Print and Export

• Nov 02, 2023
• 6 minutes to read

Run Demo: WPF Gantt Control - Printing

You can print and export the GanttControl. Use the GanttView.PrintArea property to specify whether to print/export the entire GanttControl, the TreeList area, or the Gantt area.

Built-in Print Preview Window

The Print Preview window allows users to print a document or export it to a PDF/Image file.

To invoke the Print Preview window, call one of the following methods:

Method	Description
GanttView.ShowPrintPreview	Renders the View in a document and displays it in the Print Preview window.
GanttView.ShowPrintPreviewDialog	Renders the View in a document and displays it in the modal Print Preview window.
GanttView.ShowRibbonPrintPreview	Renders the View in a document and displays it in the Print Preview window with the Ribbon UI.
GanttView.ShowRibbonPrintPreviewDialog	Renders the View in a document and displays it in the modal Print Preview window with the Ribbon UI.

Print Data in Code

To print GanttControl data, call one of the following methods:

Method	Description
GanttView.Print	Invokes the standard Print dialog that allows users to print the GanttControl.
GanttView.PrintDirect	Uses the default printer to print the GanttControl.

Export Data in Code

You can use the following methods to export GanttControl data in code:

Format	Method	Export Area	Export Mode
PDF	GanttView.ExportToPDF	Entire Control / TreeList Area / Gantt Area	WYSIWYG
Image	GanttView.ExportToImage	Entire Control / TreeList Area / Gantt Area	WYSIWYG
XLS	GanttView.ExportToXls	TreeList Area	Data-Aware
XLSX	GanttView.ExportToXlsx	TreeList Area	Data-Aware
CSV	GanttView.ExportToCsv	TreeList Area	Data-Aware
XPS	GanttView.ExportToXps	TreeList Area	WYSIWYG
TXT	GanttView.ExportToText	TreeList Area	WYSIWYG
DOCX	GanttView.ExportToDocx	TreeList Area	WYSIWYG
RTF	GanttView.ExportToRtf	TreeList Area	WYSIWYG
HTML	GanttView.ExportToHtml	TreeList Area	WYSIWYG
MHT	GanttView.ExportToMht	TreeList Area	WYSIWYG

WYSIWYG Export

WYSIWYG Export methods use the Printing-Exporting library to export data. An exported document retains the layout and appearance of Gantt elements. The following formats are supported:

• PDF - the entire GanttControl or its areas (TreeList / Tasks and Timeline).
• Image (BMP, EMF, WMF, GIF, JPEG, PNG, TIFF) - the entire GanttControl or its areas (TreeList / Tasks and Timeline).
• XPS, TXT, DOCX, RTF, HTML, MHT - TreeList only.

XAML

<dxgn:GanttControl ItemsSource="{Binding Tasks}">
    <dxgn:GanttControl.View>
        <dxgn:GanttView PrintArea="EntireControl"
                        PrintDateRange="(10/5/2020)-(10/18/2020)"
                        x:Name="ganttView"/>
    </dxgn:GanttControl.View>
</dxgn:GanttControl>

C#

void ExportData(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e) {
    ganttView.ExportToPdf(@"c:\Examples\gantt_export.pdf");
}

VB.NET

Private Sub ExportData(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
    ganttView.ExportToPdf("c:\Examples\gantt_export.pdf")
End Sub

Data-Aware Export

Data-Aware export methods allow users to process exported data in Microsoft Excel. The GanttControl ignores the GanttView.PrintArea property value and exports its TreeList area only.

C#

void ExportData(object sender, System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs e){
    ganttView.ExportToXlsx(@"c:\Examples\gantt_export.xlsx");
}

VB.NET

Private Sub ExportData(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Windows.RoutedEventArgs)
    ganttView.ExportToXlsx("c:\Examples\gantt_export.xlsx")
End Sub

Printing Options

Property	Description
GanttView.PrintArea	Specifies whether to print the entire Gantt Area, the tree of tasks and subtasks, or the chart.
GanttView.PrintDateRange	Specifies the date range for which to print tasks. Connectors for tasks outside the specified range are not printed.
GanttView.PrintGanttAreaScrollMargin	Specifies the outer indents of the Gantt task area.
GanttView.PrintHeadersOnFirstPageOnly	Specifies whether to print column headers only on the first page. If the GanttView.PrintArea is set to TreeList, column headers are printed on each page regardless of the PrintHeadersOnFirstPageOnly property value.

Show TreeList Area Properties

Property	Description
GanttView.PrintAutoWidth	Specifies whether to change the TreeList area’s width to fit the page.
GanttView.PrintBandHeaders	Specifies whether to print band headers.
GanttView.PrintColumnHeaders	Specifies whether to print column headers.
GanttView.PrintExpandButtons	Specifies whether to print expand buttons.
GanttView.PrintNodeImages	Specifies whether to print node images.
GanttView.AllowPrintColumnHeaderImage	Specifies whether to print column header images.
GanttView.PrintRootIndent	Specifies whether to print expand buttons.
GanttView.PrintRowIndentWidth	Specifies whether to print an indent for the root node.
GanttView.PrintSelectedRowsOnly	Specifies whether to print only the selected rows.
GanttView.PrintTotalSummary	Specifies whether to print the Summary Panel.
GanttView.PrintFixedTotalSummary	Specifies whether to print the Fixed Summary Panel.
GanttView.PrintAllNodes	Specifies whether to expand all nodes in the printed document.
GanttColumn.AllowPrinting	Specifies whether to display the column in the printed/exported document.

Customize Appearance

The printed GanttControl ignores regular Style and Template properties. The GanttControl‘s View has special Styles and Templates that define the printed document’s appearance.

Property	Description
GanttView.PrintTaskStyle	Specifies the style applied to tasks.
GanttView.PrintTaskBaselineStyle	Specifies the style applied to task baselines.
GanttView.PrintSummaryTaskStyle	Specifies the style applied to summary tasks.
GanttView.PrintSummaryTaskBaselineStyle	Specifies the style applied to summary task baselines.
GanttView.PrintMilestoneStyle	Specifies the style applied to milestones.
GanttView.PrintMilestoneBaselineStyle	Specifies the style applied to milestone baselines.
GanttView.PrintConnectorStyle	Specifies the style applied to connectors.
GanttView.PrintResourceStyle	Specifies the style applied to resources.
GanttView.PrintGanttRowStyle	Specifies the style applied to Gantt rows.
GanttView.PrintTimescaleRulerStyle	Specifies the style applied to timescale rulers.
GanttView.PrintMarkedTimeIntervalsStyle	Specifies the style applied to marked time intervals.
StripLineBase.PrintControlStyle	Specifies the style applied to strip lines.
GanttView.PrintTaskContentTemplate, GanttView.PrintTaskContentTemplateSelector	Specifies the template applied to task contents.

Show TreeList Area Styles and Templates

Property	Description
GanttView.PrintBandHeaderStyle	Specifies the style applied to band headers.
GanttView.PrintColumnHeaderStyle	Specifies the style applied to column headers.
GanttView.PrintCellStyle	Specifies the style applied to data cells.
GanttView.PrintRowIndentStyle	Specifies the style applied to row indents.
GanttView.PrintTotalSummaryStyle	Specifies the style applied to the Summary Panel.
GanttView.PrintFixedTotalSummaryStyle	Specifies the style applied to the Fixed Summary Panel.
GanttColumn.PrintCellStyle	Specifies the style applied to the column’s data cells.
GanttColumn.PrintColumnHeaderStyle	Specifies the style applied to the column header.
GanttColumn.PrintTotalSummaryStyle	Specifies the style applied to the column’s total summary.
GanttColumn.ActualPrintTotalSummaryStyle	Returns the style applied to the column’s total summary.
GanttColumn.ActualPrintCellStyle	Returns the style applied to the column’s data cells.
GanttColumn.ActualPrintColumnHeaderStyle	Returns the style applied to the column header.
GanttView.PrintRowTemplate	Specifies the template applied to data rows.
GanttView.PrintHeaderTemplate	Specifies the template applied to column headers.
GanttView.PrintFooterTemplate	Specifies the template applied to the Summary Panel.
GanttView.PrintFixedFooterTemplate	Specifies the template applied to the Fixed Summary Panel.

For information on how to customize the GanttControl‘s TreeList area, refer to the Printing and Exporting topic in documentation for the DevExpress WPF Grid.

Example: Change the Printed GanttControl Appearance

XAML

<Window xmlns:dxgn="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/gantt"
        xmlns:dxgnn="http://schemas.devexpress.com/winfx/2008/xaml/gantt/internal">
    <Window.Resources>

        <Style x:Key="customPrintTimescaleRulerStyle" TargetType="{x:Type dxgnn:TimescaleRulerControl}">
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="White"/>
        </Style>

        <Style x:Key="customPrintMilestoneStyle" TargetType="{x:Type dxgn:GanttMilestoneControl}">
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="#0173C7"/>
        </Style>

        <Style x:Key="customPrintMilestoneBaselineStyle" TargetType="{x:Type dxgn:GanttMilestoneBaselineControl}">
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Gray"/>
            <Setter Property="BorderThickness" Value="0"/>
            <Setter Property="Opacity" Value=".5"/>
        </Style>

        <Style x:Key="customPrintTaskBaselineStyle" TargetType="{x:Type dxgn:GanttTaskBaselineControl}">
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Gray"/>
            <Setter Property="Opacity" Value=".5"/>
        </Style>

        <Style x:Key="customPrintSummaryTaskBaselineStyle" TargetType="{x:Type dxgn:GanttSummaryTaskBaselineControl}">
            <Setter Property="Background" Value="Gray"/>
            <Setter Property="Opacity" Value=".5"/>
        </Style>

    </Window.Resources>
    <dxgn:GanttControl ItemsSource="{Binding Tasks}" ...>
        <dxgn:GanttControl.View>
            <dxgn:GanttView PrintArea="Gantt"
                            PrintDateRange="(9/15/2020)-(9/25/2020)"
                            PrintTimescaleRulerStyle="{StaticResource customPrintTimescaleRulerStyle}"
                            PrintMilestoneStyle="{StaticResource customPrintMilestoneStyle}"
                            PrintMilestoneBaselineStyle="{StaticResource customPrintMilestoneBaselineStyle}"
                            PrintTaskBaselineStyle="{StaticResource customPrintTaskBaselineStyle}"
                            PrintSummaryTaskBaselineStyle="{StaticResource customPrintSummaryTaskBaselineStyle}"/>
        </dxgn:GanttControl.View>
        ...
    </dxgn:GanttControl>
</Window>