HTML to PDF Converter for .NET Core Overview

The main functionality of the library is to convert HTML documents to PDF. But the library does much more than this. You can also convert HTML to raster images or HTML to SVG using the appropriate interfaces and you can edit, merge or split existing PDF documents.

HTML to PDF Conversion

There are two approaches to convert HTML to PDF. The first is to use the HtmlToPdfConverter class. The second approach is to create a Document object and to add a HtmlToPdfElement to it. Below are described in detail both methods.

Convert HTML to PDF using the HtmlToPdfConverter Class

The easiest approach is to use one of the HtmlToPdfConverter class methods to convert an URL or a HTML string to a PDF document. The resulted PDF document can be:

produced in a memory buffer using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrl(String) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtml(String, String) methods
saved in a file on disk using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrlToFile(String, String) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtmlToFile(String, String, String) methods
saved in an output stream using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrlToStream(String, Stream) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtmlToStream(String, String, Stream) methods

Code Sample - Convert HTML to PDF with HtmlToPdfConverter Class

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;

// Use Winnovative Namespace
using Winnovative;

namespace WnvHtmlToPdfDemo.Controllers
{
    public class Getting_StartedController : Controller
    {
        // GET: Getting_Started
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }

        [HttpPost]
        public ActionResult ConvertHtmlToPdf(IFormCollection collection)
        {
            // Create a HTML to PDF converter object with default settings
            HtmlToPdfConverter htmlToPdfConverter = new HtmlToPdfConverter();

            // Set license key received after purchase to use the converter in licensed mode
            // Leave it not set to use the converter in demo mode
            htmlToPdfConverter.LicenseKey = "fvDh8eDx4fHg4P/h8eLg/+Dj/+jo6Og=";

            // Set HTML Viewer width in pixels which is the equivalent in converter of the browser window width
            htmlToPdfConverter.HtmlViewerWidth = int.Parse(collection["htmlViewerWidthTextBox"]);

            // Set HTML viewer height in pixels to convert the top part of a HTML page 
            // Leave it not set to convert the entire HTML
            if (collection["htmlViewerHeightTextBox"][0].Length > 0)
                htmlToPdfConverter.HtmlViewerHeight = int.Parse(collection["htmlViewerHeightTextBox"]);

            // Set PDF page size which can be a predefined size like A4 or a custom size in points 
            // Leave it not set to have a default A4 PDF page
            htmlToPdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageSize = SelectedPdfPageSize(collection["pdfPageSizeDropDownList"]);

            // Set PDF page orientation to Portrait or Landscape
            // Leave it not set to have a default Portrait orientation for PDF page
            htmlToPdfConverter.PdfDocumentOptions.PdfPageOrientation = SelectedPdfPageOrientation(collection["pdfPageOrientationDropDownList"]);

            // Set the maximum time in seconds to wait for HTML page to be loaded 
            // Leave it not set for a default 60 seconds maximum wait time
            htmlToPdfConverter.NavigationTimeout = int.Parse(collection["navigationTimeoutTextBox"]);

            // Set an adddional delay in seconds to wait for JavaScript or AJAX calls after page load completed
            // Set this property to 0 if you don't need to wait for such asynchcronous operations to finish
            if (collection["conversionDelayTextBox"][0].Length > 0)
                htmlToPdfConverter.ConversionDelay = int.Parse(collection["conversionDelayTextBox"]);

            // The buffer to receive the generated PDF document
            byte[] outPdfBuffer = null;

            if (collection["HtmlPageSource"] == "convertUrlRadioButton")
            {

                string url = collection["urlTextBox"];

                // Convert the HTML page given by an URL to a PDF document in a memory buffer
                outPdfBuffer = htmlToPdfConverter.ConvertUrl(url);
            }
            else
            {
                string htmlString = collection["htmlStringTextBox"];
                string baseUrl = collection["baseUrlTextBox"];

                // Convert a HTML string with a base URL to a PDF document in a memory buffer
                outPdfBuffer = htmlToPdfConverter.ConvertHtml(htmlString, baseUrl);
            }

            // Send the PDF file to browser
            FileResult fileResult = new FileContentResult(outPdfBuffer, "application/pdf");
            if (collection["openInlineCheckBox"].Count == 0)
            {
                // send as attachment
                fileResult.FileDownloadName = "Getting_Started.pdf";
            }

            return fileResult;
        }

        private PdfPageSize SelectedPdfPageSize(string selectedValue)
        {
            switch (selectedValue)
            {
                case "A0":
                    return PdfPageSize.A0;
                case "A1":
                    return PdfPageSize.A1;
                case "A10":
                    return PdfPageSize.A10;
                case "A2":
                    return PdfPageSize.A2;
                case "A3":
                    return PdfPageSize.A3;
                case "A4":
                    return PdfPageSize.A4;
                case "A5":
                    return PdfPageSize.A5;
                case "A6":
                    return PdfPageSize.A6;
                case "A7":
                    return PdfPageSize.A7;
                case "A8":
                    return PdfPageSize.A8;
                case "A9":
                    return PdfPageSize.A9;
                case "ArchA":
                    return PdfPageSize.ArchA;
                case "ArchB":
                    return PdfPageSize.ArchB;
                case "ArchC":
                    return PdfPageSize.ArchC;
                case "ArchD":
                    return PdfPageSize.ArchD;
                case "ArchE":
                    return PdfPageSize.ArchE;
                case "B0":
                    return PdfPageSize.B0;
                case "B1":
                    return PdfPageSize.B1;
                case "B2":
                    return PdfPageSize.B2;
                case "B3":
                    return PdfPageSize.B3;
                case "B4":
                    return PdfPageSize.B4;
                case "B5":
                    return PdfPageSize.B5;
                case "Flsa":
                    return PdfPageSize.Flsa;
                case "HalfLetter":
                    return PdfPageSize.HalfLetter;
                case "Ledger":
                    return PdfPageSize.Ledger;
                case "Legal":
                    return PdfPageSize.Legal;
                case "Letter":
                    return PdfPageSize.Letter;
                case "Letter11x17":
                    return PdfPageSize.Letter11x17;
                case "Note":
                    return PdfPageSize.Note;
                default:
                    return PdfPageSize.A4;
            }
        }

        private PdfPageOrientation SelectedPdfPageOrientation(string selectedValue)
        {
            return (selectedValue == "Portrait") ? PdfPageOrientation.Portrait : PdfPageOrientation.Landscape;
        }
    }
}

Another approach is to add HTML content to a PDF document using HtmlToPdfElement objects. The initial Document to which the HTML elements are added are either new documents created using one of the class constructor or documents initialized with the result of another HTML to PDF conversion using the HtmlToPdfConverterConvertUrlToPdfDocumentObject(String) and HtmlToPdfConverterConvertHtmlToPdfDocumentObject(String, String) methods.

Code Sample - Convert HTML to PDF with HtmlToPdfElement Class

using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;
using System.Linq;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc;
using Microsoft.AspNetCore.Http;

// Use Winnovative Namespace
using Winnovative;

namespace WnvHtmlToPdfDemo.Controllers.PDF_Creator
{
    public class PDF_Creator_HTML_to_PDF_ElementsController : Controller
    {
        // GET: PDF_Creator_HTML_to_PDF_Elements
        public ActionResult Index()
        {
            return View();
        }

        [HttpPost]
        public ActionResult CreatePdf(IFormCollection collection)
        {
            // Create a PDF document
            Document pdfDocument = new Document();

            // Set license key received after purchase to use the converter in licensed mode
            // Leave it not set to use the converter in demo mode
            pdfDocument.LicenseKey = "fvDh8eDx4fHg4P/h8eLg/+Dj/+jo6Og=";

            // Create a PDF page where to add the first HTML
            PdfPage firstPdfPage = pdfDocument.AddPage();

            try
            {
                // The element location in PDF
                float xLocation = float.Parse(collection["xLocationTextBox"]);
                float yLocation = float.Parse(collection["yLocationTextBox"]);

                // The URL of the HTML page to convert to PDF
                string urlToConvert = collection["urlTextBox"];

                // Create the HTML to PDF element
                HtmlToPdfElement htmlToPdfElement = new HtmlToPdfElement(xLocation, yLocation, urlToConvert);

                // Optionally set the HTML viewer width
                htmlToPdfElement.HtmlViewerWidth = int.Parse(collection["htmlViewerWidthTextBox"]);

                // Optionally set the HTML viewer height
                if (collection["htmlViewerHeightTextBox"][0].Length > 0)
                    htmlToPdfElement.HtmlViewerHeight = int.Parse(collection["htmlViewerHeightTextBox"]);

                // Optionally set the HTML content clipping option to force the HTML content width to be exactly HtmlViewerWidth pixels
                htmlToPdfElement.ClipHtmlView = collection["clipContentCheckBox"].Count > 0;

                // Optionally set the destination width in PDF
                if (collection["contentWidthTextBox"][0].Length > 0)
                    htmlToPdfElement.Width = float.Parse(collection["contentWidthTextBox"]);

                // Optionally set the destination height in PDF
                if (collection["contentHeightTextBox"][0].Length > 0)
                    htmlToPdfElement.Height = float.Parse(collection["contentHeightTextBox"]);

                // Optionally set a delay before conversion to allow asynchonous scripts to finish
                htmlToPdfElement.ConversionDelay = 2;

                // Add the HTML to PDF element to PDF document
                // The AddElementResult contains the bounds of the HTML to PDF Element in last rendered PDF page
                // such that you can start a new PDF element right under it
                AddElementResult result = firstPdfPage.AddElement(htmlToPdfElement);

                // Save the PDF document in a memory buffer
                byte[] outPdfBuffer = pdfDocument.Save();

                // Send the PDF file to browser
                FileResult fileResult = new FileContentResult(outPdfBuffer, "application/pdf");
                fileResult.FileDownloadName = "HTML_to_PDF_Elements.pdf";

                return fileResult;
            }
            finally
            {
                // Close the PDF document
                pdfDocument.Close();
            }
        }
    }
}

HTML to PDF Converter for .NET Core Overview

HTML to PDF Conversion

Convert HTML to PDF using the HtmlToPdfConverter Class

Code Sample - Convert HTML to PDF with HtmlToPdfConverter Class

Code Sample - Convert HTML to PDF with HtmlToPdfElement Class

See Also

Reference

Other Resources