Use CefSharp’s browser-level PrintToPdfAsync with a PdfPrintSettings object, set an explicit paper size, and leave PreferCssPageSize set to false. That default scales the rendered page to the selected paper, which is usually the correct “fit to page” behavior. Set it to true only when the document’s CSS @page dimensions should determine the PDF size.
The complete implementation is version-sensitive: CefSharp releases expose different property names, signatures, and measurement units. Check the API reference matching the package installed in your project before copying values into production.
Print a CefSharp browser to a PDF file
The simplest route is the browser-level method:
using CefSharp;
using CefSharp.WinForms;
using System.Threading.Tasks;
public async Task<bool> SaveBrowserAsPdfAsync(ChromiumWebBrowser browser, string outputPath)
{
var settings = new PdfPrintSettings
{
Landscape = false,
PaperWidth = 8.27,
PaperHeight = 11.69,
PreferCssPageSize = false,
PrintBackground = true,
DisplayHeaderFooter = false
};
bool saved = await browser.PrintToPdfAsync(outputPath, settings);
if (!saved)
{
// The path may be unwritable, or Chromium may have failed to create the PDF.
return false;
}
return true;
}PrintToPdfAsync returns a Boolean. Do not assume that an awaited call means a file was written; check the result and handle a false value. The official WinForms pattern also checks this result and reports a write-permission problem when saving fails.
Call it after the page is ready
Invoke the method only after navigation has completed and the content you need has rendered. If the page builds its layout or loads images asynchronously, wait for that application-specific condition before starting PDF generation. Otherwise, the PDF can contain an early or incomplete layout even though the API call succeeds.
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Use a writable, deterministic path
Pass an absolute path when possible. Ensure the directory exists and that the process identity has write permission. In desktop applications, a user-selected path from a save dialog is generally safer than a protected application directory.
How CefSharp fits content to paper
Fit behavior is controlled primarily by CSS-page-size preference and the physical paper dimensions.
Keep CSS page size preference disabled for automatic fitting
With PreferCssPageSize = false, CefSharp scales the rendered content to fit the configured paper size. This is the default documented behavior. It is the setting to use when a web page is wider than the PDF sheet or when you want predictable output based on your configured paper dimensions.
Set PreferCssPageSize = true only when the page’s CSS @page rule should control the output dimensions. A page that declares a custom CSS size can therefore produce a PDF that does not match your PaperWidth and PaperHeight expectations.
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Specify both dimensions rather than relying on defaults. The sample uses 8.27 by 11.69, the dimensions commonly associated with A4, but the property units are version-dependent in CefSharp browser settings. Confirm the installed package documentation before treating those numbers as inches, millimetres, or another unit.
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Change orientation for wide pages
Use Landscape = true when the page is wider than it is tall. You can also swap the paper dimensions yourself, but do not do both accidentally; choose one consistent orientation strategy.
Control printable margins
Margins affect the usable area and can be the difference between a clean fit and clipped content. CefSharp versions expose margin settings through PdfPrintSettings, including a margin mode and individual top, bottom, left, and right values. The exact units and property availability vary by version. If the default printable area leaves excessive whitespace or clips an edge, select the custom margin mode and set every side explicitly.
Backgrounds, headers, footers, and page ranges
Print CSS background graphics
PrintBackground = true includes CSS background colors and images. Leave it false when you need an ink-saving, mostly text PDF. Background rendering can materially increase output size when a page uses large images or full-bleed colors.
Add generated headers and footers
DisplayHeaderFooter = true enables Chromium’s generated header and footer templates. The DevTools API supports templates containing the classes date, title, url, pageNumber, and totalPages. Use the DevTools route when you need explicit template control rather than the browser-level convenience method.
Restrict output to selected pages
Page ranges are available through the DevTools print-to-PDF command. Ranges are one-based strings such as 1-5, 8, 11-13. The DevTools API also exposes ignoreInvalidPageRanges, allowing you to choose whether invalid ranges are rejected or ignored.
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Use the DevTools print-to-PDF route
CefSharp also exposes Chromium DevTools Protocol methods named Page.PrintToPDFAsync and PageClient.PrintToPDFAsync. This route is useful when you need options that are more explicit or granular than the browser-level settings object.
// Illustrative shape; confirm the exact signature for your CefSharp package.
var pdf = await browser.GetDevToolsClient()
.Page.PrintToPDFAsync(
landscape: false,
displayHeaderFooter: false,
printBackground: true,
paperWidth: 8.27,
paperHeight: 11.69,
marginTop: 0.25,
marginBottom: 0.25,
marginLeft: 0.25,
marginRight: 0.25,
preferCSSPageSize: false,
pageRanges: "1-5, 8",
ignoreInvalidPageRanges: false);
// Depending on the version and transfer mode, write the returned data
// or consume the returned stream according to that API's contract.DevTools signatures use nullable numeric parameters in some releases, and the documented paper and margin measurements are inches. Other releases expose a stream transfer mode instead of returning all data directly. The browser-level method saves to a path; the DevTools method returns a response or stream that your code handles. Check the reference for your exact package.
Browser-level versus DevTools printing
| Concern | browser.PrintToPdfAsync |
DevTools Page.PrintToPDFAsync/PageClient.PrintToPDFAsync |
|---|---|---|
| Basic workflow | Pass a path and PdfPrintSettings; CefSharp writes the file. |
Call the protocol method and handle its response or stream. |
| Configuration style | Properties such as orientation, paper size, margins, backgrounds, and CSS-size preference. | Method parameters, including page ranges, templates, nullable values, and transfer mode. |
| Best fit | Applications that need a straightforward PDF file. | Applications that need page selection, custom header/footer handling, or response-level control. |
| Version caution | Property names and units differ between package generations. | Signatures and nullable parameter behavior differ between package generations. |
Version and unit checks before shipping
CefSharp API pages are versioned. The documented examples associated with PdfPrintSettings 108.4.130, Page.PrintToPDFAsync 85.3.121, and PageClient.PrintToPDFAsync 113.3.50 do not represent one universal signature. A property that exists in one generation may be renamed, moved, or measured differently in another.
- Read the installed CefSharp package version from your project file or NuGet assets.
- Open the matching API reference and verify
PdfPrintSettingsproperty names, margin units, and paper-size units. - Verify the DevTools method’s parameter order, nullable types, return type, and transfer mode.
- Generate a test PDF with a ruler-like layout and inspect all four edges before deploying.
Troubleshooting clipped, blank, or incorrectly scaled PDFs
The PDF is clipped on the right or bottom
- Confirm
PreferCssPageSize/preferCSSPageSizeis false when you want automatic scaling. - Set paper width and height explicitly and choose landscape for wide content.
- Reduce or explicitly set all four margins; the default printable area may be smaller than expected.
- Check for fixed-width CSS, positioned elements, or content that intentionally overflows its page.
The page is tiny with large empty margins
- Inspect the page’s
@pagerule. If it declares a size that you do not want, keep CSS-page-size preference false. - Check that your numeric values use the units expected by your installed CefSharp version.
- Remove an unnecessarily large custom margin.
Background colors or images are missing
Set PrintBackground = true or printBackground: true. Also verify that the resources have finished loading before printing and that the page does not apply print-specific CSS that hides them.
Headers or footers do not appear
Enable DisplayHeaderFooter/displayHeaderFooter. For custom text, use the DevTools template parameters and the supported placeholder classes rather than assuming normal page DOM content becomes a PDF header.
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Only part of the document appears
Do not print until the page has completed its own data and image loading. If you intentionally supplied a DevTools pageRanges value, remember that ranges are one-based and comma-separated.
PrintToPdfAsync returns false
- Check that the output directory exists.
- Check write permissions for the account running the application.
- Ensure another process is not locking the destination file.
- Log the selected path and retry with a known-writable temporary directory.
- If the failure persists, verify that the browser has not been disposed and that Chromium initialization completed successfully.
Performance and reliability considerations
- Wait for the real rendering state: navigation completion alone may not mean that JavaScript data, fonts, or lazy images are ready.
- Keep output settings deterministic: explicit paper dimensions, orientation, margins, and background behavior make automated comparisons more reliable.
- Manage large pages: printing full, image-heavy documents with backgrounds can consume substantial memory and produce large files. Consider page ranges or a print-specific stylesheet.
- Test representative layouts: include narrow text pages, wide tables, long documents, images, custom fonts, and pages with CSS
@pagerules. - Handle the Boolean result and exceptions: treat a failed save as an operational error, not as a successful print.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which CefSharp API should a new desktop application start with?
Start with the browser-level method when saving a normal PDF file is all you need. Use the DevTools route when you require page ranges, custom header/footer templates, or response and stream handling.
Why must I verify the API reference for my exact package version?
CefSharp releases expose different signatures, property sets, and measurement units. Examples from one version are not guaranteed to compile or measure the same way in another.
Can a page’s CSS override my configured paper size?
Yes. Setting the CSS-page-size preference to true allows the document’s CSS @page dimensions to control the PDF; leave it false for paper-based fitting.
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