printing a form

If you have a choice, I'd consider switching to VS2005 which has the DrawToBitmap command for a form.

Drawing a panel isn't going to be any easier.  I wrote an article a while back that proposed a strategy for printing form controls (before vs2005's DrawToBitmap).    Here is the link:

http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/mgold/HowToPrintingFormControlsinCSharpand.NET11212005063649AM/HowToPrintingFormControlsinCSharpand.NET.aspx

HI Mike

Thanks for the help.

I think printing a form's just complicating things more for me. Would printing a panel on a form be an easier thing to do?

thanks

It's because you are using VS2003

If you want to draw the form from vs2003, you'll need to capture the screen with unmanaged code

See this article:

http://www.c-sharpcorner.com/UploadFile/perrylee/ScreenCapture11142005234547PM/ScreenCapture.aspx

Best,

Hi Mike

I did all that.. I used a button event to call the printDocument1.Print() method. And calling the DrawFormSurface from the PrintPage eventhandler.

Im still getting these errors though:

An object reference is required for the nonstatic field, method, or property 'System.Windows.Forms.Control.Height'

'TicketAppGui.Form1' does not contain a definition for 'DrawToBitmap'

I also included: System.Drawing.Printing.. Is there maybe something else?

Or is it because im using VS2003?

thanks,

make sure you are printing the form after the Form Load event so you can make sure the form width is established.  The best way to do this is by putting  a button on the form that calls the printDocument1.Print() method.

you should call the DrawFormSurface from the PrintPage eventhandler.  (the PrintPage event handler that was generated by dragging a PrintDocument component from the toolbox into the form and double clicking on it.

Also printing a form is described in our new book selling for $12 on this site.  I believe the source is available for it as well.

Good day

Thanks for the assistance Mike. I seem to be getting errors using the code though. form1.width isnt working. And is there any code I need to add in the PrintPage?

thanks

Not sure if this is what you are asking, but to print a form, 

1)  drag the PrintDocument object onto the form

2) double click on the printDocument1 object to get a PrintPage event handler

3)  Add the following code

private void DrawFormSurface(System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs e)
        {

            // create a bitmap the size of the form
            Bitmap bmp = new Bitmap(form1.Width, form1.Height);

            // draw the form image to the bitmap
            form1.DrawToBitmap(bmp, new Rectangle(0, 0, form1.Width, form1.Height));

            // draw the bitmap image of the form onto the graphics surface
            e.Graphics.DrawImage(bmp, new Point(0, 0));
        }

4)  call printDocument1.Print() from your menu event handler