Java: Print PDF Documents

The java.awt.print package provides classes and interfaces for a general printing API. It has the ability to specify the document types and manage the print options, such as specifying printer name, setting print range, printing in duplex, and printing in custom paper sizes. In this article, you will learn how to print PDF documents in Java using this package and Spire.PDF for Java library.

Print PDF with the Default Printer Without a Print Dialog
Print Page Ranges with a Specified Printer
Print PDF with a Print Dialog
Print PDF in Duplex Mode
Print PDF in a Custom Paper Size

Install Spire.PDF for Java

First of all, you're required to add the Spire.Pdf.jar file as a dependency in your Java program. The JAR file can be downloaded from this link. If you use Maven, you can easily import the JAR file in your application by adding the following code to your project's pom.xml file.

Package Manager

<repositories>
    <repository>
        <id>com.e-iceblue</id>
        <name>e-iceblue</name>
        <url>https://repo.e-iceblue.com/nexus/content/groups/public/</url>
    </repository>
</repositories>
<dependencies>
    <dependency>
        <groupId>e-iceblue</groupId>
        <artifactId>spire.pdf</artifactId>
        <version>10.4.4</version>
    </dependency>
</dependencies>

Print PDF with the Default Printer Without a Print Dialog

The following are the steps to print PDF documents with the default printer using java.awt.print and Spire.PDF for Java.

Create an instance of PrinterJob class, and calls methods in this class to set up a job.
Create a PdfDocument object, and load a PDF document using PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
Render each page of the document in the specified format using PrinterJob.setPrintable() method.
Call PrinterJob.print() method to print the PDF pages.

Java

import com.spire.pdf.PdfDocument;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Paper;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;

public class PrintWithDefaultPrinter {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        //Create a PrinterJob object which is initially associated with the default printer
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();

        // Create a PageFormat object and set it to a default size and orientation 
        PageFormat pageFormat = printerJob.defaultPage();

        //Return a copy of the Paper object associated with this PageFormat
        Paper paper = pageFormat.getPaper();

        //Set the imageable area of this Paper
        paper.setImageableArea(0, 0, pageFormat.getWidth(), pageFormat.getHeight());

        //Set the Paper object for this PageFormat
        pageFormat.setPaper(paper);

        //Create a PdfDocument object
        PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument();

        //Load a PDF file
        pdf.loadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\sample.pdf");

        //Call painter to render the pages in the specified format
        printerJob.setPrintable(pdf, pageFormat);

        //Execute printing
        try {
            printerJob.print();
        } catch (PrinterException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Print Page Ranges with a Specified Printer

The following are the steps to print a page range with a specified printer using java.awt.print and Spire.PDF for Java.

Create an instance of PrinterJob class and calls methods in this class to set up a job.
Find the available print service using the custom method findPrintService(), and specify the printer name using PrinterJob.setPrintService() method.
Create a PdfDocument object, and load a PDF document using PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
Render each page of the document in the specified format using PrinterJob.setPrintable() method.
Create a PrintRequestAttributeSet object, and add the print range to the attribute set.
Call PrinterJob.print() method to print the selected pages.

Java

import com.spire.pdf.PdfDocument;
import javax.print.PrintService;
import javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.standard.PageRanges;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Paper;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;

public class PrintWithSpecifiedPrinter {

    public static void main(String[] args) throws PrinterException {

        //Create a PrinterJob object which is initially associated with the default printer
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();

        //Specify printer name
        PrintService myPrintService = findPrintService("\\\\192.168.1.104\\HP LaserJet P1007");
        printerJob.setPrintService(myPrintService);

        //Create a PageFormat instance and set it to a default size and orientation
        PageFormat pageFormat = printerJob.defaultPage();

        //Return a copy of the Paper object associated with this PageFormat.
        Paper paper = pageFormat.getPaper();

        //Set the imageable area of this Paper.
        paper.setImageableArea(0, 0, pageFormat.getWidth(), pageFormat.getHeight());

        //Set the Paper object for this PageFormat.
        pageFormat.setPaper(paper);

        //Create a PdfDocument object
        PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument();

        //Load a PDF file
        pdf.loadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\sample.pdf");

        //Call painter to render the pages in the specified format
        printerJob.setPrintable(pdf, pageFormat);
        
        //Create a PrintRequestAttributeSet object
        PrintRequestAttributeSet attributeSet = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();

        //Set print range
        attributeSet.add(new PageRanges(1,7));

        //Execute printing
        try {
            printerJob.print(attributeSet);
        } catch (PrinterException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }

    //Find print service
    private static PrintService findPrintService(String printerName) {

        PrintService[] printServices = PrinterJob.lookupPrintServices();
        for (PrintService printService : printServices) {
            if (printService.getName().equals(printerName)) {

                System.out.print(printService.getName());
                return printService;
            }
        }
        return null;
    }
}

Print PDF with a Print Dialog

The following are the steps to print PDF documents with print dialog using java.awt.print and Spire.PDF for Java.

Create an instance of PrinterJob class, and calls methods in this class to set up a job.
Create a PdfDocument object, and load a PDF document using PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
Render each page of the document in the specified format using PrinterJob.setPrintable() method.
Call PrinterJob.printDialog() method to display print dialog.
Call PrinterJob.print() method to print the PDF pages.

Java

import com.spire.pdf.PdfDocument;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Paper;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;

public class PrintWithPrintDialog {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        //Create a PrinterJob object which is initially associated with the default printer
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();

        //Create a PageFormat object and set it to a default size and orientation
        PageFormat pageFormat = printerJob.defaultPage();

        //Return a copy of the Paper object associated with this PageFormat
        Paper paper = pageFormat.getPaper();

        //Set the imageable area of this Paper
        paper.setImageableArea(0, 0, pageFormat.getWidth(), pageFormat.getHeight());

        //Set the Paper object for this PageFormat
        pageFormat.setPaper(paper);

        //Create a PdfDocument object
        PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument();
        
        //Load a PDF file
        pdf.loadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\sample.pdf");

        //Call painter to render the pages in the specified format
        printerJob.setPrintable(pdf, pageFormat);

        //Display the print dialog
        if (printerJob.printDialog()) {
            try {
                printerJob.print();
            } catch (PrinterException e) {
                e.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
}

Print PDF in Duplex Mode

The following are the steps to print PDF documents in duplex mode using java.awt.print and Spire.PDF for Java.

Create an instance of PrinterJob class and calls methods in this class to set up a job.
Create a PdfDocument object, and load a PDF document using PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
Render each page of the document in the specified format using PrinterJob.setPrintable() method.
Create a PrintRequestAttributeSet object, and add the two-sided printing mode to the attribute set.
Call PrinterJob.print() method to print the PDF pages.

Java

import com.spire.pdf.PdfDocument;
import javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet;
import javax.print.attribute.standard.Sides;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Paper;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;

public class PrintInDuplexMode {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        //Create a PrinterJob object which is initially associated with the default printer
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();

        //Create a PageFormat object and set it to a default size and orientation
        PageFormat pageFormat = printerJob.defaultPage();

        //Return a copy of the Paper object associated with this PageFormat
        Paper paper = pageFormat.getPaper();

        //Set the imageable area of this Paper
        paper.setImageableArea(0, 0, pageFormat.getWidth(), pageFormat.getHeight());

        //Set the Paper object for this PageFormat
        pageFormat.setPaper(paper);

        //Create a PdfDocument object
        PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument();

        //Load a PDF file
        pdf.loadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\sample.pdf");

        //Call painter to render the pages in the specified format
        printerJob.setPrintable(pdf, pageFormat);

        //Create a PrintRequestAttributed object
        PrintRequestAttributeSet attributeSet = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
        
        //Set to duplex printing mode
        attributeSet.add(Sides.TWO_SIDED_SHORT_EDGE);

        //Execute printing
        try {
            printerJob.print(attributeSet);
        } catch (PrinterException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

Print PDF in a Custom Paper Size

The following are the steps to print PDF documents in a custom paper size using java.awt.print and Spire.PDF for Java.

Create an instance of PrinterJob class and calls methods in this class to set up a job.
Set the with and height of the Paper object using Paper.setSize() method.
Create a PdfDocument object, and load a PDF document using PdfDocument.LoadFromFile() method.
Render each page of the document in the specified format using PrinterJob.setPrintable() method.
Call PrinterJob.print() method to print the PDF pages.

Java

import com.spire.pdf.PdfDocument;
import java.awt.print.PageFormat;
import java.awt.print.Paper;
import java.awt.print.PrinterException;
import java.awt.print.PrinterJob;

public class PrintInCustomPaperSize {

    public static void main(String[] args) {

        //Create a PrinterJob object which is initially associated with the default printer
        PrinterJob printerJob = PrinterJob.getPrinterJob();

        //Create a PageFormat object and set it to a default size and orientation
        PageFormat pageFormat = printerJob.defaultPage();

        //Return a copy of the Paper object associated with this PageFormat
        Paper paper = pageFormat.getPaper();

        //Set the width and height of this Paper object
        paper.setSize(500,600);

        //Set the Paper object for this PageFormat
        pageFormat.setPaper(paper);

        //Create a PdfDocument object
        PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument();

        //Load a PDF file
        pdf.loadFromFile("C:\\Users\\Administrator\\Desktop\\sample.pdf");

        //Call painter to render the pages in the specified format
        printerJob.setPrintable(pdf, pageFormat);

        //Execute printing
        try {
            printerJob.print();
        } catch (PrinterException e) {
            e.printStackTrace();
        }
    }
}

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