PrintDocument Class
Defines a reusable object that sends output to a printer.
For a list of all members of this type, see PrintDocument Members.
System.Object
System.MarshalByRefObject
System.ComponentModel.Component
System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument
[Visual Basic] Public Class PrintDocument Inherits Component [C#] public class PrintDocument : Component [C++] public __gc class PrintDocument : public Component [JScript] public class PrintDocument extends Component
Thread Safety
Any public static (Shared in Visual Basic) members of this type are thread safe. Any instance members are not guaranteed to be thread safe.
Remarks
Typically, you create an instance of the PrintDocument class, set the properties that describe how to print, 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 included in the PrintPageEventArgs.
For more information on printing, see the System.Drawing.Printing namespace overview.
Example
[Visual Basic, C#, C++] The following example prints the file named C:\My Documents\MyFile.txt on the default printer. To run the example, change the path to the file you want to print. You can also modify the InitializeComponent procedure through the Windows Forms Designer.
[Visual Basic, C#, C++] Note The example assumes that each line fits within the page width.
[Visual Basic, C#, C++] Use the System.ComponentModel, System.Windows.Forms, System.Drawing, System.Drawing.Printing, and System.IO namespaces for this example.
[Visual Basic] Public Class PrintingExample Inherits System.Windows.Forms.Form Private components As System.ComponentModel.Container Private 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() End Sub ' The Click event is raised when the user clicks the Print button. Private Sub printButton_Click(sender As Object, e As EventArgs) 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(sender As Object, 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 Not (line Is Nothing) Then ev.HasMorePages = True Else ev.HasMorePages = False End If End Sub ' The Windows Forms Designer requires the following procedure. Private Sub InitializeComponent() Me.components = New System.ComponentModel.Container() Me.printButton = New System.Windows.Forms.Button() Me.AutoScaleBaseSize = New System.Drawing.Size(5, 13) 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 PrintingExample()) End Sub End Class [C#] public class PrintingExample : System.Windows.Forms.Form { private System.ComponentModel.Container components; private System.Windows.Forms.Button printButton; private Font printFont; private StreamReader streamToPrint; public PrintingExample() : base() { // 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.AutoScaleBaseSize = new System.Drawing.Size(5, 13); 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); } // This is the main entry point for the application. public static void Main(string[] args) { Application.Run(new PrintingExample()); } } [C++] public __gc 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(); } // The Click event is raised when the user clicks the Print button. private: void printButton_Click(Object* /*sender*/, EventArgs* /*e*/) { try { streamToPrint = new StreamReader (S"C:\\My Documents\\MyFile.txt"); try { printFont = new System::Drawing::Font(S"Arial", 10); PrintDocument* pd = new PrintDocument(); pd->PrintPage += new 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 = 0; // 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()) != 0)) { 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 != 0) ev->HasMorePages = true; else ev->HasMorePages = false; } // The Windows Forms Designer requires the following procedure. void InitializeComponent() { this->components = new System::ComponentModel::Container(); this->printButton = new System::Windows::Forms::Button(); this->AutoScaleBaseSize = System::Drawing::Size(5, 13); this->ClientSize = System::Drawing::Size(504, 381); this->Text = S"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 = S"Print the file."; printButton->Size = System::Drawing::Size(136, 40); printButton->Click += new System::EventHandler(this, &PrintingExample::printButton_Click); this->Controls->Add(printButton); } }; // This is the main entry point for the application. int main() { Application::Run(new PrintingExample()); }
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Requirements
Namespace: System.Drawing.Printing
Platforms: Windows 98, Windows NT 4.0, Windows Millennium Edition, Windows 2000, Windows XP Home Edition, Windows XP Professional, Windows Server 2003 family
Assembly: System.Drawing (in System.Drawing.dll)
See Also
PrintDocument Members | System.Drawing.Printing Namespace | Graphics | PageSettings | PrintController | PrinterSettings