Message icon
Skip to footer content
  1. IronPDF
  2. IronPDF Blog
  3. Migration Guides
  4. migration from easy pdf sdk to ironpdf
MIGRATION GUIDES

How to Migrate from Easy PDF SDK to IronPDF in C#

Curtis Chau
Curtis Chau
Updated:

BCL Technologies, the original publisher of easyPDF SDK, was acquired by Apryse (formerly PDFTron) in March 2020, and the product is now positioned as a legacy SDK alongside the Apryse PDF SDK. The SDK itself relies on several legacy technologies that create deployment and maintenance challenges in modern development environments.

Common Easy PDF SDK Deployment Issues

Developers frequently encounter these issues when working with Easy PDF SDK:

  • bcl.easypdf.interop.easypdfprinter.dll error loading
  • COM object that has been separated from its underlying RCW cannot be used
  • Timeout expired waiting for print job to complete
  • The printer operation failed because the service is not running
  • Error: Access denied (interactive session required)
  • Cannot find printer: BCL easyPDF Printer

These errors typically stem from Easy PDF SDK's architecture, which relies on virtual printer drivers, COM interop, and interactive Windows sessions that are awkward to reproduce in modern server environments.

Easy PDF SDK vs. IronPDF: Key Differences

Feature Easy PDF SDK IronPDF
Platform Windows-only Windows, Linux, macOS, Docker
Office Dependency Required None
Distribution MSI installer + manual DLL references (no NuGet package) NuGet package (IronPdf)
Installation MSI + virtual printer driver + COM registration NuGet package
Server Support Typically requires an interactive Windows session Runs headless
HTML Rendering Basic (Office-based) Full Chromium (CSS3, JS)
.NET Support Limited .NET Core .NET Framework 4.6.2+ and .NET 5/6/7/8/9
Async Pattern Callback-based Native async/await
Container Support Not supported by the vendor Full Docker/Kubernetes

Platform Limitations

Easy PDF SDK targets Windows and relies on Microsoft Office installations for Office document conversions, which limits its use on Linux, macOS, and containerized environments like Docker. This dependency tends to make server setups more complex and ties deployment to Windows—a constraint for teams practicing multi-platform DevOps or relying on Linux containers.

Pre-Migration Preparation

Prerequisites

Ensure your environment meets these requirements:

  • .NET Framework 4.6.2+ or .NET Core 3.1 / .NET 5-9
  • Visual Studio 2019+ or VS Code with C# extension
  • NuGet Package Manager access
  • IronPDF license key (free trial available at ironpdf.com)

Audit Easy PDF SDK Usage

Run these commands in your solution directory to identify all Easy PDF SDK references:

# Find all BCL using statements
grep -r "using BCL" --include="*.cs" .

# Find Printer/PDFDocument usage
grep -r "Printer\|PDFDocument\|PDFConverter\|HTMLConverter" --include="*.cs" .

# Find COM interop references
grep -r "easyPDF\|BCL.easyPDF" --include="*.csproj" .

# Find configuration settings
grep -r "PageOrientation\|TimeOut\|PrintOffice" --include="*.cs" .
# Find all BCL using statements
grep -r "using BCL" --include="*.cs" .

# Find Printer/PDFDocument usage
grep -r "Printer\|PDFDocument\|PDFConverter\|HTMLConverter" --include="*.cs" .

# Find COM interop references
grep -r "easyPDF\|BCL.easyPDF" --include="*.csproj" .

# Find configuration settings
grep -r "PageOrientation\|TimeOut\|PrintOffice" --include="*.cs" .
SHELL

Breaking Changes to Anticipate

Easy PDF SDK Pattern Change Required
new Printer() Use ChromePdfRenderer
PrintOfficeDocToPDF() Office conversion handled differently
RenderHTMLToPDF() RenderHtmlAsPdf()
COM interop references Remove entirely
Printer driver config Not needed
BeginPrintToFile() callbacks Native async/await
Interactive session requirements Runs headless
1-based page indexing 0-based indexing
Timeout in seconds Timeout in milliseconds

Step-by-Step Migration Process

Step 1: Remove Easy PDF SDK

Easy PDF SDK is distributed as an MSI installer rather than a NuGet package, and projects typically reference its assemblies (such as BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll for .NET Framework or BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.NetCore.dll for .NET Core) directly. Remove all references:

  1. Uninstall BCL EasyPDF SDK from Programs and Features
  2. Remove DLL <Reference> entries from your .csproj
  3. Remove COM interop references
  4. Clean up GAC entries if present

Step 2: Install IronPDF

# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf
# Install IronPDF
dotnet add package IronPdf
SHELL

Or via Package Manager Console:

Install-Package IronPdf

Step 3: Update Namespace References

Replace Easy PDF SDK namespaces with IronPDF:

// Remove these
using BCL.easyPDF;
using BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter;
using BCL.easyPDF.PDFProcessor;
using BCL.easyPDF.Printer;

// Add these
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;
// Remove these
using BCL.easyPDF;
using BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter;
using BCL.easyPDF.PDFProcessor;
using BCL.easyPDF.Printer;

// Add these
using IronPdf;
using IronPdf.Rendering;
Imports IronPdf
Imports IronPdf.Rendering
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Complete API Migration Reference

Core Class Mapping

Easy PDF SDK Class IronPDF Equivalent
Printer ChromePdfRenderer
PDFDocument PdfDocument
HTMLConverter ChromePdfRenderer
PrinterConfiguration ChromePdfRenderOptions
PageOrientation PdfPaperOrientation
PageSize PdfPaperSize
SecurityHandler PdfDocument.SecuritySettings

PDF Creation Methods

Easy PDF SDK Method IronPDF Method
printer.RenderHTMLToPDF(html, path) renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html).SaveAs(path)
printer.RenderUrlToPDF(url, path) renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url).SaveAs(path)
htmlConverter.ConvertHTML(html, doc) renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
htmlConverter.ConvertURL(url, doc) renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf(url)

PDF Manipulation Methods

Easy PDF SDK Method IronPDF Method
doc.Append(doc2) PdfDocument.Merge(pdf1, pdf2)
doc.ExtractPages(start, end) pdf.CopyPages(start, end)
doc.DeletePage(index) pdf.RemovePages(index)
doc.GetPageCount() pdf.PageCount
doc.Save(path) pdf.SaveAs(path)
doc.Close() pdf.Dispose() or using
doc.ExtractText() pdf.ExtractAllText()

Configuration Options

Easy PDF SDK Option IronPDF Option
config.TimeOut RenderingOptions.Timeout
config.PageOrientation = Landscape RenderingOptions.PaperOrientation = Landscape
config.PageSize = A4 RenderingOptions.PaperSize = PdfPaperSize.A4
config.MarginTop/Bottom/Left/Right RenderingOptions.MarginTop, etc.

Code Migration Examples

HTML String to PDF

Easy PDF SDK Implementation:

// Reference BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll (or the .NetCore variant)
// installed by the easyPDF SDK MSI — there is no NuGet package.
using BCL.easyPDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf = new PDFDocument();
        var htmlConverter = new HTMLConverter();
        htmlConverter.ConvertHTML("<h1>Hello World</h1>", pdf);
        pdf.Save("output.pdf");
        pdf.Close();
    }
}
// Reference BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll (or the .NetCore variant)
// installed by the easyPDF SDK MSI — there is no NuGet package.
using BCL.easyPDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf = new PDFDocument();
        var htmlConverter = new HTMLConverter();
        htmlConverter.ConvertHTML("<h1>Hello World</h1>", pdf);
        pdf.Save("output.pdf");
        pdf.Close();
    }
}
Imports BCL.easyPDF
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim pdf As New PDFDocument()
        Dim htmlConverter As New HTMLConverter()
        htmlConverter.ConvertHTML("<h1>Hello World</h1>", pdf)
        pdf.Save("output.pdf")
        pdf.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>")
        pdf.SaveAs("output.pdf")
    End Sub
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF folds HTML rendering into a single renderer call and lets using/Dispose handle cleanup, removing the separate HTMLConverter step and the manual Close() pattern.

URL to PDF Conversion

Easy PDF SDK Implementation:

// Reference BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll (or the .NetCore variant)
// installed by the easyPDF SDK MSI — there is no NuGet package.
using BCL.easyPDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf = new PDFDocument();
        var htmlConverter = new HTMLConverter();
        htmlConverter.ConvertURL("https://example.com", pdf);
        pdf.Save("webpage.pdf");
        pdf.Close();
    }
}
// Reference BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll (or the .NetCore variant)
// installed by the easyPDF SDK MSI — there is no NuGet package.
using BCL.easyPDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf = new PDFDocument();
        var htmlConverter = new HTMLConverter();
        htmlConverter.ConvertURL("https://example.com", pdf);
        pdf.Save("webpage.pdf");
        pdf.Close();
    }
}
Imports BCL.easyPDF
Imports System

Class Program
    Shared Sub Main()
        Dim pdf As New PDFDocument()
        Dim htmlConverter As New HTMLConverter()
        htmlConverter.ConvertURL("https://example.com", pdf)
        pdf.Save("webpage.pdf")
        pdf.Close()
    End Sub
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

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

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com");
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com");
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"
        Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://example.com")
        pdf.SaveAs("webpage.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Merging Multiple PDFs

Easy PDF SDK Implementation:

// Reference BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll (or the .NetCore variant)
// installed by the easyPDF SDK MSI — there is no NuGet package.
using BCL.easyPDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf1 = new PDFDocument("document1.pdf");
        var pdf2 = new PDFDocument("document2.pdf");
        pdf1.Append(pdf2);
        pdf1.Save("merged.pdf");
        pdf1.Close();
        pdf2.Close();
    }
}
// Reference BCL.easyPDF.PDFConverter.dll (or the .NetCore variant)
// installed by the easyPDF SDK MSI — there is no NuGet package.
using BCL.easyPDF;
using System;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        var pdf1 = new PDFDocument("document1.pdf");
        var pdf2 = new PDFDocument("document2.pdf");
        pdf1.Append(pdf2);
        pdf1.Save("merged.pdf");
        pdf1.Close();
        pdf2.Close();
    }
}
Imports BCL.easyPDF
Imports System

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        Dim pdf1 As New PDFDocument("document1.pdf")
        Dim pdf2 As New PDFDocument("document2.pdf")
        pdf1.Append(pdf2)
        pdf1.Save("merged.pdf")
        pdf1.Close()
        pdf2.Close()
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
        var pdfs = new List<PdfDocument>
        {
            PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf"),
            PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf")
        };
        var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs);
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");
    }
}
// NuGet: Install-Package IronPdf
using IronPdf;
using System;
using System.Collections.Generic;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY";
        var pdfs = new List<PdfDocument>
        {
            PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf"),
            PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf")
        };
        var merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs);
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System
Imports System.Collections.Generic

Module Program
    Sub Main()
        IronPdf.License.LicenseKey = "YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"
        Dim pdfs As New List(Of PdfDocument) From {
            PdfDocument.FromFile("document1.pdf"),
            PdfDocument.FromFile("document2.pdf")
        }
        Dim merged = PdfDocument.Merge(pdfs)
        merged.SaveAs("merged.pdf")
    End Sub
End Module
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF's static Merge method accepts a collection of documents directly, replacing the pairwise Append pattern.

Password Protection

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>");

// Set security
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456";
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserEdits = PdfEditSecurity.NoEdit;

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf");
using IronPdf;

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>");

// Set security
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123";
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456";
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = false;
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserEdits = PdfEditSecurity.NoEdit;

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf");
Imports IronPdf

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Confidential</h1>")

' Set security
pdf.SecuritySettings.UserPassword = "user123"
pdf.SecuritySettings.OwnerPassword = "owner456"
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserPrinting = PdfPrintSecurity.NoPrint
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserCopyPasteContent = False
pdf.SecuritySettings.AllowUserEdits = PdfEditSecurity.NoEdit

pdf.SaveAs("protected.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Headers and Footers

Easy PDF SDK does not expose dedicated header/footer APIs in its HTML conversion path; headers and footers are typically embedded directly in the source HTML. IronPDF provides dedicated header/footer objects:

using IronPdf;

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
    HtmlFragment = @"
        <div style='text-align:center; font-size:12px; font-family:Arial;'>
            Company Name - Confidential
        </div>",
    DrawDividerLine = true,
    MaxHeight = 30
};

renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
    HtmlFragment = @"
        <div style='text-align:center; font-size:10px;'>
            Page {page} of {total-pages}
        </div>",
    DrawDividerLine = true,
    MaxHeight = 25
};

var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Content</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("with_headers.pdf");
using IronPdf;

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
    HtmlFragment = @"
        <div style='text-align:center; font-size:12px; font-family:Arial;'>
            Company Name - Confidential
        </div>",
    DrawDividerLine = true,
    MaxHeight = 30
};

renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = new HtmlHeaderFooter
{
    HtmlFragment = @"
        <div style='text-align:center; font-size:10px;'>
            Page {page} of {total-pages}
        </div>",
    DrawDividerLine = true,
    MaxHeight = 25
};

var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Content</h1>");
pdf.SaveAs("with_headers.pdf");
Imports IronPdf

Dim renderer As New ChromePdfRenderer()

renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
    .HtmlFragment = "
        <div style='text-align:center; font-size:12px; font-family:Arial;'>
            Company Name - Confidential
        </div>",
    .DrawDividerLine = True,
    .MaxHeight = 30
}

renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = New HtmlHeaderFooter With {
    .HtmlFragment = "
        <div style='text-align:center; font-size:10px;'>
            Page {page} of {total-pages}
        </div>",
    .DrawDividerLine = True,
    .MaxHeight = 25
}

Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Content</h1>")
pdf.SaveAs("with_headers.pdf")
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

For more options, see the headers and footers documentation.

Async PDF Generation

Easy PDF SDK uses callback-based async patterns. IronPDF supports native async/await:

Easy PDF SDK Implementation:

using BCL.easyPDF;

Printer printer = new Printer();

// BCL uses callback-based async
printer.BeginPrintToFile(
    "https://example.com",
    "output.pdf",
    OnPrintComplete,
    OnPrintError
);

Console.ReadLine();
printer.Dispose();
using BCL.easyPDF;

Printer printer = new Printer();

// BCL uses callback-based async
printer.BeginPrintToFile(
    "https://example.com",
    "output.pdf",
    OnPrintComplete,
    OnPrintError
);

Console.ReadLine();
printer.Dispose();
Imports BCL.easyPDF

Dim printer As New Printer()

' BCL uses callback-based async
printer.BeginPrintToFile( _
    "https://example.com", _
    "output.pdf", _
    AddressOf OnPrintComplete, _
    AddressOf OnPrintError _
)

Console.ReadLine()
printer.Dispose()
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

IronPDF Implementation:

using IronPdf;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Native async/await
        var pdf = await renderer.RenderUrlAsPdfAsync("https://example.com");
        await pdf.SaveAsAsync("output.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created: output.pdf");
    }
}
using IronPdf;
using System.Threading.Tasks;

class Program
{
    static async Task Main()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();

        // Native async/await
        var pdf = await renderer.RenderUrlAsPdfAsync("https://example.com");
        await pdf.SaveAsAsync("output.pdf");

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created: output.pdf");
    }
}
Imports IronPdf
Imports System.Threading.Tasks

Class Program
    Shared Async Function Main() As Task
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()

        ' Native async/await
        Dim pdf = Await renderer.RenderUrlAsPdfAsync("https://example.com")
        Await pdf.SaveAsAsync("output.pdf")

        Console.WriteLine("PDF created: output.pdf")
    End Function
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Critical Migration Notes

Page Index Change

Easy PDF SDK uses 1-based indexing. IronPDF uses 0-based indexing:

// Easy PDF SDK: 1-based
doc.ExtractPages(1, 5);

// IronPDF: 0-based
pdf.CopyPages(0, 4);
// Easy PDF SDK: 1-based
doc.ExtractPages(1, 5);

// IronPDF: 0-based
pdf.CopyPages(0, 4);
' Easy PDF SDK: 1-based
doc.ExtractPages(1, 5)

' IronPDF: 0-based
pdf.CopyPages(0, 4)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Timeout in Milliseconds

Easy PDF SDK uses seconds for timeout values. IronPDF uses milliseconds:

// Easy PDF SDK: seconds
config.TimeOut = 120;

// IronPDF: milliseconds
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 120000;
// Easy PDF SDK: seconds
config.TimeOut = 120;

// IronPDF: milliseconds
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 120000;
' Easy PDF SDK: seconds
config.TimeOut = 120

' IronPDF: milliseconds
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 120000
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

ASP.NET Core Integration

Easy PDF SDK struggles in web contexts due to interactive session requirements.

IronPDF Pattern:

[ApiController]
[Route("[controller]")]
public class PdfController : ControllerBase
{
    [HttpGet("generate")]
    public IActionResult GeneratePdf()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Report</h1>");

        return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
    }

    [HttpGet("generate-async")]
    public async Task<IActionResult> GeneratePdfAsync()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Report</h1>");

        return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
    }
}
[ApiController]
[Route("[controller]")]
public class PdfController : ControllerBase
{
    [HttpGet("generate")]
    public IActionResult GeneratePdf()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Report</h1>");

        return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
    }

    [HttpGet("generate-async")]
    public async Task<IActionResult> GeneratePdfAsync()
    {
        var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
        var pdf = await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Report</h1>");

        return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf");
    }
}
Imports Microsoft.AspNetCore.Mvc

<ApiController>
<Route("[controller]")>
Public Class PdfController
    Inherits ControllerBase

    <HttpGet("generate")>
    Public Function GeneratePdf() As IActionResult
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Report</h1>")

        Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf")
    End Function

    <HttpGet("generate-async")>
    Public Async Function GeneratePdfAsync() As Task(Of IActionResult)
        Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
        Dim pdf = Await renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdfAsync("<h1>Report</h1>")

        Return File(pdf.BinaryData, "application/pdf", "report.pdf")
    End Function
End Class
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Docker Deployment

Easy PDF SDK is not designed for Linux containers — its supported configuration is Windows with Microsoft Office, a virtual printer driver, and (in most setups) an interactive desktop session, which makes typical Linux-based Docker workflows impractical.

IronPDF Docker Configuration:

FROM mcr.microsoft.com/dotnet/aspnet:8.0

# Install Chromium dependencies
RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
    libc6 libgdiplus libx11-6 libxcomposite1 \
    libxdamage1 libxrandr2 libxss1 libxtst6 \
    libnss3 libatk-bridge2.0-0 libgtk-3-0 \
    libgbm1 libasound2 fonts-liberation \
    && rm -rf /var/lib/apt/lists/*

WORKDIR /app
COPY . .
ENTRYPOINT ["dotnet", "MyApp.dll"]

Troubleshooting Common Migration Issues

Issue: Printer Not Found

Symptom: Cannot find printer: BCL easyPDF Printer

Solution: IronPDF doesn't need printer drivers:

// Just use the renderer directly
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
// Just use the renderer directly
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Issue: COM Interop Errors

Symptom: DLL error loading or RCW errors

Solution: Remove all COM references and use IronPDF's managed API.

Issue: Timeout on Server

Symptom: PDF generation hangs on web server

Solution: IronPDF runs headless without interactive sessions:

var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 60000; // Reliable timeout
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
var renderer = new ChromePdfRenderer();
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 60000; // Reliable timeout
var pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html);
Dim renderer = New ChromePdfRenderer()
renderer.RenderingOptions.Timeout = 60000 ' Reliable timeout
Dim pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html)
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Issue: Background Not Printing

Symptom: CSS backgrounds missing

Solution: Enable background printing:

renderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
renderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = true;
renderer.RenderingOptions.PrintHtmlBackgrounds = True
$vbLabelText   $csharpLabel

Post-Migration Checklist

After completing the code migration, verify the following:

  • Verify PDF output quality with IronPDF's Chromium engine
  • Test all edge cases with complex HTML/CSS
  • Validate server deployment works without interactive sessions
  • Test Docker/container deployment
  • Remove BCL EasyPDF installer from deployment
  • Remove Office installation from servers (no longer needed)
  • Update CI/CD pipelines with new NuGet package

Additional Resources

Migrating from Easy PDF SDK to IronPDF removes the virtual printer driver, COM interop, and Windows-only constraints from the PDF generation path. Chromium-based rendering brings modern CSS3 and JavaScript support, and the same codebase runs on Docker, Kubernetes, and Linux-based cloud environments that are awkward to target with the easyPDF SDK's supported deployment model.

Please noteBCL easyPDF SDK, Easy PDF SDK, and Apryse are registered trademarks of their respective owners. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by BCL Technologies or Apryse. 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
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.

...

Read More

Related Articles

30-day trial → Full product. No limits. No card. Start Free Trial

Iron Support Team

We're online 24 hours, 5 days a week.
Chat
Email
Call Me