How to Add ‘Print to PDF’ Button in Your Visual Basic or C Application Quickly
Meta Description
Add a ‘Print to PDF’ feature in your VB or C app fast with VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer SDKno headaches, just results.
Every developer hits this wall eventually
You’re knee-deep in a Windows app. Maybe it’s built in Visual Basic, maybe C. Everything worksuntil your client says:
“Hey, can we add a ‘Print to PDF’ button?”
Cue the headache.
If you’ve ever tried bolting on PDF generation to an app, you know what a rabbit hole that can be. Do you write your own PDF export logic from scratch? License a bloated third-party tool? Wrestle with APIs that haven’t been updated since XP?
I’ve been there.
Here’s how I cut through the noise and got it done in under an hourwith VeryPDF Virtual PDF Printer Driver SDK.
The SDK that saved me hours of custom coding
I stumbled across VeryPDF’s Virtual PDF Printer Driver SDK while desperately Googling for a solution that didn’t involve rewriting half my codebase.
What sold me? It installs as a virtual printer, and lets your app just print to itjust like it would to a normal printer. Behind the scenes, it generates clean, professional PDFs. That means:
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No reflow issues.
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No formatting bugs.
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Just crisp, ready-to-distribute PDFs.
It works with any Windows app that supports printing, which is basically all of them.
I used it to drop a “Print to PDF” button into a legacy VB6 invoicing tool. It felt like cheating.
Why this SDK makes life easier
Let me break down a few features that stood outand saved me time.
1. Silent install = smooth deployment
This one’s huge if you’re pushing updates to dozens of clients or deploying across servers. The SDK installs silentlyno popups, no dialogs, no user interaction. You can script the install and be done in seconds.
2. Full control over output
You can:
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Auto-name files.
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Pre-define save locations.
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Auto-open PDFs or email them right after generation.
There’s a config file where you set all this. Want to add a timestamp in the filename? Easy. Want the PDF to go to Dropbox or a shared folder? Done.
3. Works with any language you’re using
I integrated this with:
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VB6
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C++
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C#
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Even an old Access app
It plays nice with .NET, ActiveX, COMyou name it. No crazy workarounds needed.
Real-life use case: the invoice system rewrite
A client of mine ran a small wholesale business. Their invoicing system was this crusty old VB6 app. They needed to send digital copies of invoices, but didn’t want to rebuild the system or train staff on new software.
In two hours:
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I dropped in the SDK
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Wired up the “Print to PDF” button
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Set auto-save to generate PDFs in a dated folder structure
Now, every time they click “Print”, a PDF shows up in the right folder, named correctly, ready to email. They didn’t have to change a thing.
That project would’ve taken a week with other libraries that try to construct the PDF line by line. With VeryPDF, it was plug-and-play.
Other tools? Either bloated or too limited
I tried a few alternatives before settling on this.
One open-source option took 20 seconds to generate a PDF. Unacceptable.
Another required .NET only. Not helpful for my mixed-language stack.
Others were just overpriced for what they did.
VeryPDF struck the perfect balance.
Fast
Royalty-free for redistribution
Feature-rich without the bloat
If you’re building Windows apps, this SDK is a no-brainer
Whether you’re maintaining a crusty VB6 project or building a modern C# app, if you need to add ‘Print to PDF’ in your app quickly, this is the tool.
It just works.
Try it here: https://www.verypdf.com/app/document-converter/try-and-buy.html
I highly recommend it to any developer who doesn’t want to waste days fighting with PDF libraries.
Custom Development Services by VeryPDF
If you’re dealing with a unique workflow or application, VeryPDF also offers custom development. They can tweak or build tools around:
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Windows virtual printer drivers (PDF, EMF, images)
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Print job monitoring and interception
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Server-side document processing on Windows, macOS, or Linux
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OCR, barcode recognition, and layout analysis
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PDF security and digital signatures
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Font embedding, PDF/A conversion, file compression
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FTP/email/cloud integration
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Document form and report generation
Whether you’re building internal tools or public-facing products, they can tailor solutions in C++, Python, C#, .NET, or even older platforms like Delphi and FoxPro.
Reach out via their support portal here: http://support.verypdf.com/
FAQs
How long does it take to integrate the SDK?
If your app already supports printing, you can integrate the SDK in under an hour.
Can I use it with .NET or VB.NET?
Yesit’s fully compatible with .NET languages like VB.NET, C#, and even J#.
Does it work on Windows 11 and Server 2022?
Absolutely. It supports Windows XP through Windows 11 and all major Server versions.
Is it really royalty-free?
Yes, you can redistribute the SDK in your software without paying ongoing fees.
Can I customise the PDF output (watermarks, encryption, naming)?
Yep. You can set watermarks, use 128-bit encryption, define output paths and filenamesall through the config or your code.
Tags or Keywords
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print to PDF SDK
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virtual PDF printer for developers
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add PDF print button in Visual Basic
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PDF printer driver for C apps
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Windows PDF virtual printer SDK