try
 {
 printFont = new Font("Arial", 10);
 PrintDocument pd = new PrintDocument();
 pd.PrintPage += new PrintPageEventHandler
 (this.pd_PrintPage);
 pd.Print();
 }
 finally
 {
 streamToPrint.Close();
 }
 }
 catch (Exception ex)
 {
 MessageBox.Show(ex.Message);
 }
 }
 // The PrintPage event is raised for each page to be printed.
 private void pd_PrintPage(object sender, PrintPageEventArgs ev)
 {
 float linesPerPage = 0;
 float yPos = 0;
 int count = 0;
 float leftMargin = ev.MarginBounds.Left;
 float topMargin = ev.MarginBounds.Top;
 string line = null;
 // Calculate the number of lines per page.
 linesPerPage = ev.MarginBounds.Height /
 printFont.GetHeight(ev.Graphics);
 // Print each line of the file.
 while (count < linesPerPage &&
 ((line = streamToPrint.ReadLine()) != null))
 {
 yPos = topMargin + (count *
 printFont.GetHeight(ev.Graphics));
 ev.Graphics.DrawString(line, printFont, Brushes.Black,
 leftMargin, yPos, new StringFormat());
 count++;
 }
 // If more lines exist, print another page.
 if (line != null)
 ev.HasMorePages = true;
 else
 ev.HasMorePages = false;
 }
 // The Windows Forms Designer requires the following procedure.
 private void InitializeComponent()
 {
 this.components = new System.ComponentModel.Container();
 this.printButton = new System.Windows.Forms.Button();
 this.ClientSize = new System.Drawing.Size(504, 381);
 this.Text = "Print Example";
 printButton.ImageAlign =
 System.Drawing.ContentAlignment.MiddleLeft;
 printButton.Location = new System.Drawing.Point(32, 110);
 printButton.FlatStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FlatStyle.Flat;
 printButton.TabIndex = 0;
 printButton.Text = "Print the file.";
 printButton.Size = new System.Drawing.Size(136, 40);
 printButton.Click += new System.EventHandler(printButton_Click);
 this.Controls.Add(printButton);
 }
}

Imports System.IO
Imports System.Drawing
Imports System.Drawing.Printing
Imports System.Windows.Forms
Public Class Form1
 Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form
 Private WithEvents printButton As System.Windows.Forms.Button
 Private printFont As Font
 Private streamToPrint As StreamReader
 Public Sub New()
 ' The Windows Forms Designer requires the following call.
 InitializeComponent()
 InitializeForm()
 End Sub
 ' The Click event is raised when the user clicks the Print button.
 Private Sub printButton_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As EventArgs) Handles printButton.Click
 Try
 streamToPrint = New StreamReader("C:\My Documents\MyFile.txt")
 Try
 printFont = New Font("Arial", 10)
 Dim pd As New PrintDocument()
 AddHandler pd.PrintPage, AddressOf Me.pd_PrintPage
 pd.Print()
 Finally
 streamToPrint.Close()
 End Try
 Catch ex As Exception
 MessageBox.Show(ex.Message)
 End Try
 End Sub
 ' The PrintPage event is raised for each page to be printed.
 Private Sub pd_PrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal ev As PrintPageEventArgs)
 Dim linesPerPage As Single = 0
 Dim yPos As Single = 0
 Dim count As Integer = 0
 Dim leftMargin As Single = ev.MarginBounds.Left
 Dim topMargin As Single = ev.MarginBounds.Top
 Dim line As String = Nothing
 ' Calculate the number of lines per page.
 linesPerPage = ev.MarginBounds.Height / printFont.GetHeight(ev.Graphics)
 ' Print each line of the file.
 While count < linesPerPage
 line = streamToPrint.ReadLine()
 If line Is Nothing Then
 Exit While
 End If
 yPos = topMargin + count * printFont.GetHeight(ev.Graphics)
 ev.Graphics.DrawString(line, printFont, Brushes.Black, leftMargin, yPos, New StringFormat())
 count += 1
 End While
 ' If more lines exist, print another page.
 If (line IsNot Nothing) Then
 ev.HasMorePages = True
 Else
 ev.HasMorePages = False
 End If
 End Sub
 Private Sub InitializeForm()
 Me.components = New System.ComponentModel.Container()
 Me.printButton = New System.Windows.Forms.Button()
 Me.ClientSize = New System.Drawing.Size(504, 381)
 Me.Text = "Print Example"
 printButton.ImageAlign = System.Drawing.ContentAlignment.MiddleLeft
 printButton.Location = New System.Drawing.Point(32, 110)
 printButton.FlatStyle = System.Windows.Forms.FlatStyle.Flat
 printButton.TabIndex = 0
 printButton.Text = "Print the file."
 printButton.Size = New System.Drawing.Size(136, 40)
 AddHandler printButton.Click, AddressOf printButton_Click
 Me.Controls.Add(printButton)
 End Sub
 ' This is the main entry point for the application. 
 Public Shared Sub Main()
 Application.Run(New Form1())
 End Sub
End Class

Remarks

Typically, you create an instance of the PrintDocument class, set properties such as the DocumentName and PrinterSettings, and call the Print method to start the printing process. Handle the PrintPage event where you specify the output to print, by using the Graphics Graphics property of the PrintPageEventArgs.

For more information about printing from a Windows Form application, see the Windows Forms Print Support. If you wish to print from a Windows Presentation Foundation application, see the System.Printing namespace.

See also

• Graphics
• PageSettings
• PrintController
• PrinterSettings
• How to: Print a Multi-Page Text File in Windows Forms