How to print in iOS 4.2?

Question

I want to integrate the print functionality in my app.

The document I want to print will be in .doc or .txt format. I am not very experienced in iPhone development yet, so finding it difficult to implement it by following the Apple documentation.

If someone could help me by posting some sample code, will be a great help.

Answer 1

Check out the Drawing and Printing Guide for iOS -- I linked to the printing section. There's sample code and good links to more sample code there.

Edit: I see now that you indicate you find the documentation difficult to follow.

Word documents are complicated -- you'll need to parse through the data, which is quite difficult.

Text and HTML are easier. I took Apple's example for HTML and changed it for plain text:

- (IBAction)printContent:(id)sender {
    UIPrintInteractionController *pic = [UIPrintInteractionController sharedPrintController];
    pic.delegate = self;

    UIPrintInfo *printInfo = [UIPrintInfo printInfo];
    printInfo.outputType = UIPrintInfoOutputGeneral;
    printInfo.jobName = self.documentName;
    pic.printInfo = printInfo;

    UISimpleTextPrintFormatter *textFormatter = [[UISimpleTextPrintFormatter alloc]
                                                 initWithText:yourNSStringWithContextOfTextFileHere];
    textFormatter.startPage = 0;
    textFormatter.contentInsets = UIEdgeInsetsMake(72.0, 72.0, 72.0, 72.0); // 1 inch margins
    textFormatter.maximumContentWidth = 6 * 72.0;
    pic.printFormatter = textFormatter;
    [textFormatter release];
    pic.showsPageRange = YES;

    void (^completionHandler)(UIPrintInteractionController *, BOOL, NSError *) =
    ^(UIPrintInteractionController *printController, BOOL completed, NSError *error) {
        if (!completed && error) {
            NSLog(@"Printing could not complete because of error: %@", error);
        }
    };
    if (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM() == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad) {
        [pic presentFromBarButtonItem:sender animated:YES completionHandler:completionHandler];
    } else {
        [pic presentAnimated:YES completionHandler:completionHandler];
    }
}

Answer 2

First of all add UIPrintInteractionControllerDelegate and create variable

    UIPrintInteractionController *printController;

Below code to print all images, documents, excel, powerpoint , pdf files works for me:

[self printItem:SomeData withFilePath:YourFilePath];

In above code you provide your NSData of your document/image and URL (filePath) and below further code of printItem:withFilePath: method

-(void)printItem :(NSData*)data withFilePath:(NSString*)filePath{
printController = [UIPrintInteractionController sharedPrintController];
printController.delegate = self;

UIPrintInfo *printInfo = [UIPrintInfo printInfo];
printInfo.outputType = UIPrintInfoOutputGeneral;
printInfo.jobName = [NSString stringWithFormat:@""];
printInfo.duplex = UIPrintInfoDuplexLongEdge;
printController.printInfo = printInfo;
printController.showsPageRange = YES;


//If NSData contains data of image/PDF
if(printController && [UIPrintInteractionController canPrintData:data]) {
    printController.printingItem = data;

}else{
    UIWebView* webView = [UIWebView new];
    printInfo.jobName = webView.request.URL.absoluteString;
    [webView loadRequest:[NSURLRequest requestWithURL:[NSURL fileURLWithPath:filePath]]];

    printController.printFormatter = webView.viewPrintFormatter;

}

    void (^completionHandler)(UIPrintInteractionController *, BOOL, NSError *) = ^(UIPrintInteractionController *printController, BOOL completed, NSError *error) {
        if (!completed && error) {
            //NSLog(@"FAILED! due to error in domain %@ with error code %u", error.domain, error.code);
        }
    };

    // Check wether device is iPad/iPhone , because UIPrintInteractionControllerDelegate has different methods for both devices
    if([UIDevice currentDevice].userInterfaceIdiom == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad) {
        [printController presentFromRect:self.view.frame inView:self.view animated:YES completionHandler:completionHandler];
    }
    else {
        [printController presentAnimated:YES completionHandler:completionHandler];
    }
}

I hope it will help. Thanks

// For Swift and if you want to just print image First create IBoutlet for image

@IBOutlet var qrImage : UIImageView?

and then on click of print button just add below code

//In your view controller
@IBAction func printButton(sender: AnyObject) {

    let printInfo = UIPrintInfo(dictionary:nil)
    printInfo.outputType = UIPrintInfoOutputType.general
    printInfo.jobName = "My Print Job"

    // Set up print controller
    let printController = UIPrintInteractionController.shared
    printController.printInfo = printInfo

    // Assign a UIImage version of my UIView as a printing iten
    printController.printingItem = self.qrImage?.image

    // Do it
    printController.present(from: self.view.frame, in: self.view, animated: true, completionHandler: nil)
}

Answer 3

hi this may help you out try it and post if have any query.

-(IBAction)printFromIphone:(id)sender {

    UIPrintInteractionController *pic = [UIPrintInteractionController sharedPrintController];
    pic.delegate = self;

    UIPrintInfo *printInfo = [UIPrintInfo printInfo];
    printInfo.outputType = UIPrintInfoOutputGeneral;
    printInfo.jobName = self.documentName;
    pic.printInfo = printInfo;

    UISimpleTextPrintFormatter *textFormatter = [[UISimpleTextPrintFormatter alloc]
                                                 initWithText:yourNSStringWithContextOfTextFileHere];
    textFormatter.startPage = 0;
    textFormatter.contentInsets = UIEdgeInsetsMake(72.0, 72.0, 72.0, 72.0); // 1 inch margins
    textFormatter.maximumContentWidth = 6 * 72.0;
    pic.printFormatter = textFormatter;
    [textFormatter release];
    pic.showsPageRange = YES;

    void (^completionHandler)(UIPrintInteractionController *, BOOL, NSError *) =
    ^(UIPrintInteractionController *printController, BOOL completed, NSError *error) {
        if (!completed && error) {
            NSLog(@"Printing could not complete because of error: %@", error);
        }
    };
    if (UI_USER_INTERFACE_IDIOM() == UIUserInterfaceIdiomPad) {
        [pic presentFromBarButtonItem:sender animated:YES completionHandler:completionHandler];
    } else {
        [pic presentAnimated:YES completionHandler:completionHandler];
    }
}