Getting into the Details: Custom Controlling and the Print Controller

SUMMARY

Printing functionality in the .NET Framework library is defined in the System.Drawing.Printing namespace. In this chapter we discussed almost every possible aspect of printing. We began by discussing the history of printing in Microsoft Windows. Then we discussed printing-related functionality in the Microsoft .NET Framework.

After a basic introduction to printing in .NET, you learned the basic steps required to write a printing application and how printing differs from on-screen drawing. You also learned how to print simple text; graphics objects such as lines, rectangles, and circles; images; text files; and other documents.

The PrinterSettings class provides members to get and set printer settings. We discussed how to use this class and its members.

The .NET Framework library provides printing-related standard dialogs. You learned to use the PrintDialog, PrintPreviewDialog, and PageSetupDialog classes to provide a familiar Windows look and feel in your applications.

Multipage printing can be a bit tricky. You learned how to write an application with multipage printing functionality.

At the end of this chapter we discussed how to write custom printing and page setup dialogs using PageSettings and related classes. We also discussed the advanced custom print controllerrelated classes and how to use them in applications.

Using GDI+ in Web applications is a requirement for Web developers. Chapter 12 will cover the use of GDI+ to draw on the Web.