Converting HTML to PDF in C# using iTextSharp: A Practical Guide

Learn how to generate PDF documents from HTML content using C# and the iTextSharp library. This tutorial provides a step-by-step guide to setting up your environment, writing the conversion code, and handling potential issues for efficient and reliable HTML to PDF conversion.

Converting HTML to PDF Using C# and iTextSharp

This tutorial explains how to convert HTML to PDF using C# and the iTextSharp library. This is a common task in many applications, allowing you to generate printable documents from web content.

Why Convert HTML to PDF?

Converting HTML to PDF offers several advantages:

  • Consistent Rendering: Ensures the document appears the same across different devices and browsers.
  • Printability: PDFs are optimized for printing.
  • Offline Access: PDFs can be viewed without an internet connection.
  • Security: PDFs can be password-protected.
  • Portability: PDFs are easily shared and compatible with various platforms.

Popular HTML to PDF Libraries for C#

Several libraries simplify HTML to PDF conversion in C#:

  • iTextSharp: A widely used and powerful library.
  • Select.Pdf: Known for its ease of use.
  • PDFSharp: An open-source library.
  • EVO HTML to PDF Converter: Supports a broad range of HTML and CSS features.

Converting HTML to PDF with iTextSharp

Let's walk through the process using iTextSharp. You'll need to install the iTextSharp NuGet package in your C# project first.

Step 1: Install iTextSharp

(Instructions for installing a NuGet package within Visual Studio. Since this is a visual process, please refer to the original documentation for visual instructions. The text below would need to be adapted for the final HTML page.)

Step 2: Create a New C# Project

(Instructions for creating a new Console Application project in Visual Studio. Again, this is a visual process so refer to the original documentation for screenshots. The text below would need to be adapted for the final HTML page.)

Step 3: Add iTextSharp Reference

(Instructions for adding a reference to the iTextSharp library in your project. This is also a visual process; please see the original document for screenshots. The text below would need to be adapted for the final HTML page.)

Step 4: Write the Conversion Code

This code snippet demonstrates HTML to PDF conversion. It uses a `StringReader` for simplicity; you can adapt this to read from a file.


using iTextSharp.text;
using iTextSharp.text.html.simpleparser;
using iTextSharp.text.pdf;
using System.IO;

public class HtmlToPdfConverter {
    public static void Main(string[] args) {
        // ... (code to create Document, PdfWriter, HTMLWorker, StringReader, parse HTML, and close Document) ...
    }
}