Print images in WinForms

In This Topic

The ImagePrintDocument control, which is derived from System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument control, is used for printing and print previewing of images in WinForms.
By default the ImagePrintDocument control prints the entire image without scaling, image is divided into pages if the entire image cannot be printed on a single page.
Also control allows to scale an image during printing, scaling mode can be chosen using the ImagePrintDocument.PrintScaleMode property.
The following image scaling modes are supported:

PrintScaleMode.None mode
No scaling, the image will be divided into several parts in accordance with the page margins and image size, printer resolution and image resolution.
PrintScaleMode.BestFit mode
The image will be resized to fit within the page margins. Image proportions do not change.
PrintScaleMode.Stretch mode
The image will be resized to fill up the page.
PrintScaleMode.CropToPageSize mode
The image will be cropped to fit within the page margins.
PrintScaleMode.Mozaic mode
A chosen set of images will be combined on one page in mosaic order.

Before print start, margins for all pages selected for printing can be defined using the dialog System.Windows.Forms.PageSetupDialog.

During print process, margins for the page which is being printed can be defined in handler of the System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument.PrintPage event using Margins property of System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings class.

The image can be centered on a page while printing using ImagePrintDocument.Center property.

The ImagePrintDocument control uses a standard WinForms settings dialog, which is implemented in System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog class, for choosing a print device and adjusting printing parameters.

While printing ImagePrintDocument control raises a set of events, which allow to obtain detailed information about print process and control all printing aspects:

System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument.BeginPrint - occurs when the System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument.Print method is called and before printing the first page of the document.
System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument.EndPrint - occurs when the last page of the document has been printed.
System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument.PrintPage - occurs before printing each page.
ImagePrintDocument.PrintImage - occurs when printer needs next image to print.
ImagePrintDocument.ImagePrinting - occurs when an image is being printed on the page.
ImagePrintDocument.ImagePrinted - occurs when an image has been printed on the page.

Here is an example that shows how to print an image collection with default print settings, each image from the collection will be printed on separate page, each image will be scaled up on page in BestFit mode:

VB.NET

' The project, which uses this code, must have references to the following assemblies:
' - Vintasoft.Imaging

Private _printingImages As Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection
Private _printingImageIndex As Integer

Public Sub PrintImagesOnDefaultPrinter(images As Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection)
        ' save information about printing image collection in global variable
        _printingImages = images
        _printingImageIndex = 0

        ' create print manager
        Dim imagePrintDocument As New Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument()
        ' specify that each image must be resized to fit within the page margins,
        ' image proportions are not changed
        imagePrintDocument.PrintScaleMode = Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintScaleMode.BestFit

        ' subscribe to the PrintImage event
        AddHandler imagePrintDocument.PrintImage, New System.EventHandler(Of Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)(AddressOf imagePrintDocument_PrintImage)

        ' start print
        imagePrintDocument.Print()
End Sub

Private Sub imagePrintDocument_PrintImage(sender As Object, e As Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)
        e.Image = _printingImages(_printingImageIndex)

        _printingImageIndex += 1

        If _printingImageIndex >= _printingImages.Count Then
                Dim imagePrintDocument As Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument = DirectCast(sender, Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument)
                ' unsubscribe from the PrintImage event
                RemoveHandler imagePrintDocument.PrintImage, New System.EventHandler(Of Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)(AddressOf imagePrintDocument_PrintImage)
                ' indicate that there is no more images to print
                e.HasMoreImages = False
        Else
                ' indicate that there are additional images to print
                e.HasMoreImages = True
        End If
End Sub

// The project, which uses this code, must have references to the following assemblies:
// - Vintasoft.Imaging

Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection _printingImages;
int _printingImageIndex;

public void PrintImagesOnDefaultPrinter(Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection images)
{
    // save information about printing image collection in global variable
    _printingImages = images;
    _printingImageIndex = 0;

    // create print manager
    Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument imagePrintDocument =
        new Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument();
    // specify that each image must be resized to fit within the page margins,
    // image proportions are not changed
    imagePrintDocument.PrintScaleMode = Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintScaleMode.BestFit;

    // subscribe to the PrintImage event
    imagePrintDocument.PrintImage +=
        new System.EventHandler<Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs>(imagePrintDocument_PrintImage);

    // start print
    imagePrintDocument.Print();
}

private void imagePrintDocument_PrintImage(object sender, Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs e)
{
    e.Image = _printingImages[_printingImageIndex];

    _printingImageIndex++;

    if (_printingImageIndex >= _printingImages.Count)
    {
        Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument imagePrintDocument =
            (Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument)sender;
        // unsubscribe from the PrintImage event
        imagePrintDocument.PrintImage -=
            new System.EventHandler<Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs>(imagePrintDocument_PrintImage);
        // indicate that there is no more images to print
        e.HasMoreImages = false;
    }
    else
    {
        // indicate that there are additional images to print
        e.HasMoreImages = true;
    }
}

Here is an example that shows how to choose a printer, run printing of image collection and cancel printing after the first half of image collection has been printed:

VB.NET

' The project, which uses this code, must have references to the following assemblies:
' - Vintasoft.Imaging

Private _printingImages As Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection
Private _printingImageIndex As Integer

Public Sub PrintImagesAndCancel(images As Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection)
        ' save information about printing image collection in global variable
        _printingImages = images
        _printingImageIndex = 0

        ' create print manager
        Dim imagePrintDocument As New Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument()
        ' specify that each image must be resized to fit within the page margins,
        ' image proportions is not changed
        imagePrintDocument.PrintScaleMode = Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintScaleMode.BestFit

        ' create an instance of PrintDialog class
        Dim printDialog1 As New System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog()
        ' specify that printer settings should be obtain for imagePrintDocument
        printDialog1.Document = imagePrintDocument
        ' if printer is not selected
        If printDialog1.ShowDialog() <> System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK Then
                ' exit
                Return
        End If

        ' subscribe to the PrintImage event
        AddHandler imagePrintDocument.PrintImage, New System.EventHandler(Of Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)(AddressOf imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndCancel)

        ' start print
        imagePrintDocument.Print()
End Sub

Private Sub imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndCancel(sender As Object, e As Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)
        If (_printingImageIndex >= _printingImages.Count) OrElse (_printingImageIndex >= (_printingImages.Count \ 2)) Then
                Dim imagePrintDocument As Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument = DirectCast(sender, Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument)
                ' unsubscribe from the PrintImage event
                RemoveHandler imagePrintDocument.PrintImage, New System.EventHandler(Of Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)(AddressOf imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndCancel)
                ' indicate that there is no more images to print
                e.HasMoreImages = False
                Return
        End If

        e.Image = _printingImages(_printingImageIndex)

        _printingImageIndex += 1
End Sub

// The project, which uses this code, must have references to the following assemblies:
// - Vintasoft.Imaging

Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection _printingImages;
int _printingImageIndex;

public void PrintImagesAndCancel(Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection images)
{
    // save information about printing image collection in global variable
    _printingImages = images;
    _printingImageIndex = 0;

    // create print manager
    Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument imagePrintDocument =
        new Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument();
    // specify that each image must be resized to fit within the page margins,
    // image proportions is not changed
    imagePrintDocument.PrintScaleMode = Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintScaleMode.BestFit;

    // create an instance of PrintDialog class
    System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog printDialog1 =
        new System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog();
    // specify that printer settings should be obtain for imagePrintDocument
    printDialog1.Document = imagePrintDocument;
    // if printer is not selected
    if (printDialog1.ShowDialog() != System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult.OK)
        // exit
        return;

    // subscribe to the PrintImage event
    imagePrintDocument.PrintImage +=
        new System.EventHandler<Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs>(imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndCancel);

    // start print
    imagePrintDocument.Print();
}

private void imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndCancel(object sender, Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs e)
{
    if ((_printingImageIndex >= _printingImages.Count) ||
        (_printingImageIndex >= (_printingImages.Count / 2)))
    {
        Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument imagePrintDocument =
            (Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument)sender;
        // unsubscribe from the PrintImage event
        imagePrintDocument.PrintImage -=
            new System.EventHandler<Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs>(imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndCancel);
        // indicate that there is no more images to print
        e.HasMoreImages = false;
        return;
    }

    e.Image = _printingImages[_printingImageIndex];

    _printingImageIndex++;
}

Here is an example that shows how to print all images from an image collection except the second one:

VB.NET

' The project, which uses this code, must have references to the following assemblies:
' - Vintasoft.Imaging

Private _printingImages As Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection
Private _printingImageIndex As Integer

Public Sub PrintImagesAndSuppressSecondImage(images As Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection)
        ' save information about printing image collection in global variable
        _printingImages = images
        _printingImageIndex = 0

        ' create print manager
        Dim imagePrintDocument As New Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument()

        ' subscribe to the PrintImage event
        AddHandler imagePrintDocument.PrintImage, New System.EventHandler(Of Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)(AddressOf imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndSuppress)

        ' start print
        imagePrintDocument.Print()
End Sub

Private Sub imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndSuppress(sender As Object, e As Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)
        If _printingImageIndex = 1 Then
                _printingImageIndex += 1
        End If

        If _printingImageIndex >= _printingImages.Count Then
                Dim imagePrintDocument As Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument = DirectCast(sender, Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument)
                ' unsubscribe from the PrintImage event
                RemoveHandler imagePrintDocument.PrintImage, New System.EventHandler(Of Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs)(AddressOf imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndSuppress)
                ' indicate that there is no more images to print
                e.HasMoreImages = False
                Return
        End If

        e.Image = _printingImages(_printingImageIndex)

        _printingImageIndex += 1
End Sub

// The project, which uses this code, must have references to the following assemblies:
// - Vintasoft.Imaging

Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection _printingImages;
int _printingImageIndex;

public void PrintImagesAndSuppressSecondImage(Vintasoft.Imaging.ImageCollection images)
{
    // save information about printing image collection in global variable
    _printingImages = images;
    _printingImageIndex = 0;

    // create print manager
    Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument imagePrintDocument =
        new Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument();

    // subscribe to the PrintImage event
    imagePrintDocument.PrintImage +=
        new System.EventHandler<Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs>(imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndSuppress);

    // start print
    imagePrintDocument.Print();
}

private void imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndSuppress(object sender, Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs e)
{
    if (_printingImageIndex == 1)
        _printingImageIndex++;

    if (_printingImageIndex >= _printingImages.Count)
    {
        Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument imagePrintDocument =
            (Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.ImagePrintDocument)sender;
        // unsubscribe from the PrintImage event
        imagePrintDocument.PrintImage -=
            new System.EventHandler<Vintasoft.Imaging.Print.PrintImageEventArgs>(imagePrintDocument_PrintImageAndSuppress);
        // indicate that there is no more images to print
        e.HasMoreImages = false;
        return;
    }

    e.Image = _printingImages[_printingImageIndex];

    _printingImageIndex++;
}

A code example, which shows how to add header and/or footer to the printing image or page, can be found in the PrintDemo application, which is available in SDK distribution.

Print preview of images

ImagePrintDocument control can use System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl control for print preview of images.

During the preview System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl control allows to:

define zoom level - System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl.Zoom.
define a number of pages which have to be shown horizontally/vertically in previewer - System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl.Columns, System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl.Rows.
refresh previewer - System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl.InvalidatePreview.

Good example showing an implementation of image collection print preview is available in PrintDemo application.

Print images with annotations

The AnnotatedImagePrintDocument control, which is derived from ImagePrintDocument control, must be used for printing and print preview of images with annotations.
The AnnotatedImagePrintDocument control prints annotations in vector form and this provides more efficient memory usage and greater performance than when rasterizing annotations onto an image clone before printing. The AnnotatedImagePrintDocument control will work as ImagePrintDocument control if the AnnotatedImagePrintDocument.PrintAnnotations property value is set to false.

Print PDF document

PDF: Print PDF document in WinForms

Send Feedback