How Can I Efficiently Convert HTML to PDF in .NET?

Optimizing HTML-to-PDF Conversion in .NET

Converting HTML to PDF in .NET can be challenging, especially when dealing with complex HTML structures. Traditional methods often struggle with accurate rendering of tables and other elements. This article explores modern and efficient approaches to overcome these limitations.

Modern .NET HTML-to-PDF Solutions (2024)

Several updated techniques provide superior results:

• WebView2-based Conversion: Leveraging the power of the WebView2 control (in .NET Core and later), this approach utilizes the Chromium rendering engine for accurate and consistent HTML and CSS interpretation.
• HtmlRenderer for PDF: A pure C# library built on PdfSharp. This offers advantages including ease of use, thread safety, and a permissive (New BSD) license.
• iTextSharp (Older Versions): Earlier versions of iTextSharp (up to 4.1.6) are available under the LGPL license, providing a free and viable option for many projects.

Legacy Approaches (For Simpler Scenarios):

For less demanding applications:

• TuesPechkin: This library uses the wkhtmltopdf command-line tool, which handles HTML rendering externally.
• Rotativa: Specifically designed for ASP.NET MVC applications, Rotativa simplifies PDF generation from Razor views using wkhtmltopdf.

Challenges with wkhtmltopdf-based Methods:

While wkhtmltopdf can be effective, consider these drawbacks:

• Interoperability: Its C foundation can introduce compatibility challenges when integrating with .NET code.
• Deployment Complexity: Deploying wkhtmltopdf can be problematic in restricted environments like cloud platforms (Azure, AWS, etc.).
• Performance: Managing temporary files and disk I/O can impact performance, especially with large HTML documents.

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