How to print invisible part of the windows forms screen?

Samatha Reddy

Hello

we are using a windows form screen for visualization. we have a requirement to print this visualization screen.

The problem is we have huge controls on the form (we did not take these controls from the toolbox, instead we are drawing those using some classes like Rectangle) and used both horizontal and vertical scroll bars. but it is printing only the visible part of the screen, but not the other.

I have seen many examples but they are not matching with my requirements.

What I have tried:

I have implemented it like below
https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/srajlaxmi/printing-windows-form-in-C-Sharp-net/

8 Replies

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Amit Gupta5y ago
Accepted answer
What I changed
Used a panel instead of a direct Form (to capture the perfect width and height)

Created an extension class, that takes snapshot and allow you to save at your desired location
Extension class
using System.Drawing;

using System.Windows.Forms;



namespace System

{

    public static class CapturePanel

    {

        private static void DrawControl(Control control, Bitmap bitmap)

        {

            control.DrawToBitmap(bitmap, control.Bounds);

            foreach (Control childControl in control.Controls)

            {

                DrawControl(childControl, bitmap);

            }

        }



        public static Bitmap Snapshot(this Panel MainPanel, bool FillBlank = true)

        {

            // using PreferredSize instead of Width because it calculates the size on which controls can fit.

            // by trimming all the extra space

            int w = MainPanel.PreferredSize.Width;

            int h = MainPanel.PreferredSize.Height;

            Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(w, h);

            if (FillBlank)

                Graphics.FromImage(bmp).FillRectangle(new SolidBrush(MainPanel.BackColor), 0, 0, w, h);



            MainPanel.DrawToBitmap(bmp, new Rectangle(0, 0, w, h));

            foreach (Control control in MainPanel.Controls)

            {

                DrawControl(control, bmp);

            }



            return bmp;

        }

    }

}
Call like this
private void Button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)

        {

            panel1.Snapshot().Save("d:\\snapshot.jpg", ImageFormat.Jpeg);

        }

output: checkbox4 is now captured when your form is scrollable
Sample project has been attached FYI

Do let us know, if its solves your issue

Good Luck!!
+3
Rijwan Ansari5y ago
HI,

Check this article:
https://www.c-sharpcorner.com/article/print-dialog-and-print-preview-tools-using-entire-windows-form-to-print2/
+3
Amit Gupta5y ago
To help ypu better, please share your code snippet with sample controls on it, wo we can examine and give you the optimal solution
+4
Amit Gupta5y ago
When you are using graphics.DrawImage(..) function to draw images on screen then the Bitmap (in the parameter of grapgics object) consists of all the drawings you had done. Just call the save method of that Bitmap
+3
Samatha Reddy5y ago
Thank you for your reply.
I have already tried this (https://stackoverflow.com/a/57257205). But it is not working for me, I'm not getting any exception but it is printing only the visible part of the form and I'm using .net Framework 4.0.

+3
Amit Gupta5y ago
Check this out https://stackoverflow.com/a/57257205
+3
Amit Gupta5y ago
Check this out, if it matches your scenario https://www.codeproject.com/Articles/35734/Print-a-WinForms-User-Control
+3
Amit Gupta5y ago
The article you used is to capture the screen( what's visible). Can you show some of yor screenshot, how you wanted, so we will give you better solution
+3