How Developers Can Add Print to PDF Functionality with VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer SDK Easily

Posted on Author VeryDOC / 156 Views

How Developers Can Add Print to PDF Functionality with VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer SDK Easily

Every time I had to explain to a client why our app couldn't generate a simple PDF from a print job, it felt like dj vu.

"Surely it can't be that hard, right?" they'd say.

And I'd think the sameuntil I actually tried hacking together a solution.

How Developers Can Add Print to PDF Functionality with VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer SDK Easily

I spent weeks cobbling together libraries that half-worked, scripts that broke the moment you changed a setting, and open-source drivers that didn't play nice with Windows updates.

It wasn't just frustratingit was a time suck.

That's when I stumbled across VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer SDK.

I didn't have high hopes at first.

But honestly?

It turned out to be the most hassle-free way to add 'Print to PDF' functionality into a Windows app I've ever used.

Why This SDK Was a Game-Changer

I'll cut to the chase.

This SDK basically installs a virtual PDF printer driver into your system.

Once it's in, any app that can print can create a PDF.

Word? Check.

Excel? Check.

Your own custom-built ERP? Yepjust print to the virtual printer, and you've got a PDF.

It felt almost like cheating.

Because it didn't just work for basic stuffit handled complex print jobs, multi-page reports, even weird edge cases like non-English Windows environments without blinking.

Here's what stood out for me:

  • Plug-and-play integration.

    I didn't have to rewrite my app from scratch.

    It exposed functionality via C/C++ libraries and ActiveX controls.

    I'm more comfortable in C#, and lucky for me, it was .NET-compatible too.

  • You control the output.

    Through config files or API calls, I could set the PDF filename, output folder, whether it auto-opened, even whether to email the file right after generation.

    One client loved that they could silently generate PDFs and have them pushed straight to their Dropboxno manual intervention.

  • Silent install.

    This was a lifesaver.

    When rolling out to dozens of client machines, nobody wants to click 'Next' twenty times.

    We installed the virtual printer silently in the background.

    Zero user disruption.

Where I've Used It

I've plugged this SDK into a few different client projects so far.

A medical records system that needed to export printouts as PDFs for patient files.

An accounting app that batch-prints invoices and saves them directly as PDFs for archiving.

A legal case management tool where everythingfrom court forms to client lettersgets printed to PDF automatically and timestamped.

Every time, the same pattern:

Before using this SDK, we'd have clunky workarounds (manual printing + PDF printer + renaming files).

After?

One click. Done.

What I Didn't Expect

Here's what surprised me most:

  • Terminal Server & Citrix support.

    I didn't even realise one client's app ran on Citrix until I got the call:

    "Will it work?"

    Turned out, it worked out of the box.

    No headaches.

  • Security baked in.

    Need to protect PDFs with encryption?

    Built-in.

    I could set up 128-bit or even 256-bit AES encryption in literally one line of config.

  • Extension modules galore.

    Want to watermark every file?

    Merge print jobs into a single PDF?

    Generate images or text instead of PDF?

    It's all there.

    Did I need everything?

    No.

    But knowing it's there when I scale up? Big win.

Why I'd Recommend It

If you're a developer needing to add 'Print to PDF' into your app, stop wasting time stitching together unstable solutions.

VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer SDK just works.

You get:

  • Integration across C, C++, C#, VB.NET, Delphi, FoxPro, Access

  • Full Windows compatibility (XP all the way up to 11 and beyond)

  • Control over filenames, paths, auto-saving, silent installs

  • Ability to scale (works in terminal server environments too)

It's saved me weeks of dev time.

And honestly?

It made me look good in front of clients.

I'd recommend it to anyone building Windows apps where users need PDFs generated from print jobs.

Start your free trial and see how easy it is: https://www.verypdf.com/app/document-converter/try-and-buy.html

VeryPDF Custom Development Services

Need something more tailored?

VeryPDF offers custom development services that cover everything from PDF processing tools for Windows, Linux, Mac, and server environments to creating Windows Virtual Printer Drivers that output to PDF, EMF, and other formats.

They can also build print job monitoring tools, intercept Windows API calls, or develop custom solutions for OCR, barcode recognition, layout analysis, PDF security, digital signatures, and document conversion.

If you're after something bespoke, you can reach out to them directly here: http://support.verypdf.com/

FAQs

1. Can I integrate this SDK with C#?

Yesit's fully .NET-compatible, so you can use it with C#, VB.NET, and J# easily.

2. Does it work in a Citrix or Terminal Server environment?

Absolutely. It's designed to work seamlessly in multi-user environments like Citrix.

3. Can I automate PDF file naming and saving?

Yesyou can configure auto-save settings, filename templates, and output folders programmatically or via config files.

4. Is silent installation supported?

Yep. You can install the virtual printer silently without requiring user interaction, ideal for large-scale deployments.

5. Does it support encrypted PDFs?

It does. You can create PDFs with 40-bit, 128-bit, or 256-bit AES encryption depending on your security needs.

Tags:

pdf virtual printer sdk, print to pdf sdk, windows pdf printer driver, integrate pdf printing, developer pdf sdk

Related Posts