How to Print a PDF in VB.NET Using IronPrint

How to get started with IronPrint?

Installing IronPrint takes just seconds through NuGet Package Manager. Open your Package Manager Console in Visual Studio and run:

Install-Package IronPrint

After installation, configure your project by importing the namespace and applying your license key as we have in the following code snippet:

Imports IronPrint
' Apply your license key (get a free trial key from Iron Software website)
License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

Imports IronPrint
' Apply your license key (get a free trial key from Iron Software website)
License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

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IronPrint supports .NET Framework 4.6.2+ and all modern .NET versions (5, 6, 7, 8+), ensuring compatibility with both legacy and cutting-edge VB.NET PDF printing projects. The library supports seamless handling of PDF, PNG, HTML, TIFF, GIF, JPEG, and BMP formats through its unified printing API.

How to print PDF documents silently in VB.NET?

Silent printing enables automatic PDF document printing without user interaction, perfect for automated workflows and batch processing. According to Microsoft's documentation on printing in .NET, traditional approaches require complex PrintDocument implementations. Here's how to print a PDF file with IronPrint:

Imports IronPrint
Module PrintingExample
    Sub Main()
        Dim pdfPath As String = "invoice.pdf"
    ' Print PDF to default printer in VB.NET
        Printer.Print(pdfPath)
        ' Create a PrintSettings object
        Dim settings As New PrintSettings()
        settings.PrinterName = "Microsoft Print to PDF" ' exact printer name
        ' Print PDF to a specific printer programmatically
        Printer.Print(pdfPath, settings)
    End Sub
End Module

Imports IronPrint
Module PrintingExample
    Sub Main()
        Dim pdfPath As String = "invoice.pdf"
    ' Print PDF to default printer in VB.NET
        Printer.Print(pdfPath)
        ' Create a PrintSettings object
        Dim settings As New PrintSettings()
        settings.PrinterName = "Microsoft Print to PDF" ' exact printer name
        ' Print PDF to a specific printer programmatically
        Printer.Print(pdfPath, settings)
    End Sub
End Module

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This code shows how to send the loaded PDF document directly to the printer queue without displaying any dialogs. The Print method automatically uses the system's default printer. Otherwise, setting a specific printer's name in the print settings and using it when printing PDF files lets you specify exactly which printer to use.

IronPrint handles all the complex PDF rendering internally, eliminating the need for Adobe Acrobat Reader or other external dependencies. For more advanced scenarios, check the print settings documentation.

How to show print dialog before printing?

Sometimes users need control over print settings before sending documents to the printer. IronPrint's ShowPrintDialog method displays the familiar Windows print dialog. This lets you choose the printer you want to use for your printing job.

Imports IronPrint
Module DialogPrinting
    Sub Main()
        ' Show print dialog for PDF printing in VB.NET
        Printer.ShowPrintDialog("report.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

Imports IronPrint
Module DialogPrinting
    Sub Main()
        ' Show print dialog for PDF printing in VB.NET
        Printer.ShowPrintDialog("report.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

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This approach gives users full control over printer selection, page ranges, copies, and other settings through the standard Windows interface. The method returns after the user either prints or cancels the dialog, making it easy to integrate into existing Windows Forms applications. For more dialog options, see the print dialog examples.

How to customize PDF printing settings?

IronPrint provides granular control over print settings through the PrintSettings class. You can programmatically configure orientation, DPI, copies, and more for your VB.NET PDF printing needs:

Imports IronPrint
Module CustomPrintSettings
    Sub Main()
        ' Create custom print settings for PDF printing in VB.NET
        Dim settings As New PrintSettings() With {
            .Dpi = 300,
            .NumberOfCopies = 2,
            .PaperOrientation = PaperOrientation.Landscape,
            .PaperSize = PaperSize.A4,
            .PrinterName = "Office Printer"
        }
        ' Apply settings when printing PDF programmatically
        Printer.Print("document.pdf", settings)
    End Sub
End Module

Imports IronPrint
Module CustomPrintSettings
    Sub Main()
        ' Create custom print settings for PDF printing in VB.NET
        Dim settings As New PrintSettings() With {
            .Dpi = 300,
            .NumberOfCopies = 2,
            .PaperOrientation = PaperOrientation.Landscape,
            .PaperSize = PaperSize.A4,
            .PrinterName = "Office Printer"
        }
        ' Apply settings when printing PDF programmatically
        Printer.Print("document.pdf", settings)
    End Sub
End Module

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These settings give you complete control over the PDF printing process. The Dpi property ensures high-quality output for professional documents, while NumberOfCopies eliminates the need for manual loops. Setting PaperOrientation and PaperSize ensures PDF files print correctly regardless of their original formatting. Learn more about advanced print customization.

How to select and manage printers?

IronPrint makes printer discovery and selection straightforward with the GetPrinterNames method:

Imports IronPrint
Module PrinterManagement
    Sub Main()
        ' Get all available printers for VB.NET PDF printing
        Dim printers As List(Of String) = Printer.GetPrinterNames()
        ' Display available printers
        For Each printerName As String In printers
            Console.WriteLine($"Found printer: {printerName}")
        Next
        ' Print PDF to first available printer
        If printers.Count > 0 Then
            Printer.PrintToPrinter("document.pdf", printers(0))
        End If
    End Sub
End Module

Imports IronPrint
Module PrinterManagement
    Sub Main()
        ' Get all available printers for VB.NET PDF printing
        Dim printers As List(Of String) = Printer.GetPrinterNames()
        ' Display available printers
        For Each printerName As String In printers
            Console.WriteLine($"Found printer: {printerName}")
        Next
        ' Print PDF to first available printer
        If printers.Count > 0 Then
            Printer.PrintToPrinter("document.pdf", printers(0))
        End If
    End Sub
End Module

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This functionality enables dynamic printer selection in multi-printer environments, allowing applications to intelligently route documents to appropriate printers based on availability or document type. Explore more printer information features.

What are common issues and solutions?

When implementing PDF printing in VB.NET, developers often encounter these common issues:

' Robust error handling for VB.NET PDF printing
Try
    If System.IO.File.Exists("document.pdf") Then
        Printer.Print("document.pdf")
    Else
        MessageBox.Show("PDF file not found")
    End If
Catch ex As Exception
    MessageBox.Show($"Printing failed: {ex.Message}")
End Try

' Robust error handling for VB.NET PDF printing
Try
    If System.IO.File.Exists("document.pdf") Then
        Printer.Print("document.pdf")
    Else
        MessageBox.Show("PDF file not found")
    End If
Catch ex As Exception
    MessageBox.Show($"Printing failed: {ex.Message}")
End Try

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Conclusion

IronPrint simplifies PDF printing in VB.NET, transforming a complex challenge into a straightforward task. With just a few lines of code, you can implement silent printing, display print dialogs, customize settings, and manage multiple printers. For complete document workflows, IronPrint integrates seamlessly with IronPDF, a powerful PDF library, allowing you to generate PDFs programmatically and print them immediately, all within the same application.

Ready to simplify PDF printing in your VB.NET applications? Start your free trial today and experience professional-grade printing capabilities with full technical support.