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

How to Migrate from DynamicPDF to IronPDF in C#

Curtis Chau

Updated: August 1, 2026

Why Migrate from DynamicPDF to IronPDF?

DynamicPDF's product fragmentation is a common driver for migration. Understanding the licensing model helps evaluate the true cost of your current implementation.

The Product Fragmentation Problem

DynamicPDF (ceTe Software) ships PDF functionality as separately licensed packages:

DynamicPDF Core Suite (ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET, v12.43.0): Bundles Generator, Merger, and ReportWriter
DynamicPDF HTML Converter (ceTe.DynamicPDF.HtmlConverter.NET, v3.3.0): HTML-to-PDF as a separate add-on
DynamicPDF Converter (ceTe.DynamicPDF.Converter.NET, v3.32.0): Office and 50+ file-format conversion
DynamicPDF PrintManager (ceTe.DynamicPDF.Printing.NET): Programmatic printing
DynamicPDF Rasterizer (ceTe.DynamicPDF.Rasterizer.NET): PDF-to-image
DynamicPDF Viewer (ceTe.DynamicPDF.Viewer.NET): WinForms/WPF viewer control

Generator, Merger, and ReportWriter are folded into Core Suite, but HTML rendering, rasterization, printing, and viewing each still require a separate purchase. IronPDF bundles these capabilities into a single library and license.

Architecture Comparison

Aspect	DynamicPDF	IronPDF
Product Model	Fragmented (5+ products)	All-in-one library
Licensing	Multiple licenses required	Single license
HTML to PDF	Separate add-on purchase	Built-in, Chromium-based
CSS Support	Limited (requires add-on)	Full CSS3 with Flexbox/Grid
API Style	Coordinate-based positioning	HTML/CSS + manipulation API
Learning Curve	Steep (multiple APIs)	Gentle (web technologies)
Modern .NET	.NET Standard 2.0 / .NET 6 / .NET 8 / .NET Framework 4.6.2	.NET 6/7/8/9+ native

Key Migration Benefits

Single Package: One NuGet package replaces 3-5 DynamicPDF packages
Modern Rendering: Chromium engine versus legacy rendering
Web Technologies: Use HTML/CSS instead of coordinate-based positioning
Simpler API: Less code, more readable, easier maintenance
No Add-On Purchases: HTML, merging, security all included

Pre-Migration Preparation

Prerequisites

Ensure your environment meets these requirements:

.NET Framework 4.6.2+ or .NET 6/7/8/9+
Visual Studio 2019+ or VS Code with C# extension
NuGet Package Manager access
IronPDF license key (free trial available at ironpdf.com)

Audit DynamicPDF Usage

Run these commands in your solution directory to identify all DynamicPDF references:

# Find all DynamicPDF references
grep -r "ceTe.DynamicPDF\|DynamicPDF" --include="*.cs" --include="*.csproj" .

# Check NuGet packages
dotnet list package | grep -i dynamic

# Find all DynamicPDF references
grep -r "ceTe.DynamicPDF\|DynamicPDF" --include="*.cs" --include="*.csproj" .

# Check NuGet packages
dotnet list package | grep -i dynamic

SHELL

Common packages to look for:

ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET (Generator + Merger + ReportWriter)
ceTe.DynamicPDF.HtmlConverter.NET (HTML-to-PDF add-on)
ceTe.DynamicPDF.Converter.NET (Office / multi-format to PDF)
ceTe.DynamicPDF.Rasterizer.NET, ceTe.DynamicPDF.Printing.NET, ceTe.DynamicPDF.Viewer.NET

Understanding the Paradigm Shift

The most significant change when migrating from DynamicPDF to IronPDF is the fundamental approach to document creation. DynamicPDF uses coordinate-based positioning where you place elements at specific X,Y coordinates on a page. IronPDF uses HTML/CSS rendering where you design with web technologies.

This paradigm shift means converting Label, TextArea, and Table2 elements to their HTML equivalents - a change that typically results in more readable, maintainable code.

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Step 1: Update NuGet Packages

Remove the DynamicPDF packages you actually have installed and add IronPDF:

# Remove DynamicPDF packages (only those you actually have)
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.HtmlConverter.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Converter.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Rasterizer.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Printing.NET

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

# Remove DynamicPDF packages (only those you actually have)
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.HtmlConverter.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Converter.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Rasterizer.NET
dotnet remove package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Printing.NET

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf

SHELL

Step 2: Update Namespace References

Replace DynamicPDF namespaces with IronPDF:

// Remove these
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Conversion;

// Add this
using IronPdf;

// Remove these
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Conversion;

// Add this
using IronPdf;

Imports IronPdf

Imports IronPdf

Step 3: Configure License

// Add at application startup (Program.cs or Startup.cs)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

// Add at application startup (Program.cs or Startup.cs)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";

' Add at application startup (Program.vb or Startup.vb)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

' Add at application startup (Program.vb or Startup.vb)
IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"

Complete API Migration Reference

Core Class Mapping

DynamicPDF Class	IronPDF Equivalent
`Document`	`ChromePdfRenderer`
`Document`	`PdfDocument`
`Page`	HTML `<div>` with page-break
`MergeDocument`	`PdfDocument.Merge()`
`HtmlConverter`	`ChromePdfRenderer`

Page Elements to HTML Mapping

DynamicPDF PageElement	IronPDF/HTML Equivalent
`Label`	`<p>`, `<span>`, `<div>`
`TextArea`	`<div>`, `<p>` with CSS
`Image`	`<img>` tag
`Table2`	HTML `<table>`
`PageNumberingLabel`	`{page}` / `{total-pages}` placeholders

Key API Mappings

DynamicPDF	IronPDF
`Document` + `Page`	`ChromePdfRenderer`
`Label`, `TextArea`	HTML `<p>`, `<div>`
`Table2`	HTML `<table>`
`MergeDocument`	`PdfDocument.Merge()`
`HtmlConverter`	`ChromePdfRenderer`
`document.Draw()`	`pdf.SaveAs()` / `pdf.BinaryData`
`PageNumberingLabel` `%%CP%%`	`{page}` placeholder

Code Migration Examples

HTML to PDF Conversion

The HTML to PDF conversion demonstrates DynamicPDF's requirement for a separate HtmlConverter add-on versus IronPDF's built-in Chromium rendering.

DynamicPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Converter.NET
// HTML-to-PDF is a separate add-on; CoreSuite alone does not include it.
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Conversion;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        HtmlConverter converter = new HtmlConverter(html);
        converter.Convert("output.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package ceTe.DynamicPDF.Converter.NET
// HTML-to-PDF is a separate add-on; CoreSuite alone does not include it.
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Conversion;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        string html = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>";
        HtmlConverter converter = new HtmlConverter(html);
        converter.Convert("output.pdf");
    }
}

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.Conversion

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim converter As New HtmlConverter(html)
        converter.Convert("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.Conversion

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim converter As New HtmlConverter(html)
        converter.Convert("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

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

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

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

Imports IronPdf

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports IronPdf

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim html As String = "<html><body><h1>Hello World</h1></body></html>"
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF's ChromePdfRenderer provides Chromium-based rendering with full CSS3 support, with no separate add-on purchase. For more options, see the HTML to PDF documentation.

Merging Multiple PDFs

PDF merging demonstrates the difference between DynamicPDF's MergeDocument class (requiring the Merger product license) and IronPDF's built-in static Merge method.

DynamicPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        MergeDocument document = new MergeDocument("document1.pdf");
        document.Append("document2.pdf");
        document.Draw("merged.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        MergeDocument document = new MergeDocument("document1.pdf");
        document.Append("document2.pdf");
        document.Draw("merged.pdf");
    }
}

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim document As New MergeDocument("document1.pdf")
        document.Append("document2.pdf")
        document.Draw("merged.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim document As New MergeDocument("document1.pdf")
        document.Append("document2.pdf")
        document.Draw("merged.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf");
        var pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf");
        var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2);
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf");
        var pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf");
        var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2);
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");
    }
}

Imports IronPdf

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf")
        Dim pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf")
        Dim merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2)
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports IronPdf

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim pdf1 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf")
        Dim pdf2 = PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf")
        Dim merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2)
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF's static Merge method accepts multiple PdfDocument objects directly. For more options, see the PDF merging documentation.

Adding Text to PDFs

Text placement demonstrates the paradigm shift from DynamicPDF's coordinate-based Label elements to IronPDF's HTML-based TextStamper.

DynamicPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Document document = new Document();
        Page page = new Page(PageSize.Letter);
        Label label = new Label("Hello from DynamicPDF!", 0, 0, 504, 100);
        page.Elements.Add(label);
        document.Pages.Add(page);
        document.Draw("output.pdf");
    }
}

// NuGet: Install-Package ceTe.DynamicPDF.CoreSuite.NET
using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        Document document = new Document();
        Page page = new Page(PageSize.Letter);
        Label label = new Label("Hello from DynamicPDF!", 0, 0, 504, 100);
        page.Elements.Add(label);
        document.Pages.Add(page);
        document.Draw("output.pdf");
    }
}

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim document As New Document()
        Dim page As New Page(PageSize.Letter)
        Dim label As New Label("Hello from DynamicPDF!", 0, 0, 504, 100)
        page.Elements.Add(label)
        document.Pages.Add(page)
        document.Draw("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim document As New Document()
        Dim page As New Page(PageSize.Letter)
        Dim label As New Label("Hello from DynamicPDF!", 0, 0, 504, 100)
        page.Elements.Add(label)
        document.Pages.Add(page)
        document.Draw("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF Implementation:

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body></body></html>");
        var textStamper = new TextStamper()
        {
            Text = "Hello from IronPDF!",
            FontSize = 20,
            VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
        };
        pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body></body></html>");
        var textStamper = new TextStamper()
        {
            Text = "Hello from IronPDF!",
            FontSize = 20,
            VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
        };
        pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper);
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Editing

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body></body></html>")
        Dim textStamper As New TextStamper() With {
            .Text = "Hello from IronPDF!",
            .FontSize = 20,
            .VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
        }
        pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Editing

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<html><body></body></html>")
        Dim textStamper As New TextStamper() With {
            .Text = "Hello from IronPDF!",
            .FontSize = 20,
            .VerticalAlignment = VerticalAlignment.Top
        }
        pdf.ApplyStamp(textStamper)
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class

IronPDF's TextStamper provides alignment-based positioning rather than coordinate-based placement, making layouts more adaptable across different page sizes. For more options, see the watermarks and stamping documentation.

Complete Document Generation Example

This comprehensive example shows converting a DynamicPDF document with multiple elements to IronPDF's HTML approach.

DynamicPDF Implementation:

using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger;

// Generation (requires Generator license)
Document document = new Document();
Page page = new Page(PageSize.A4);
Label title = new Label("Invoice Report", 0, 0, 595, 30, Font.HelveticaBold, 18);
title.Align = TextAlign.Center;
page.Elements.Add(title);

Table2 table = new Table2(40, 60, 515, 500);
// ... complex table setup with columns, rows, cells...
page.Elements.Add(table);
document.Pages.Add(page);
document.Draw("invoice.pdf");

// Merging (requires Merger license)
MergeDocument mergeDoc = new MergeDocument("cover.pdf");
mergeDoc.Append("invoice.pdf");
mergeDoc.Draw("final.pdf");

using ceTe.DynamicPDF;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements;
using ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger;

// Generation (requires Generator license)
Document document = new Document();
Page page = new Page(PageSize.A4);
Label title = new Label("Invoice Report", 0, 0, 595, 30, Font.HelveticaBold, 18);
title.Align = TextAlign.Center;
page.Elements.Add(title);

Table2 table = new Table2(40, 60, 515, 500);
// ... complex table setup with columns, rows, cells...
page.Elements.Add(table);
document.Pages.Add(page);
document.Draw("invoice.pdf");

// Merging (requires Merger license)
MergeDocument mergeDoc = new MergeDocument("cover.pdf");
mergeDoc.Append("invoice.pdf");
mergeDoc.Draw("final.pdf");

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger

' Generation (requires Generator license)
Dim document As New Document()
Dim page As New Page(PageSize.A4)
Dim title As New Label("Invoice Report", 0, 0, 595, 30, Font.HelveticaBold, 18)
title.Align = TextAlign.Center
page.Elements.Add(title)

Dim table As New Table2(40, 60, 515, 500)
' ... complex table setup with columns, rows, cells...
page.Elements.Add(table)
document.Pages.Add(page)
document.Draw("invoice.pdf")

' Merging (requires Merger license)
Dim mergeDoc As New MergeDocument("cover.pdf")
mergeDoc.Append("invoice.pdf")
mergeDoc.Draw("final.pdf")

Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.PageElements
Imports ceTe.DynamicPDF.Merger

' Generation (requires Generator license)
Dim document As New Document()
Dim page As New Page(PageSize.A4)
Dim title As New Label("Invoice Report", 0, 0, 595, 30, Font.HelveticaBold, 18)
title.Align = TextAlign.Center
page.Elements.Add(title)

Dim table As New Table2(40, 60, 515, 500)
' ... complex table setup with columns, rows, cells...
page.Elements.Add(table)
document.Pages.Add(page)
document.Draw("invoice.pdf")

' Merging (requires Merger license)
Dim mergeDoc As New MergeDocument("cover.pdf")
mergeDoc.Append("invoice.pdf")
mergeDoc.Draw("final.pdf")

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// All features in one library
var html = @"
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        body { font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 40px; }
        h1 { text-align: center; font-size: 18pt; }
        table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 20px; }
        th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Invoice Report</h1>
    <table>
        <tr><th>Product</th><th>Qty</th><th>Price</th></tr>
        <tr><td>Widget</td><td>10</td><td>$99.99</td></tr>
    </table>
</body>
</html>";

var invoice = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);

// Merging included - no separate license
var cover = PdfDocument.FromFile("cover.pdf");
var final = PdfDocument.Merge(cover, invoice);
final.SaveAs("final.pdf");

using IronPdf;

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

// All features in one library
var html = @"
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        body { font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 40px; }
        h1 { text-align: center; font-size: 18pt; }
        table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 20px; }
        th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Invoice Report</h1>
    <table>
        <tr><th>Product</th><th>Qty</th><th>Price</th></tr>
        <tr><td>Widget</td><td>10</td><td>$99.99</td></tr>
    </table>
</body>
</html>";

var invoice = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);

// Merging included - no separate license
var cover = PdfDocument.FromFile("cover.pdf");
var final = PdfDocument.Merge(cover, invoice);
final.SaveAs("final.pdf");

Imports IronPdf

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' All features in one library
Dim html As String = "
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        body { font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 40px; }
        h1 { text-align: center; font-size: 18pt; }
        table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 20px; }
        th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Invoice Report</h1>
    <table>
        <tr><th>Product</th><th>Qty</th><th>Price</th></tr>
        <tr><td>Widget</td><td>10</td><td>$99.99</td></tr>
    </table>
</body>
</html>"

Dim invoice As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)

' Merging included - no separate license
Dim cover As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.FromFile("cover.pdf")
Dim final As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.Merge(cover, invoice)
final.SaveAs("final.pdf")

Imports IronPdf

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

' All features in one library
Dim html As String = "
<html>
<head>
    <style>
        body { font-family: Helvetica, sans-serif; padding: 40px; }
        h1 { text-align: center; font-size: 18pt; }
        table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; margin-top: 20px; }
        th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px; }
    </style>
</head>
<body>
    <h1>Invoice Report</h1>
    <table>
        <tr><th>Product</th><th>Qty</th><th>Price</th></tr>
        <tr><td>Widget</td><td>10</td><td>$99.99</td></tr>
    </table>
</body>
</html>"

Dim invoice As PdfDocument = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)

' Merging included - no separate license
Dim cover As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.FromFile("cover.pdf")
Dim final As PdfDocument = PdfDocument.Merge(cover, invoice)
final.SaveAs("final.pdf")

Critical Migration Notes

Coordinate-Based to HTML/CSS Positioning

The fundamental paradigm shift requires converting X,Y coordinate positioning to CSS-based layouts:

// DynamicPDF - coordinate-based
var label = new Label("Hello World", 100, 200, 300, 50);

// IronPDF - CSS positioning (if absolute positioning needed)
var html = "<div style='position:absolute; left:100px; top:200px; width:300px;'>Hello World</div>";

// IronPDF - preferred approach (flow-based)
var html = "<div style='margin-left:100px; margin-top:200px;'>Hello World</div>";

// DynamicPDF - coordinate-based
var label = new Label("Hello World", 100, 200, 300, 50);

// IronPDF - CSS positioning (if absolute positioning needed)
var html = "<div style='position:absolute; left:100px; top:200px; width:300px;'>Hello World</div>";

// IronPDF - preferred approach (flow-based)
var html = "<div style='margin-left:100px; margin-top:200px;'>Hello World</div>";

Page Numbering Syntax

DynamicPDF and IronPDF use different placeholder syntax for page numbers:

// DynamicPDF placeholders
"Page %%CP%% of %%TP%%"

// IronPDF placeholders
"Page {page} of {total-pages}"

// DynamicPDF placeholders
"Page %%CP%% of %%TP%%"

// IronPDF placeholders
"Page {page} of {total-pages}"

Headers and Footers

Convert DynamicPDF Template elements to IronPDF HtmlHeaderFooter:

// IronPDF header/footer
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center;'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</div>",
    MaxHeight = 25
};

// IronPDF header/footer
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter()
{
    HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align:center;'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</div>",
    MaxHeight = 25
};

For more header/footer options, see the headers and footers documentation.

Security Settings

// IronPDF security
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "ownerPassword";
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "userPassword";

// IronPDF security
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "ownerPassword";
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "userPassword";

For comprehensive security options, see the encryption documentation.

Post-Migration Checklist

After completing the code migration, verify the following:

Visual comparison of generated PDFs
Verify text positioning and layout
Test table rendering and overflow
Verify headers/footers on all pages
Test form filling functionality
Verify security/encryption
Performance benchmarking
Remove unused DynamicPDF license files
Update documentation

Additional Resources

Migrating from DynamicPDF to IronPDF consolidates multiple product licenses into a single library and replaces coordinate-based positioning with HTML/CSS rendering on Chromium. Teams already comfortable with web technologies usually find the resulting code easier to maintain.

Please note: DynamicPDF is a registered trademark of its respective owner. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by ceTe Software. 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.

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