---
title: Display Print Preview in Windows Forms apps
titleSuffix: ""
ms.date: "03/30/2017"
dev_langs: 
  - "csharp"
  - "vb"
  - "cpp"
helpviewer_keywords: 
  - "print preview [Windows Forms], displaying"
  - "printing [Windows Forms], print preview"
  - "examples [Windows Forms], print preview"
ms.assetid: e394134c-0886-4517-bd8d-edc4a3749eb5
---
# How to: Display Print Preview in Windows Forms Applications
You can use the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control to enable users to display a document, often before it is to be printed.  
  
 To do this, you need to specify an instance of the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument> class; this is the document to be printed. For more information about using print preview with the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument> component, see [How to: Print in Windows Forms Using Print Preview](../advanced/how-to-print-in-windows-forms-using-print-preview.md).  
  
> [!NOTE]
> To use the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control at run time, users must have a printer installed on their computer, either locally or through a network, as this is partly how the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> component determines how a document will look when printed.  
  
 The <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control uses the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings> class. Additionally, the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control uses the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings> class, just as the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> component does. The print document specified in the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control's <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewControl.Document%2A> property refers to instances of both the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrinterSettings> and <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PageSettings> classes, and these are used to render the document in the preview window.  
  
### To view pages using the PrintPreviewDialog control  
  
- Use the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.CommonDialog.ShowDialog%2A> method to display the dialog box, specifying the <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument> to use.  
  
     In the following code example, the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Button> control's <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Control.Click> event handler opens an instance of the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control. The print document is specified in the <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintDialog.Document%2A> property. In the example below, no print document is specified.  
  
     The example requires that your form has a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.Button> control, a <xref:System.Drawing.Printing.PrintDocument> component named `myDocument`, and a <xref:System.Windows.Forms.PrintPreviewDialog> control.  
  
    ```vb  
    Private Sub Button1_Click(ByVal sender As System.Object, _  
       ByVal e As System.EventArgs) Handles Button1.Click  
       ' The print document 'myDocument' used below  
       ' is merely for an example.  
       ' You will have to specify your own print document.  
       PrintPreviewDialog1.Document = myDocument  
       PrintPreviewDialog1.ShowDialog()  
    End Sub  
    ```  
  
    ```csharp  
    private void button1_Click(object sender, System.EventArgs e)  
    {  
       // The print document 'myDocument' used below  
       // is merely for an example.  
       // You will have to specify your own print document.  
       printPreviewDialog1.Document = myDocument;  
       printPreviewDialog1.ShowDialog();  
    }  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    private:  
       void button1_Click(System::Object ^ sender,  
          System::EventArgs ^ e)  
       {  
          // The print document 'myDocument' used below  
          // is merely for an example.  
          // You will have to specify your own print document.  
          printPreviewDialog1->Document = myDocument;  
          printPreviewDialog1->ShowDialog();  
       }  
    ```  
  
     (Visual C#, Visual C++) Place the following code in the form's constructor to register the event handler.  
  
    ```csharp  
    this.button1.Click += new System.EventHandler(this.button1_Click);  
    ```  
  
    ```cpp  
    this->button1->Click += gcnew  
       System::EventHandler(this, &Form1::button1_Click);  
    ```  
  
## See also

- [PrintDocument Component](printdocument-component-windows-forms.md)
- [PrintPreviewDialog Control](printpreviewdialog-control-windows-forms.md)
- [Windows Forms Print Support](../advanced/windows-forms-print-support.md)
- [Windows Forms](../index.yml)