COMPARISON

RawPrint .NET vs IronPDF: Technical Comparison Guide

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When .NET developers assess document printing and PDF generation solutions, RawPrint .NET and IronPDF offer fundamentally different approaches with distinct capabilities. RawPrint .NET provides low-level access to printer spoolers for sending raw bytes directly to printers, while IronPDF offers a complete high-level API for creating, manipulating, and printing PDF documents. This technical comparison examines both solutions across the dimensions that matter most to professional developers and architects making document processing decisions for .NET applications.

Understanding RawPrint .NET

RawPrint .NET is a low-level printing utility that sends raw bytes directly to printer spoolers. It enables applications to bypass conventional printer drivers and transmit command data directly to printers. This functionality is particularly useful for specialized printers such as label creators using ZPL (Zebra Programming Language) or EPL (Eltron Programming Language).

Critical Distinction: RawPrint .NET is not a PDF library. It does not create, generate, render, or manipulate PDF documents. Its sole function is byte transmission to printer hardware through the Windows printing subsystem.

The approach requires developers to work with Windows-specific DLL imports from winspool.Drv, managing printer handles manually through a series of function calls: OpenPrinter, StartDocPrinter, StartPagePrinter, WritePrinter, EndPagePrinter, EndDocPrinter, and ClosePrinter.

RawPrint .NET's architecture demands a deep understanding of printer command languages. For document formatting, developers must construct manual PCL (Printer Command Language) or PostScript commands as escape sequences embedded in the byte stream.

Understanding IronPDF

IronPDF provides a complete high-level API for PDF operations in .NET applications. The library includes a Chromium-based rendering engine that converts HTML, CSS, and JavaScript into PDF documents with full fidelity. Beyond generation, IronPDF offers PDF manipulation capabilities including merging, splitting, editing, and security features.

IronPDF's architecture abstracts the complexity of document rendering and printer communication. The ChromePdfRenderer class handles HTML-to-PDF conversion, while the PdfDocument class provides methods for manipulation and printing without requiring manual resource management.

The Core Capability Gap

The fundamental difference between RawPrint .NET and IronPDF lies in their purpose and capabilities:

TaskRawPrint .NETIronPDF
Create PDF from HTMLNot SupportedYes
Create PDF from URLNot SupportedYes
Edit/Modify PDFsNot SupportedYes
Merge/Split PDFsNot SupportedYes
Print Existing PDFYes (raw bytes only)Yes (high-level API)
Print ControlBasicFull options
Cross-PlatformWindows onlyYes

This comparison reveals that RawPrint .NET and IronPDF serve entirely different use cases. RawPrint .NET addresses low-level printer communication, while IronPDF provides complete PDF document lifecycle management.

HTML to PDF Conversion

The contrast between RawPrint .NET and IronPDF becomes stark when examining HTML-to-PDF conversion scenarios.

RawPrint .NET HTML Handling

RawPrint .NET cannot convert HTML to PDF. It can only send raw data to printers:

// NuGet: Install-Package System.Drawing.Common
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;

class RawPrinterHelper
{
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi)]
    public class DOCINFOA
    {
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] public string pDocName;
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] public string pOutputFile;
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] public string pDataType;
    }

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "OpenPrinterA", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool OpenPrinter([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] string szPrinter, out IntPtr hPrinter, IntPtr pd);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "ClosePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool ClosePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "StartDocPrinterA", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool StartDocPrinter(IntPtr hPrinter, Int32 level, [In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] DOCINFOA di);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "EndDocPrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool EndDocPrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "StartPagePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool StartPagePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "EndPagePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool EndPagePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "WritePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool WritePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter, IntPtr pBytes, Int32 dwCount, out Int32 dwWritten);

    public static bool SendStringToPrinter(string szPrinterName, string szString)
    {
        IntPtr pBytes;
        Int32 dwCount;
        dwCount = szString.Length;
        pBytes = Marshal.StringToCoTaskMemAnsi(szString);
        IntPtr hPrinter;
        if (OpenPrinter(szPrinterName, out hPrinter, IntPtr.Zero))
        {
            DOCINFOA di = new DOCINFOA();
            di.pDocName = "HTML Document";
            di.pDataType = "RAW";
            if (StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, di))
            {
                if (StartPagePrinter(hPrinter))
                {
                    Int32 dwWritten;
                    WritePrinter(hPrinter, pBytes, dwCount, out dwWritten);
                    EndPagePrinter(hPrinter);
                }
                EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
            }
            ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
            Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pBytes);
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        // RawPrint cannot directly convert HTML to PDF
        // It sends raw data to printer, no PDF generation capability
        RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter("Microsoft Print to PDF", html);
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package System.Drawing.Common
using System;
using System.Drawing;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;

class RawPrinterHelper
{
    [StructLayout(LayoutKind.Sequential, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi)]
    public class DOCINFOA
    {
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] public string pDocName;
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] public string pOutputFile;
        [MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] public string pDataType;
    }

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "OpenPrinterA", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool OpenPrinter([MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStr)] string szPrinter, out IntPtr hPrinter, IntPtr pd);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "ClosePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool ClosePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "StartDocPrinterA", SetLastError = true, CharSet = CharSet.Ansi, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool StartDocPrinter(IntPtr hPrinter, Int32 level, [In, MarshalAs(UnmanagedType.LPStruct)] DOCINFOA di);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "EndDocPrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool EndDocPrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "StartPagePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool StartPagePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "EndPagePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool EndPagePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter);

    [DllImport("winspool.Drv", EntryPoint = "WritePrinter", SetLastError = true, ExactSpelling = true, CallingConvention = CallingConvention.StdCall)]
    public static extern bool WritePrinter(IntPtr hPrinter, IntPtr pBytes, Int32 dwCount, out Int32 dwWritten);

    public static bool SendStringToPrinter(string szPrinterName, string szString)
    {
        IntPtr pBytes;
        Int32 dwCount;
        dwCount = szString.Length;
        pBytes = Marshal.StringToCoTaskMemAnsi(szString);
        IntPtr hPrinter;
        if (OpenPrinter(szPrinterName, out hPrinter, IntPtr.Zero))
        {
            DOCINFOA di = new DOCINFOA();
            di.pDocName = "HTML Document";
            di.pDataType = "RAW";
            if (StartDocPrinter(hPrinter, 1, di))
            {
                if (StartPagePrinter(hPrinter))
                {
                    Int32 dwWritten;
                    WritePrinter(hPrinter, pBytes, dwCount, out dwWritten);
                    EndPagePrinter(hPrinter);
                }
                EndDocPrinter(hPrinter);
            }
            ClosePrinter(hPrinter);
            Marshal.FreeCoTaskMem(pBytes);
            return true;
        }
        return false;
    }
}

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        // RawPrint cannot directly convert HTML to PDF
        // It sends raw data to printer, no PDF generation capability
        RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter("Microsoft Print to PDF", html);
    }
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

This code demonstrates RawPrint .NET's limitation: it sends the raw HTML string to the printer rather than rendering it as a formatted document. The output would be the literal HTML markup text, not a rendered web page.

IronPDF HTML Conversion

IronPDF provides actual HTML-to-PDF conversion with full rendering:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
        Console.WriteLine("PDF created successfully");
    }
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The IronPDF approach uses the RenderHtmlAsPdf method to convert HTML content into a properly rendered PDF document. The Chromium engine processes CSS, JavaScript, and HTML to produce output matching browser rendering.

URL to PDF Conversion

Converting live web pages to PDF further illustrates the capability difference.

RawPrint .NET URL Handling

RawPrint .NET cannot render web pages—it can only transmit raw data:

// NuGet: Install-Package System.Drawing.Common
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // RawPrint cannot render web pages - only sends raw text/data
        // This would just print HTML source code, not rendered content
        using (WebClient client = new WebClient())
        {
            string htmlSource = client.DownloadString("https://example.com");
            // This prints raw HTML, not a rendered PDF
            RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter("Microsoft Print to PDF", htmlSource);
            Console.WriteLine("Raw HTML sent to printer (not rendered)");
        }
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package System.Drawing.Common
using System;
using System.Net;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // RawPrint cannot render web pages - only sends raw text/data
        // This would just print HTML source code, not rendered content
        using (WebClient client = new WebClient())
        {
            string htmlSource = client.DownloadString("https://example.com");
            // This prints raw HTML, not a rendered PDF
            RawPrinterHelper.SendStringToPrinter("Microsoft Print to PDF", htmlSource);
            Console.WriteLine("Raw HTML sent to printer (not rendered)");
        }
    }
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

This approach downloads the HTML source code and sends it as raw text to the printer. The result is printed HTML markup, not a rendered web page with styling, images, or layout.

IronPDF URL Conversion

IronPDF renders live websites directly to PDF:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        // Render a live website directly to PDF with full CSS, JavaScript, and images
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com");
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
        Console.WriteLine("Website rendered to PDF successfully");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        // Render a live website directly to PDF with full CSS, JavaScript, and images
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com");
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
        Console.WriteLine("Website rendered to PDF successfully");
    }
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The RenderUrlAsPdf method navigates to the URL, executes JavaScript, applies CSS styling, loads images, and captures the fully rendered page as a PDF document.

Document Formatting Comparison

The formatting capabilities reveal the architectural differences between the two approaches.

RawPrint .NET Formatting

RawPrint .NET requires manual PCL or PostScript commands for any formatting:

// NuGet: Install-Package System.Drawing.Common
using System;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // RawPrint requires manual PCL/PostScript commands for formatting
        string pclCommands = "\x1B&l0O\x1B(s0p16.66h8.5v0s0b3T";
        string text = "Plain text document - limited formatting";
        byte[] data = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(pclCommands + text);
        RawPrinterHelper.SendBytesToPrinter("HP LaserJet", data);
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package System.Drawing.Common
using System;
using System.Drawing.Printing;
using System.Runtime.InteropServices;
using System.Text;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // RawPrint requires manual PCL/PostScript commands for formatting
        string pclCommands = "\x1B&l0O\x1B(s0p16.66h8.5v0s0b3T";
        string text = "Plain text document - limited formatting";
        byte[] data = Encoding.ASCII.GetBytes(pclCommands + text);
        RawPrinterHelper.SendBytesToPrinter("HP LaserJet", data);
    }
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

The escape sequences (\x1B&l0O\x1B(s0p16.66h8.5v0s0b3T) represent PCL commands for printer configuration. Developers must understand printer-specific command languages and manually construct formatting instructions.

IronPDF Formatting

IronPDF uses standard HTML and CSS for rich formatting:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        string html = @"
            <html>
            <head>
                <style>
                    body { font-family: Arial; margin: 40px; }
                    h1 { color: #2c3e50; font-size: 24px; }
                    p { line-height: 1.6; color: #34495e; }
                    .highlight { background-color: yellow; font-weight: bold; }
                </style>
            </head>
            <body>
                <h1>Formatted Document</h1>
                <p>This is a <span class='highlight'>beautifully formatted</span> document with CSS styling.</p>
                <p>Complex layouts, fonts, colors, and images are fully supported.</p>
            </body>
            </html>";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("formatted.pdf");
        Console.WriteLine("Formatted PDF created successfully");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        string html = @"
            <html>
            <head>
                <style>
                    body { font-family: Arial; margin: 40px; }
                    h1 { color: #2c3e50; font-size: 24px; }
                    p { line-height: 1.6; color: #34495e; }
                    .highlight { background-color: yellow; font-weight: bold; }
                </style>
            </head>
            <body>
                <h1>Formatted Document</h1>
                <p>This is a <span class='highlight'>beautifully formatted</span> document with CSS styling.</p>
                <p>Complex layouts, fonts, colors, and images are fully supported.</p>
            </body>
            </html>";

        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
        pdf.SaveAs("formatted.pdf");
        Console.WriteLine("Formatted PDF created successfully");
    }
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF leverages existing web development skills. Developers use familiar HTML and CSS syntax rather than printer-specific command languages. This approach supports complex layouts, fonts, colors, and images through standard web technologies.

API Mapping Reference

Teams evaluating RawPrint .NET migration to IronPDF can reference this mapping of operations:

RawPrint .NETIronPDF
Printer.SendBytesToPrinter()pdf.Print()
Printer.OpenPrinter()N/A
Printer.ClosePrinter()N/A
Printer.StartDocPrinter()N/A
Printer.WritePrinter()N/A
Printer.EndDocPrinter()N/A
N/AChromePdfRenderer
N/APdfDocument.Merge()
N/Apdf.ApplyWatermark()

The mapping shows that IronPDF eliminates manual printer handle management entirely. Operations that require explicit open/close/start/end calls in RawPrint .NET are handled automatically by IronPDF's high-level API.

Feature Comparison Matrix

FeatureRawPrint .NETIronPDF
PDF Creation
HTML to PDFNoYes
URL to PDFNoYes
Create from scratchNoYes
PDF Manipulation
Merge PDFsNoYes
Split PDFsNoYes
Add WatermarksNoYes
Edit ExistingNoYes
Printing
Print PDFYes (raw)Yes (high-level)
Print DialogNoYes
Multiple CopiesLimitedYes
DPI ControlNoYes
DuplexNoYes
Platform
WindowsYesYes
LinuxNoYes
macOSNoYes
DockerNoYes
Other
SecurityNoYes
Digital SignaturesNoYes
PDF/ANoYes

Printing Comparison

For the one capability RawPrint .NET does provide—printing existing documents—the API complexity differs significantly.

RawPrint .NET Printing

using RawPrint;
using System.IO;

byte[] pdfBytes = File.ReadAllBytes("document.pdf");
bool success = Printer.SendBytesToPrinter(
    "Brother HL-L2340D",
    pdfBytes,
    pdfBytes.Length
);

if (!success)
{
    throw new Exception("Print failed");
}
using RawPrint;
using System.IO;

byte[] pdfBytes = File.ReadAllBytes("document.pdf");
bool success = Printer.SendBytesToPrinter(
    "Brother HL-L2340D",
    pdfBytes,
    pdfBytes.Length
);

if (!success)
{
    throw new Exception("Print failed");
}
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

RawPrint .NET requires reading the file as bytes and managing success/failure states manually.

IronPDF Printing

using IronPdf;

var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");

// Simple print
pdf.Print();

// Or specify printer
pdf.Print("Brother HL-L2340D");
using IronPdf;

var pdf = PdfDocument.FromFile("document.pdf");

// Simple print
pdf.Print();

// Or specify printer
pdf.Print("Brother HL-L2340D");
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF provides a simple Print method that handles printer communication automatically. For advanced scenarios, IronPDF supports print options including copies, DPI, and grayscale settings.

When Teams Consider RawPrint .NET Migration

Several factors prompt development teams to evaluate alternatives to RawPrint .NET:

PDF generation requirements become blockers when applications need to create PDF documents. RawPrint .NET cannot generate PDFs—it only transmits bytes to printers. Teams requiring HTML-to-PDF conversion or document creation must use additional libraries alongside RawPrint .NET.

Cross-platform deployment requirements exceed RawPrint .NET's capabilities. The library relies entirely on Windows printing subsystem through winspool.Drv DLL imports. Linux, macOS, and Docker deployments require different solutions.

API complexity creates maintenance burden. Manual printer handle management with explicit open/close/start/end sequences increases code complexity and error potential compared to high-level APIs.

Limited print control affects production requirements. RawPrint .NET provides basic byte transmission without options for copies, DPI, duplex printing, or print dialogs.

Strengths and Trade-offs

RawPrint .NET Strengths

  • Direct printer access for specialized hardware (label printers, ZPL/EPL devices)
  • Minimal overhead for raw byte transmission
  • Simple architecture for basic printing scenarios
  • No external dependencies beyond Windows DLLs

RawPrint .NET Limitations

  • No PDF creation or generation capability
  • Windows-only platform support
  • Manual printer handle management required
  • No HTML or URL rendering
  • Limited formatting (requires PCL/PostScript knowledge)
  • No PDF manipulation features

IronPDF Strengths

  • Complete PDF generation from HTML, URLs, and code
  • Cross-platform support (Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker)
  • High-level API eliminating manual resource management
  • Full CSS and JavaScript support through Chromium rendering
  • PDF manipulation (merge, split, edit, watermark)
  • Digital signatures and security features
  • Professional support and documentation

IronPDF Considerations

  • Commercial licensing model
  • Chromium rendering engine footprint
  • Designed for PDF workflows rather than raw printer access

Conclusion

RawPrint .NET and IronPDF serve fundamentally different purposes in .NET document processing. RawPrint .NET provides low-level access for sending raw bytes to printer spoolers—useful for specialized printing scenarios with label printers or devices requiring direct command transmission. However, it cannot create, render, or manipulate PDF documents.

For applications requiring PDF generation, HTML-to-PDF conversion, document manipulation, or cross-platform printing, IronPDF provides comprehensive capabilities that RawPrint .NET simply does not offer. The high-level API eliminates manual printer handle management while adding features for merging, splitting, security, and digital signatures.

When evaluating RawPrint .NET migration to IronPDF, teams should consider their specific requirements. If the primary need is PDF document creation and manipulation with printing as a secondary feature, IronPDF addresses the complete workflow. For teams targeting .NET 10 and C# 14 in 2026 with cross-platform deployment requirements, IronPDF's architecture provides a more appropriate foundation than the Windows-specific RawPrint .NET approach.

For implementation guidance, explore the IronPDF documentation and printing tutorials covering PDF generation and printing patterns for .NET applications.