FILE: PRTLGPCT.EXE: Print a Large Bitmap on Multiple Pages

• Microsoft Visual Basic Learning, Professional, and Enterprise Editions for Windows, version 5.0
• Microsoft Visual Basic Standard, Professional, and Enterprise Editions, 32-bit only, for Windows, version 4.0

SUMMARY

The PaintPicture method of the Picture object allows you to print the picture. However, this method will adjust the picture size to fit on a single sheet of paper. This article shows you how to print a large picture on multiple sheets of paper.

A sample project demonstrating printing a large picture on multiple sheets is available for download from the Microsoft Software Library:

 ~ Prtlgpct.exe (size: 25983 bytes) 

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MORE INFORMATION

To print a large picture over several sheets, you start by calculating the ratio of the picture's height and width to the maximum height and width the printer can print. From this ratio, you can calculate the number of pages required to print the picture completely. With each page, you use the PrintPicture method to print the maximum image on that sheet. Keep repeating this process on each successive page until the picture is completely printed.

The next section shows you how to create a sample program to demonstrate this technique.

Step-by-Step Example

1. Start a new project in Visual Basic. Form1 is created by default.

2. Add three CommandButtons, a Common Dialog control, and a Picture control to Form1.

3. Copy the following code to the Code window of Form1:

         Option Explicit
   

         Const constMaxValue = 32767
   

         Dim lngPrinterWidth As Long, lngPrinterHeight As Long
         Dim lngPictureWidth As Long, lngPictureHeight As Long
         Dim lngXCoor As Long, lngYCoor As Long
         Dim sngWidthRatio As Single, sngHeightRatio As Single
         Dim intPageWidth As Integer, intPageHeight As Integer
         Dim bytWidthCount As Byte, bytHeightCount As Byte
   

         Private Sub Form_Load()
            Command1.Caption = "Load Picture"
            Command2.Caption = "Print Single Page"
            Command3.Caption = "Print Multiple Pages"
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Command1_Click()
            'Opens the common dialog box so you can select a picture file
            'to load into the Picture object.
            Dim picFile As Picture
            CommonDialog1.Filter = "JPEG files|*.jpg|BMP files|*.bmp"
            CommonDialog1.ShowOpen
   
            If CommonDialog1.filename <> "" Then
               Set picFile = LoadPicture(CommonDialog1.filename)
               Set Picture1.Picture = picFile
               Form1.Height = Picture1.Height + 1700
               Form1.Width = Picture1.Width + 1400
               Picture1.Left = 700
               Picture1.Top = 700
            End If
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Command2_Click()
            'Print the picture on a single sheet. Picture object automatically
            'adjusts picture size to fit into a single sheet.
            Printer.PaintPicture Picture1.Picture, lngXCoor, lngYCoor
            Printer.EndDoc
            MsgBox "Done Sending Info to Printer"
         End Sub
   
         Private Sub Command3_Click()
            'Print the picture on multiple sheets.
   
            'Load the dimensions of the image and printer into memory
            lngPictureWidth = Picture1.Picture.Width
            lngPictureHeight = Picture1.Picture.Height
            lngPrinterWidth = Printer.Width
            lngPrinterHeight = Printer.Height
   
            'Calculate the ratios
            sngWidthRatio = lngPictureWidth / lngPrinterWidth
            sngHeightRatio = lngPictureHeight / lngPrinterHeight
   
            'Calculate how many pages are required to print the picture
            intPageWidth = constMaxValue - Int(constMaxValue - sngWidthRatio)
            intPageHeight = constMaxValue - Int(constMaxValue - _
                                                            sngHeightRatio)
   
            For bytWidthCount = 1 To intPageWidth
   
               'Calculate the x-offset
               lngXCoor = -lngPrinterWidth * (bytWidthCount - 1)
   
               For bytHeightCount = 1 To intPageHeight
   
               'Calculate the y-offset
                  lngYCoor = -lngPrinterHeight * (bytHeightCount - 1)
   
                  'Use the Paint Picture method to print the picture
                  Printer.PaintPicture Picture1.Picture, _
                                       lngXCoor, _
                                       lngYCoor, _
                                       lngPictureWidth, _
                                       lngPictureHeight
                  'start a new page
                  Printer.NewPage
               Next bytHeightCount
            Next bytWidthCount
   
            Printer.EndDoc
            MsgBox "Done Sending Info to Printer"
         End Sub
   
   

4. Press the F5 key to run the program. Click Load Picture to open the Common Dialog, and choose a picture file. Click Print Single Page to print the picture to a single page or Print Multiple Pages to print to multiple pages.

Keywords          : vb432 VB4WIN vb5all VBKBPrinting
Version           : WINDOWS:4.0,5.0
Platform          : WINDOWS
Issue type        : kbhowto