Printing in WPF Diagram (SfDiagram)

11 Jan 202416 minutes to read

SfDiagram provides support to print the content displayed in the diagram page using the PrintingService.Print method.

Direct print

Sfdiagram provides support to directly print the diagram pages using system default printer without opening the print preview window. To print the diagram by calling SfDiagram.PrintingService.Print method, refer to the following code sample.

diagram.PrintingService.Print();

SfDiagram provides option to display print preview to review and customize the diagram in desired format before printing. Print preview window lets users to navigate through every page, zoom in and out on a page to determine the errors if any, which need to be resolved prior to printing.

Print preview window can be opened by setting SfDiagram.PrintingService.ShowDialog to true and calling theSfDiagram.PrintingService.Print method.

diagram.PrintingService.ShowDialog = true;
diagram.PrintingService.Print();

Printing in WPF Diagram

SfDiagram provides various options to customize print preview settings using the SfDiagram.PageSettings and PrintingService.PrintSettings properties.

diagram.PageSettings=new PageSettings();
diagram.PageSettings.PageWidth = 800;
diagram.PageSettings.PageHeight = 800;
diagram.PageSettings.PageOrientation=PageOrientation.Landscape;
diagram.PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageMargin=new Thickness(5);

Print

To print a diagram from the selected printer, click the Print button at the top left corner of the Print Preview window. Also, Print Preview window
has option to decide how many copies need to be printed.

Printing in WPF Diagram

NOTE

Copies will be effective only for real printers.

For sample, refer to Printing.

Printer

The printer option will list all the installed printers in your system. You can choose any printer from that list before start printing.

How to save diagram in PDF Format

To save a diagram as PDF, choose any PDF printer (like “Microsoft Print To PDF”) under
Printer section.

Printer List in WPF Diagram

Scaling

SfDiagram provides support to scale the diagram whether to print as single page or split into multiple pages. Scaling options can be changed by setting the PrintingService.PrintManager.SelectedScaleIndex
property.

//Here, 0 denotes Single Page and 1 denotes Multiple Page.

diagram.PrintingService.PrintManager.SelectedScaleIndex = 1;

WPF Diagram displays Printing Scale

PageRangeSelection

When the page scaling is multiple page, then you can decide whether to print all the pages or selected page range. Find the PageRangeSelection options below:

1) Print All Pages: All the pages to be printed.

2) Custom Print: A specified range of pages to be printed.

 `PageRange` Allows you to specify a single page or a range of pages to be printed.
    
    1) FromPage: Specifies the start page of printing.

    2) ToPage: Specifies the end page of printing.

WPF Diagram displays PrintPageRange

NOTE

Based on the FromPage and ToPage values, the PageRangeSelection option will change.

Collation

Collation is used to specify whether a printer collates output when it prints multiple copies of a multipage diagram.

1) Collate - Collated output.
2) UnCollate - UnCollated output.

NOTE

Collation applicable when more than one copy of multiple page diagram is printed in real printer.

Orientation

SfDiagram provides support to switch between Portrait and Landscape orientation while printing. Orientation can be changed by setting the PageSettings.PageOrientation Property.

diagram.PageSettings=new PageSettings();
diagram.PageSettings.PageOrientation = PageOrientation.Landscape;

The orientation can be changed in print preview window at runtime using orientation drop-down. When the value of orientation changed in print preview, then the same will reflect in Diagram orientation.

1) Portrait - Standard Orientation.
2) Landscape - Content of the imageable area is rotated on the page 90 degrees counterclockwise from standard (portrait) orientation.

WPD Diagram displays Print Orientation

Paper size

SfDiagram provides support to change the page size. Page size can be changed by setting the PageSettings.PageWidth and PageSettings.PageHeight properties.

diagram.PageSettings=new PageSettings();
diagram.PageSettings.PageWidth = 800;
diagram.PageSettings.PageHeight = 800;

Page size can be changed in print preview window also by selecting any value from the page-size drop-down, which displays the supported page sizes of a selected printer.

WPF Diagram displays Print Paper Size

### Page margin

SfDiagram provides support to change the page margins to adjust content in printed page. Page margin can be changed by setting PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageMargin property.

diagram.PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageMargin=new Thickness(5);

Page margin can be changed in print preview also by selecting from predefined page margin from margin drop-down. You can manually enter custom margins in the editors below margin drop-down and press OK to apply the custom margin.

WPF Diagram displays Print Page Margin

SfDiagram provides a way to display additional content at the top (Header) or bottom (Footer) of the page while printing. This can be achieved by setting the PageHeaderHeight, PageHeaderTemplate, PageFooterHeight, and PageFooterTemplate properties in PrintSettings.

Steps for setting Header for printing:

  1. Create DataTemplate in Resources and assign it to the PageHeaderTemplate and PageFooterTemplate properties.

    <DataTemplate x:Key="PrintHeaderTemplate">
    <TextBlock Text="PageHeader" FontSize="12" Foreground="Black" HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center"/>
</DataTemplate>
   
<DataTemplate x:Key="PrintFooterTemplate">
    <TextBlock HorizontalAlignment="Center" VerticalAlignment="Center" Foreground="Black" FontSize="12">
        <TextBlock.Text>
            <Binding Path="PageIndex"
                RelativeSource="{RelativeSource Mode=FindAncestor,AncestorType={x:Type Printing:PrintPageControl}}"
                StringFormat="Page : {0}" />
                </TextBlock.Text>
            </TextBlock>
</DataTemplate>

  2. Set the above defined DataTemplate to PrintSettings.PageHeaderTemplate and PrintSettings.PageFooterTemplate, then assign value for PrintSettings.PageHeaderHeight and PrintSettings.PageFooterHeight properties also.

    diagram.PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageHeaderHeight = 50;
diagram.PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageHeaderTemplate = this.Resources["PrintHeaderTemplate"] as DataTemplate;
    
diagram.PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageFooterHeight = 50;
diagram.PrintingService.PrintSettings.PageFooterTemplate =this.Resources["PrintFooterTemplate"] as DataTemplate;

3.Now, run the application and you can see page header and footer in all the pages.

WPF Diagram with Print Header and Footer

NOTE

View Sample in GitHub

Skip empty pages

Sfdiagram provides support to skip the empty pages while navigating through preview and in printed document, thus reduces paper wastage.

The GetPrintInfo virtual method of PrintingService is used to cancel the empty pages. This method will execute for page navigation, printing each diagram pages, and changes made in the print preview area.

public class CustomPrintingService : PrintingService
{
    protected override void GetPrintInfo(PrintInfo args)
    {
        if (!(args.Elements as IEnumerable<object>).Any())
        {
            args.Cancel = true;
        }
        else
            base.GetPrintInfo(args);
    }
}

Printing event

The Printing event will notify the different state of the printing with PrintingEventArgs.The argument will provide the print dialog and print state value of the printing.

PrintStatus Description
Started Specifies that printing has been started.
Printing Specifies the progress status of the printing.
Completed Specifies the completed status of the printing.
PagePrepared Specifies the completed status of the page preparation.
DocumentPrepared Specifies the completed status of the document preparation.
Cancelled Specifies the cancelled status of the printing. 
(diagram.Info as IGraphInfo).Printing += MainWindow_Printing;
   
private void MainWindow_Printing(object sender, PrintingEventArgs args)
{
}

Custom paper size

Print preview window’s page size drop down will display only the suported paper sizes of the selected printer. When the Diagram page size is not supported by the selected printer, then the Print button will be disabled and Page Size drop-down will ask you to choose the supported page size.

WPF Diagram displays Custom Paper Size

Using the OnSelectedPrinterChanged virtual method of DiagramPrintManager, you can add the custom pager sizes to the selected printer apart from the default supported paper sizes. Refer to the following code example.

public class CustomDiagramPrintManager : DiagramPrintManager
{
    public CustomDiagramPrintManager(PrintingService printingService) : base(printingService)
    {
    }

    public override void OnSelectedPrinterChanged(PrintQueue printQueue)
    {
        if (printQueue.Name.Contains("Microsoft Print to PDF"))
        {
            List<string> pagesizename = PageSizeOptions.Select(c => c.PageSizeName).ToList();
            if (!(pagesizename.Contains("Ansi B")))
            {
                PageSizeOptions.Add(new Syncfusion.Windows.Controls.Printing.PrintPageSize() { PageSizeName = "Ansi B", Size = new Size(1055, 1632) });
            }
            if (!(pagesizename.Contains("Ansi C")))
            {
                PageSizeOptions.Add(new Syncfusion.Windows.Controls.Printing.PrintPageSize() { PageSizeName = "Ansi C", Size = new Size(1632, 2112) });
            }
            if (!(pagesizename.Contains("Ansi D")))
            {
                PageSizeOptions.Add(new Syncfusion.Windows.Controls.Printing.PrintPageSize() { PageSizeName = "Ansi D", Size = new Size(2112, 3264) });
            }
            if (!(pagesizename.Contains("A0")))
            {
                PageSizeOptions.Add(new Syncfusion.Windows.Controls.Printing.PrintPageSize() { PageSizeName = "A0", Size = new Size(3179, 4494) });
            }
        }
    }
}

public class CustomPrintingService : PrintingService
{
    public CustomPrintingService()
    {
        this.PrintManager = new CustomDiagramPrintManager(this);
    }
}

Here, the Microsoft Print to PDF printer won’t support Ansi B, Ansi C, Ansi D, and A0 paper sizes by default, so the above code will add the Ansi B, Ansi C, Ansi D, and A0 paper sizes in the Print Preview window’s page size combo box.

However, we have added custom paper sizes manually in the page size drop-down. The printer won’t print the diagram in the custom paper size, to print the diagram in custom page size, set the chosen custom paper size to PrintDialog.PrintTicket.PageMediaSize to true and enable CanUseCustomPageMediaSize in the printing event when the printing state is started. Refer to the following code example.

private void MainWindow_Printing(object sender, PrintingEventArgs args)
{
    if (args.PrintState == PrintStatus.Started)
    {
        var customPages = new System.Collections.Generic.Dictionary<string, Size>();
        var printerName = args.PrintDialog.PrintQueue.Name;
        if (printerName.Contains("Microsoft Print to PDF"))
        {
            customPages.Add("Ansi B", new Size(1055, 1632));
            customPages.Add("Ansi C", new Size(1632, 2112));
            customPages.Add("Ansi D", new Size(2112, 3264));
        }
        else if (printerName.Contains("Microsoft XPS Document Writer"))
        {
            customPages.Add("A0", new Size(3179, 4494));
        }

        foreach (var customPage in customPages)
        {
            if (args.SelectedPageMediaSizeName.Contains(customPage.Key))
            {
                var pageSize = customPage.Value;
                var mediaSize = new PageMediaSize(PageMediaSizeName.Unknown, pageSize.Width, pageSize.Height);
                args.PrintDialog.PrintTicket.PageMediaSize = mediaSize;
                args.CanUseCustomPageMediaSize = true;
                break;
            }
        }
    }
}

NOTE

Custom page size print is not applicable for any real printer. When you choose any custom paper size and try to print it in any real printer, then the printer will print the next supported paper size instead of the choosen one. The above mentioned option is only applicable for “Microsoft Print to PDF” printer.

Classic PrintPreview

SfDiagram provides backward compatibility to show the older or classic print preview by calling the ShowClassicPrintPreview method instead of Print() method.

diagram.PrintingService.ShowDialog = true;
diagram.PrintingService.ShowClassicPrintPreview();

WPF Diagram displays Classic Print Preview

See Also

How to customize the Header or Footer of the print preview?

How to ignore empty pages while printing the WPF Diagram?

How to get progress notification while printing the diagram pages?

How to show classic print preview?