How To Print Preview in Visual Basic Applications (193379)

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Create the Sample Project

1. Start a new Standard EXE project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.
2. Add a reference to the Microsoft Common Dialog Control 6.0 by completing the following steps:
   
   
   1. From the Project menu, select Components to display the Components dialog box.
   2. From the Controls tab, check Microsoft Common Dialog Control 6.0.
   3. Click OK to close the Components dialog box.
3. Add three CommandButtons, two PictureBox controls, and one Common Dialog control to Form1.
4. Copy the following code to the Code window of Form1:

         Option Explicit
   
         Private Sub Form_Load()
            CommonDialog1.CancelError = True
            Command1.Caption = "Load Picture"
            Command2.Caption = "Print Preview"
            Command3.Caption = "Print"
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Command1_Click()
            Dim sFileFilter As String
   
            On Error GoTo ErrHandler
   
            sFileFilter = "Bitmap Files (*.bmp)|*.bmp|"
            sFileFilter = sFileFilter & "GIF Files (*.gif)|*.gif|"
            sFileFilter = sFileFilter & "Icon Files (*.ico)|*.ico|"
            sFileFilter = sFileFilter & "JPEG Files (*.jpg)|*.jpg|"
            sFileFilter = sFileFilter & "Windows MetaFiles (*.wmf)|.wmf"
            With CommonDialog1
               .Filter = sFileFilter
               .ShowOpen
               If .FileName <> " " Then
                  Picture2.Picture = LoadPicture(.FileName)
               End If
            End With
   
            ErrHandler:
               Exit Sub
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Command2_Click()
            Dim dRatio As Double
            dRatio = ScalePicPreviewToPrinterInches(Picture1)
            PrintRoutine Picture1, dRatio
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Command3_Click()
            Printer.ScaleMode = vbInches
            PrintRoutine Printer
            Printer.EndDoc
         End Sub
   
         Private Function ScalePicPreviewToPrinterInches _
            (picPreview As PictureBox) As Double
   
            Dim Ratio As Double ' Ratio between Printer and Picture
            Dim LRGap As Double, TBGap As Double
            Dim HeightRatio As Double, WidthRatio As Double
            Dim PgWidth As Double, PgHeight As Double
            Dim smtemp As Long
   
            ' Get the physical page size in Inches:
            PgWidth = Printer.Width / 1440
            PgHeight = Printer.Height / 1440
   
            ' Find the size of the non-printable area on the printer to
            ' use to offset coordinates. These formulas assume the
            ' printable area is centered on the page:
            smtemp = Printer.ScaleMode
            Printer.ScaleMode = vbInches
            LRGap = (PgWidth - Printer.ScaleWidth) / 2
            TBGap = (PgHeight - Printer.ScaleHeight) / 2
            Printer.ScaleMode = smtemp
   
            ' Scale PictureBox to Printer's printable area in Inches:
            picPreview.ScaleMode = vbInches
   
            ' Compare the height and with ratios to determine the
            ' Ratio to use and how to size the picture box:
            HeightRatio = picPreview.ScaleHeight / PgHeight
            WidthRatio = picPreview.ScaleWidth / PgWidth
   
            If HeightRatio < WidthRatio Then
               Ratio = HeightRatio
               smtemp = picPreview.Container.ScaleMode
               picPreview.Container.ScaleMode = vbInches
               picPreview.Width = PgWidth * Ratio
               picPreview.Container.ScaleMode = smtemp
            Else
               Ratio = WidthRatio
               smtemp = picPreview.Container.ScaleMode
               picPreview.Container.ScaleMode = vbInches
               picPreview.Height = PgHeight * Ratio
               picPreview.Container.ScaleMode = smtemp
            End If
   
            ' Set default properties of picture box to match printer
            ' There are many that you could add here:
            picPreview.Scale (0, 0)-(PgWidth, PgHeight)
            picPreview.Font.Name = Printer.Font.Name
            picPreview.FontSize = Printer.FontSize * Ratio
            picPreview.ForeColor = Printer.ForeColor
            picPreview.Cls
   
            ScalePicPreviewToPrinterInches = Ratio
         End Function
   
         Private Sub PrintRoutine(objPrint As Object, _
                                  Optional Ratio As Double = 1)
            ' All dimensions in inches:
   
            ' Print some graphics to the control object
            objPrint.Line (1, 1)-(1 + 6.5, 1 + 9), , B
            objPrint.Line (1.1, 2)-(1.1, 2)
            objPrint.PaintPicture Picture2, 1.1, 1.1, 0.8, 0.8
            objPrint.Line (2.1, 1.2)-(2.1 + 5.2, 1.2 + 0.7), _
                           RGB(200, 200, 200), BF
   
            ' Print a title
            With objPrint
               .Font.Name = "Arial"
               .CurrentX = 2.3
               .CurrentY = 1.3
               .FontSize = 35 * Ratio
               objPrint.Print "Visual Basic Printing"
            End With
   
            ' Print some circles
            Dim x As Single
            For x = 3 To 5.5 Step 0.2
               objPrint.Circle (x, 3.5), 0.75
            Next
   
            ' Print some text
            With objPrint
               .Font.Name = "Courier New"
               .FontSize = 30 * Ratio
               .CurrentX = 1.5
               .CurrentY = 5
               objPrint.Print "It is possible to do"
   
               .FontSize = 24 * Ratio
               .CurrentX = 1.5
               .CurrentY = 6.5
               objPrint.Print "It is possible to do print"
   
               .FontSize = 18 * Ratio
               .CurrentX = 1.5
               .CurrentY = 8
               objPrint.Print "It is possible to do print preview"
            End With
         End Sub
   						

5. On the Run menu, select Start, or press the F5 key to start the program. Click the Load Picture CommandButton to open the Common Dialog box. Select an appropriate graphic file and click OK. The graphic is displayed in a PictureBox. Click the Print Preview CommandButton to display the graphic and some text in the other PictureBox. Click the Print CommandButton to print the contents of the PictureBox.