---
title: "How to: Choose the Printers Attached to a User's Computer"
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
  - "cpp"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "printing [Windows Forms], choosing printers"
  - "printers [Windows Forms], choosing"
ms.assetid: 63c1172b-2931-4ac0-953f-37f629494bbf
---
# How to: Choose the Printers Attached to a User's Computer in Windows Forms
Often, users want to choose a printer other than the default printer to print to. You can enable users to choose a printer from among those currently installed by using the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog> component. Through the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog> component, the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult> of the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog> component is captured and used to select the printer.  
  
 In the following procedure, a text file is selected to be printed to the default printer. The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog> class is then instantiated.  
  
### To choose a printer and then print a file  
  
1. Select the printer to be used using the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog> component.  
  
     In the following code example, there are two events being handled. In the first, a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Button> control's <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Click> event, the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog> class is instantiated and the printer selected by the user is captured in the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.DialogResult> property.  
  
     In the second event, the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument.PrintPage> event of the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument> component, a sample document is printed to the printer specified.  
  
    ```vb  
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click  
       Dim PrintDialog1 As New PrintDialog()  
       PrintDialog1.Document = PrintDocument1  
       Dim result As DialogResult = PrintDialog1.ShowDialog()  
  
       If (result = DialogResult.OK) Then  
         PrintDocument1.Print()  
       End If
  
    End Sub  
  
    Private Sub PrintDocument1_PrintPage(ByVal sender As Object, ByVal e As System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs) Handles PrintDocument1.PrintPage  
       e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Red, New Rectangle(500, 500, 500, 500))
    End Sub  
    ```  
  
    ```csharp  
    private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)  
    {  
       PrintDialog printDialog1 = new PrintDialog();  
       printDialog1.Document = printDocument1;  
       DialogResult result = printDialog1.ShowDialog();  
       if (result == DialogResult.OK)  
       {  
          printDocument1.Print();  
       }  
    }  
  
    private void printDocument1_PrintPage(object sender,
    System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventArgs e)  
    {  
       e.Graphics.FillRectangle(Brushes.Red,
         new Rectangle(500, 500, 500, 500));  
    }  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    private:  
       void button1_Click(System::Object ^ sender,  
          System::EventArgs ^ e)  
       {  
          PrintDialog ^ printDialog1 = gcnew PrintDialog();  
          printDialog1->Document = printDocument1;  
          System::Windows::Forms::DialogResult result =
             printDialog1->ShowDialog();  
          if (result == DialogResult::OK)  
          {  
             printDocument1->Print();  
          }  
       }  
    private:  
       void printDocument1_PrintPage(System::Object ^ sender,  
          System::Drawing::Printing::PrintPageEventArgs ^ e)  
       {  
          e->Graphics->FillRectangle(Brushes::Red,  
             Rectangle(500, 500, 500, 500));  
       }  
    ```  
  
     (Visual C# and Visual C++) Place the following code in the form's constructor to register the event handler.  
  
    ```csharp  
    this.printDocument1.PrintPage += new  
       System.Drawing.Printing.PrintPageEventHandler  
       (this.printDocument1_PrintPage);  
    this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    this->printDocument1->PrintPage += gcnew  
       System::Drawing::Printing::PrintPageEventHandler  
       (this, &Form1::printDocument1_PrintPage);  
    this->button1->Click += gcnew  
       System::EventHandler(this, &Form1::button1_Click);  
    ```  
  
## See also

- [Windows Forms Print Support](windows-forms-print-support.md)