The C# PDF Library

HTML to PDF

using IronPdf;

// Disable local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true;

// Instantiate Renderer
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Create a PDF from a HTML string using C#
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");

// Export to a file or Stream
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

// Advanced Example with HTML Assets
// Load external html assets: Images, CSS and JavaScript.
// An optional BasePath 'C:\site\assets\' is set as the file location to load assets from
var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\");
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

using IronPdf;

// Disable local disk access or cross-origin requests
Installation.EnableWebSecurity = true;

// Instantiate Renderer
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// Create a PDF from a HTML string using C#
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");

// Export to a file or Stream
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");

// Advanced Example with HTML Assets
// Load external html assets: Images, CSS and JavaScript.
// An optional BasePath 'C:\site\assets\' is set as the file location to load assets from
var myAdvancedPdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<img src='icons/iron.png'>", @"C:\site\assets\");
myAdvancedPdf.SaveAs("html-with-assets.pdf");

PM >Install-Package IronPdf

Install-Package IronPdf

MIGRATION GUIDES

Migrating from Haukcode.DinkToPdf to IronPDF

Curtis Chau

Updated: May 18, 2026

Haukcode.DinkToPdf is a community fork of the once-popular DinkToPdf library, which wraps the wkhtmltopdf binary to convert HTML to PDF for .NET applications. The fork was later renamed to Haukcode.WkHtmlToPdfDotNet, with the latest release 1.5.95 published October 22, 2024 under LGPL-3.0-or-later. While the fork has kept the package alive on NuGet after the original DinkToPdf (1.0.8, April 18, 2017) was abandoned, it still binds to the same archived wkhtmltopdf binary as its parent. The wkhtmltopdf/wkhtmltopdf repository was archived on January 2, 2023, and the entire wkhtmltopdf GitHub organization was archived on July 10, 2024, so upstream issues will not be patched.

This guide offers a migration path from Haukcode.DinkToPdf / Haukcode.WkHtmlToPdfDotNet to IronPDF, including step-by-step instructions, code comparisons, and practical examples for .NET developers looking to move off the archived wkhtmltopdf binary.

Security Advisory: CVE-2022-35583

Haukcode.DinkToPdf inherits a security advisory raised against its upstream wkhtmltopdf binary:

CVE-2022-35583 - SSRF advisory against wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6

A Server-Side Request Forgery advisory has been published against wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 (CVSS 9.8 in NVD; disputed by the upstream wkhtmltopdf project, which views it as an application-side input-sanitization issue rather than a library bug). Either way, it will not be patched - upstream is archived. Typical exposure patterns flagged in public discussion include:

Attack Vector: Untrusted HTML content can cause the renderer to fetch internal resources during conversion
AWS Metadata: Requests to http://169.254.169.254 may return instance metadata if the renderer runs on EC2
Internal Network Access: Internal services may be reachable from the rendering host
Local File Inclusion: Local files may be readable via the file:// protocol

No upstream patch is expected - the wkhtmltopdf repository was archived January 2, 2023, with the last release (0.12.6) in June 2020.

IronPDF vs Haukcode.DinkToPdf: Feature Comparison

Understanding the architectural differences helps technical decision-makers evaluate the migration investment:

Aspect	Haukcode.DinkToPdf	IronPDF
Underlying Engine	wkhtmltopdf (QtWebKit fork, circa 2015)	Modern Chromium
Security Status	CVE-2022-35583 advisory (unpatched / disputed upstream)	No known critical CVEs
Project Status	Community fork; upstream wkhtmltopdf archived	Actively maintained
HTML5/CSS3	No modern Flexbox/Grid	Full CSS3
JavaScript	Limited, inconsistent	Full support
Native Binaries	`libwkhtmltox.dll/.so/.dylib` per platform	Managed NuGet package
Thread Safety	`SynchronizedConverter` serializes calls	Thread-safe by design
Support	Community	Professional support
Updates	Fork last release 1.5.95 (Oct 22, 2024); upstream wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 (Jun 2020)	Regular releases
License	LGPL-3.0-or-later (fork) / MIT (original DinkToPdf)	Commercial with free trial

Quick Start: Haukcode.DinkToPdf to IronPDF Migration

The migration can begin immediately with these foundational steps.

Step 1: Remove DinkToPdf and Native Binaries

Remove Haukcode.DinkToPdf NuGet packages:

# Remove NuGet packages
dotnet remove package DinkToPdf
dotnet remove package Haukcode.DinkToPdf
dotnet remove package Haukcode.WkHtmlToPdf-DotNet

# Remove NuGet packages
dotnet remove package DinkToPdf
dotnet remove package Haukcode.DinkToPdf
dotnet remove package Haukcode.WkHtmlToPdf-DotNet

SHELL

Delete native binaries from your project:

libwkhtmltox.dll (Windows)
libwkhtmltox.so (Linux)
libwkhtmltox.dylib (macOS)

Step 2: Install IronPDF

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

SHELL

Step 3: Update Namespaces

Replace DinkToPdf namespaces with IronPDF:

// Before (Haukcode.DinkToPdf)
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;

// After (IronPDF)
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;  // For RenderingOptions

// Before (Haukcode.DinkToPdf)
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;

// After (IronPDF)
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;  // For RenderingOptions

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering

Step 4: Initialize License

Add license initialization at application startup:

IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

Code Migration Examples

Basic HTML to PDF Conversion

The most fundamental operation reveals the complexity difference between these .NET PDF libraries.

Haukcode.DinkToPdf Approach:

// NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var converter = new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools());
        
        var doc = new HtmlToPdfDocument()
        {
            GlobalSettings = {
                ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                PaperSize = PaperKind.A4,
            },
            Objects = {
                new ObjectSettings() {
                    HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>",
                }
            }
        };
        
        byte[] pdf = converter.Convert(doc);
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdf);
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var converter = new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools());
        
        var doc = new HtmlToPdfDocument()
        {
            GlobalSettings = {
                ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                PaperSize = PaperKind.A4,
            },
            Objects = {
                new ObjectSettings() {
                    HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>",
                }
            }
        };
        
        byte[] pdf = converter.Convert(doc);
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdf);
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf.Contracts
Imports System.IO

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim converter = New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools())

        Dim doc = New HtmlToPdfDocument() With {
            .GlobalSettings = New GlobalSettings() With {
                .ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                .Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                .PaperSize = PaperKind.A4
            },
            .Objects = New ObjectSettings() {
                New ObjectSettings() With {
                    .HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
                }
            }
        }

        Dim pdf As Byte() = converter.Convert(doc)
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdf)
    End Sub
End Class

' NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf.Contracts
Imports System.IO

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim converter = New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools())

        Dim doc = New HtmlToPdfDocument() With {
            .GlobalSettings = New GlobalSettings() With {
                .ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                .Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                .PaperSize = PaperKind.A4
            },
            .Objects = New ObjectSettings() {
                New ObjectSettings() With {
                    .HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
                }
            }
        }

        Dim pdf As Byte() = converter.Convert(doc)
        File.WriteAllBytes("output.pdf", pdf)
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF Approach:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>");
        
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>");
        
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>")

        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>")

        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

Haukcode.DinkToPdf requires creating a SynchronizedConverter with PdfTools, constructing an HtmlToPdfDocument with nested GlobalSettings and Objects, adding an ObjectSettings with HtmlContent, calling converter.Convert() to get raw bytes, and manually writing to a file with File.WriteAllBytes().

IronPDF simplifies this to three lines: create a ChromePdfRenderer, call RenderHtmlAsPdf(), and use the built-in SaveAs() method.

For advanced HTML-to-PDF scenarios, see the HTML to PDF conversion guide.

Converting URLs to PDF

URL-to-PDF conversion shows similar pattern differences.

Haukcode.DinkToPdf Approach:

// NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var converter = new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools());
        
        var doc = new HtmlToPdfDocument()
        {
            GlobalSettings = {
                ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                PaperSize = PaperKind.A4,
            },
            Objects = {
                new ObjectSettings() {
                    Page = "https://www.example.com",
                }
            }
        };
        
        byte[] pdf = converter.Convert(doc);
        File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", pdf);
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var converter = new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools());
        
        var doc = new HtmlToPdfDocument()
        {
            GlobalSettings = {
                ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                PaperSize = PaperKind.A4,
            },
            Objects = {
                new ObjectSettings() {
                    Page = "https://www.example.com",
                }
            }
        };
        
        byte[] pdf = converter.Convert(doc);
        File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", pdf);
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf.Contracts
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools())

        Dim doc As New HtmlToPdfDocument() With {
            .GlobalSettings = New GlobalSettings() With {
                .ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                .Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                .PaperSize = PaperKind.A4
            },
            .Objects = New List(Of ObjectSettings) From {
                New ObjectSettings() With {
                    .Page = "https://www.example.com"
                }
            }
        }

        Dim pdf As Byte() = converter.Convert(doc)
        File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", pdf)
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf.Contracts
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools())

        Dim doc As New HtmlToPdfDocument() With {
            .GlobalSettings = New GlobalSettings() With {
                .ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                .Orientation = Orientation.Portrait,
                .PaperSize = PaperKind.A4
            },
            .Objects = New List(Of ObjectSettings) From {
                New ObjectSettings() With {
                    .Page = "https://www.example.com"
                }
            }
        }

        Dim pdf As Byte() = converter.Convert(doc)
        File.WriteAllBytes("webpage.pdf", pdf)
    End Sub
End Module

IronPDF Approach:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com");
        
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com");
        
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com")

        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://www.example.com")

        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

Haukcode.DinkToPdf uses the same document construction pattern with ObjectSettings.Page for URLs. IronPDF provides a dedicated RenderUrlAsPdf() method that clearly expresses intent.

Explore the URL to PDF documentation for authentication and custom header options.

Custom Page Settings

Configuring orientation, paper size, and margins requires different approaches.

Haukcode.DinkToPdf Approach:

// NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var converter = new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools());
        
        var doc = new HtmlToPdfDocument()
        {
            GlobalSettings = {
                ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                Orientation = Orientation.Landscape,
                PaperSize = PaperKind.Letter,
                Margins = new MarginSettings() { Top = 10, Bottom = 10, Left = 10, Right = 10 }
            },
            Objects = {
                new ObjectSettings() {
                    HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>",
                }
            }
        };
        
        byte[] pdf = converter.Convert(doc);
        File.WriteAllBytes("landscape.pdf", pdf);
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
using DinkToPdf;
using DinkToPdf.Contracts;
using System.IO;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var converter = new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools());
        
        var doc = new HtmlToPdfDocument()
        {
            GlobalSettings = {
                ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                Orientation = Orientation.Landscape,
                PaperSize = PaperKind.Letter,
                Margins = new MarginSettings() { Top = 10, Bottom = 10, Left = 10, Right = 10 }
            },
            Objects = {
                new ObjectSettings() {
                    HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>",
                }
            }
        };
        
        byte[] pdf = converter.Convert(doc);
        File.WriteAllBytes("landscape.pdf", pdf);
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf.Contracts
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools())

        Dim doc As New HtmlToPdfDocument() With {
            .GlobalSettings = New GlobalSettings() With {
                .ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                .Orientation = Orientation.Landscape,
                .PaperSize = PaperKind.Letter,
                .Margins = New MarginSettings() With {.Top = 10, .Bottom = 10, .Left = 10, .Right = 10}
            },
            .Objects = {New ObjectSettings() With {
                .HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>"
            }}
        }

        Dim pdf As Byte() = converter.Convert(doc)
        File.WriteAllBytes("landscape.pdf", pdf)
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf
Imports DinkToPdf.Contracts
Imports System.IO

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim converter As New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools())

        Dim doc As New HtmlToPdfDocument() With {
            .GlobalSettings = New GlobalSettings() With {
                .ColorMode = ColorMode.Color,
                .Orientation = Orientation.Landscape,
                .PaperSize = PaperKind.Letter,
                .Margins = New MarginSettings() With {.Top = 10, .Bottom = 10, .Left = 10, .Right = 10}
            },
            .Objects = {New ObjectSettings() With {
                .HtmlContent = "<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>"
            }}
        }

        Dim pdf As Byte() = converter.Convert(doc)
        File.WriteAllBytes("landscape.pdf", pdf)
    End Sub
End Module

IronPDF Approach:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 10;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 10;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 10;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 10;
        
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>");
        
        pdf.SaveAs("landscape.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 10;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 10;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 10;
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 10;
        
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>");
        
        pdf.SaveAs("landscape.pdf");
    }
}

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 10
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 10
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 10
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 10

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>")

        pdf.SaveAs("landscape.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

' NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.Letter
        renderer.RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = PdfPaperOrientation.Landscape
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 10
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 10
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginLeft = 10
        renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginRight = 10

        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body><h1>Landscape Document</h1><p>Custom page settings</p></body></html>")

        pdf.SaveAs("landscape.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module

Haukcode.DinkToPdf nests settings inside GlobalSettings with a separate MarginSettings object. IronPDF provides direct RenderingOptions properties with clear names like PaperSize, PaperOrientation, and individual margin properties.

Haukcode.DinkToPdf API to IronPDF Mapping Reference

This mapping accelerates migration by showing direct API equivalents:

Converter Class Mapping

Haukcode.DinkToPdf	IronPDF
`SynchronizedConverter`	`ChromePdfRenderer`
`BasicConverter`	`ChromePdfRenderer`
`PdfTools`	N/A
`IConverter`	N/A

Document Configuration Mapping

Haukcode.DinkToPdf	IronPDF
`HtmlToPdfDocument`	Method call
`GlobalSettings`	`RenderingOptions`
`ObjectSettings`	`RenderingOptions`
`converter.Convert(doc)`	`renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)`

GlobalSettings Property Mapping

GlobalSettings Property	IronPDF Property
`ColorMode`	`RenderingOptions.GrayScale`
`Orientation`	`RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation`
`PaperSize`	`RenderingOptions.PaperSize`
`Margins.Top`	`RenderingOptions.MarginTop`
`Margins.Bottom`	`RenderingOptions.MarginBottom`
`Margins.Left`	`RenderingOptions.MarginLeft`
`Margins.Right`	`RenderingOptions.MarginRight`

ObjectSettings Property Mapping

ObjectSettings Property	IronPDF Equivalent
`HtmlContent`	First parameter to `RenderHtmlAsPdf()`
`Page` (URL)	`renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)`
`HeaderSettings.Right = "[page]"`	`{page}` inside `HtmlHeader.HtmlFragment`

Placeholder Syntax Migration

Haukcode.DinkToPdf	IronPDF
`[page]`	`{page}`
`[toPage]`	`{total-pages}`
`[date]`	`{date}`

Common Migration Issues and Solutions

Issue 1: Singleton Requirement

Haukcode.DinkToPdf: Requires SynchronizedConverter as a singleton due to thread safety issues with the native wkhtmltopdf binary.

Solution: IronPDF's ChromePdfRenderer is thread-safe by design - no singleton required:

// Before (DinkToPdf) - MUST be singleton
services.AddSingleton(typeof(IConverter), new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools()));

// After (IronPDF) - Can be singleton or transient (both work)
services.AddSingleton<IPdfService, IronPdfService>();
// Or services.AddTransient<IPdfService, IronPdfService>() - both are safe!

// Before (DinkToPdf) - MUST be singleton
services.AddSingleton(typeof(IConverter), new SynchronizedConverter(new PdfTools()));

// After (IronPDF) - Can be singleton or transient (both work)
services.AddSingleton<IPdfService, IronPdfService>();
// Or services.AddTransient<IPdfService, IronPdfService>() - both are safe!

' Before (DinkToPdf) - MUST be singleton
services.AddSingleton(GetType(IConverter), New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools()))

' After (IronPDF) - Can be singleton or transient (both work)
services.AddSingleton(Of IPdfService, IronPdfService)()
' Or services.AddTransient(Of IPdfService, IronPdfService)() - both are safe!

' Before (DinkToPdf) - MUST be singleton
services.AddSingleton(GetType(IConverter), New SynchronizedConverter(New PdfTools()))

' After (IronPDF) - Can be singleton or transient (both work)
services.AddSingleton(Of IPdfService, IronPdfService)()
' Or services.AddTransient(Of IPdfService, IronPdfService)() - both are safe!

Issue 2: Native Binary Dependencies

Haukcode.DinkToPdf: Requires platform-specific native libraries (libwkhtmltox.dll/so/dylib).

Solution: IronPDF is self-contained with no native binary dependencies. Delete these files after migration:

libwkhtmltox.dll (Windows)
libwkhtmltox.so (Linux)
libwkhtmltox.dylib (macOS)

Issue 3: Return Type Differences

Haukcode.DinkToPdf: converter.Convert() returns byte[] directly.

Solution: IronPDF returns a PdfDocument object with multiple output options:

var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
byte[] bytes = pdf.BinaryData;  // Get bytes
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");       // Or save directly

var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
byte[] bytes = pdf.BinaryData;  // Get bytes
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");       // Or save directly

Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
Dim bytes As Byte() = pdf.BinaryData  ' Get bytes
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")  ' Or save directly

Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
Dim bytes As Byte() = pdf.BinaryData  ' Get bytes
pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")  ' Or save directly

Issue 4: Header/Footer Placeholder Syntax

Haukcode.DinkToPdf: Uses square bracket syntax like [page] and [toPage].

Solution: Update to IronPDF's curly brace placeholders:

// Before (DinkToPdf)
HeaderSettings = { Right = "Page [page] of [toPage]" }

// After (IronPDF)
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
    HtmlFragment = "<span style='float:right'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</span>"
};

// Before (DinkToPdf)
HeaderSettings = { Right = "Page [page] of [toPage]" }

// After (IronPDF)
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
    HtmlFragment = "<span style='float:right'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</span>"
};

' Before (DinkToPdf)
HeaderSettings = New With {.Right = "Page [page] of [toPage]"}

' After (IronPDF)
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
    .HtmlFragment = "<span style='float:right'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</span>"
}

' Before (DinkToPdf)
HeaderSettings = New With {.Right = "Page [page] of [toPage]"}

' After (IronPDF)
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
    .HtmlFragment = "<span style='float:right'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</span>"
}

Haukcode.DinkToPdf Migration Checklist

Pre-Migration Tasks

Audit your codebase to identify all DinkToPdf usage:

# Find DinkToPdf namespace usage
grep -r "using DinkToPdf\|using Haukcode" --include="*.cs" .

# Find converter usage
grep -r "SynchronizedConverter\|BasicConverter\|HtmlToPdfDocument" --include="*.cs" .

# Find native library loading
grep -r "wkhtmltopdf\|libwkhtmltox" --include="*.cs" --include="*.csproj" .

# Find GlobalSettings/ObjectSettings usage
grep -r "GlobalSettings\|ObjectSettings\|MarginSettings" --include="*.cs" .

# Find DinkToPdf namespace usage
grep -r "using DinkToPdf\|using Haukcode" --include="*.cs" .

# Find converter usage
grep -r "SynchronizedConverter\|BasicConverter\|HtmlToPdfDocument" --include="*.cs" .

# Find native library loading
grep -r "wkhtmltopdf\|libwkhtmltox" --include="*.cs" --include="*.csproj" .

# Find GlobalSettings/ObjectSettings usage
grep -r "GlobalSettings\|ObjectSettings\|MarginSettings" --include="*.cs" .

SHELL

Document current GlobalSettings and ObjectSettings configurations. Identify any native library loading code that can be removed.

Code Update Tasks

Remove DinkToPdf NuGet packages
Install IronPDF NuGet package
Update namespace imports from DinkToPdf to IronPdf
Replace SynchronizedConverter with ChromePdfRenderer
Convert HtmlToPdfDocument patterns to direct method calls
Convert GlobalSettings to RenderingOptions
Convert ObjectSettings to RenderingOptions
Update placeholder syntax ([page] → {page}, [toPage] → {total-pages})
Add IronPDF license initialization at startup

Infrastructure Cleanup Tasks

Delete native binaries (libwkhtmltox.*)
Remove native library loading code
Remove CustomAssemblyLoadContext if present
Update Dependency Injection (singleton no longer required)
Remove platform detection code for native binaries

Post-Migration Testing

After migration, verify these aspects:

Test HTML to PDF conversion
Test URL to PDF conversion
Verify page settings (size, orientation, margins)
Verify headers and footers with placeholders
Test with actual HTML templates
Performance test under load

Key Benefits of Migrating to IronPDF

Moving from Haukcode.DinkToPdf to IronPDF provides several critical advantages:

Security: Eliminates CVE-2022-35583 (SSRF) and other wkhtmltopdf vulnerabilities that will never be patched.

Modern Rendering Engine: Uses actively-updated Chromium instead of the abandoned Qt WebKit from 2015. Full HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript support.

No Native Binaries: Self-contained library with no platform-specific DLLs to manage. Simplifies deployment across Windows, Linux, and macOS.

Thread Safety: No singleton requirement - use ChromePdfRenderer freely in any pattern including per-request instantiation.

Simpler API: Direct method calls (RenderHtmlAsPdf(), RenderUrlAsPdf()) instead of complex document object construction.

Active Development: IronPDF's regular release cadence keeps it compatible with current .NET versions, including .NET Framework 4.6.2+, .NET Core 3.1+, and .NET 5/6/7/8/9/10.

Please note: DinkToPdf, Haukcode.DinkToPdf, Haukcode.WkHtmlToPdfDotNet, and wkhtmltopdf are trademarks or product names of their respective owners. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by any of these projects. All product names, logos, and brands are property of their respective owners. Comparisons are for informational purposes only and reflect publicly available information at the time of writing.

Curtis Chau

Chat with engineering team now

Technical Writer

Curtis Chau holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science (Carleton University) and specializes in front-end development with expertise in Node.js, TypeScript, JavaScript, and React. Passionate about crafting intuitive and aesthetically pleasing user interfaces, Curtis enjoys working with modern frameworks and creating well-structured, visually appealing manuals.

...