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A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint

PDF (Portable Document Format) is a widely used file format for representing documents in a manner independent of application software, hardware, and operating systems. Manipulating PDF files programmatically is common in various applications. This article explores two Java libraries, IronPDF and jPDFPrint, which provide capabilities for manipulating PDF files on a Java runtime environment. We will delve into their features, functionalities, and compare their offerings to understand their strengths and weaknesses.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 1 - How to Convert HTML to PDF in Java

Overview of IronPDF

IronPDF is a powerful Java library that enables developers to create, manipulate, and convert PDFs programmatically. It provides a range of functionalities such as generating PDFs from HTML, images, or existing documents, merging PDFs, extracting text and images, and performing other document manipulation tasks.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 2 - A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java & jPDFPrint – Java PDF Library

IronPDF offers a user-friendly API with a comprehensive set of methods, making it easy for developers to work with PDF documents. It also provides extensive documentation and tutorials to guide developers through integration.

One notable feature of IronPDF is its ability to convert HTML to PDF. This allows developers to generate PDF documents from HTML content, including CSS styles and JavaScript interactivity.

Sample Code: Generating PDF from HTML using IronPDF

import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;

public class HtmlToPdfExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Create a renderer object
        HtmlToPdfRenderer renderer = new HtmlToPdfRenderer();

        // Render the HTML file as a PDF document
        HtmlToPdfOutput output = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("input.html");

        // Save the generated PDF to the desired location
        output.saveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}
import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;

public class HtmlToPdfExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) {
        // Create a renderer object
        HtmlToPdfRenderer renderer = new HtmlToPdfRenderer();

        // Render the HTML file as a PDF document
        HtmlToPdfOutput output = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("input.html");

        // Save the generated PDF to the desired location
        output.saveAs("output.pdf");
    }
}
JAVA

Overview of jPDFPrint

jPDFPrint is a Java library developed by Qoppa Software that focuses specifically on printing PDF documents programmatically. It provides a simple API for printing PDF documents using the Java Print Service.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 3 - jPDFPrint

jPDFPrint allows developers to print PDF documents to any installed printer, control print settings like page range and orientation, and specify custom printer commands. It supports duplex printing, booklet printing, silent print, and watermarking.

Sample Code: Print PDF documents using jPDFPrint

// Import Qoppa library for handling PDF printing
import com.qoppa.pdfPrinter.PDFPrinterJob;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;

public class PdfPrintExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        // Create a PDFPrinterJob object for printing
        PDFPrinterJob printerJob = new PDFPrinterJob();

        // Set the PDF file to be printed
        printerJob.setInputFile(new File("input.pdf"));

        // Execute the print job
        printerJob.print();
    }
}
// Import Qoppa library for handling PDF printing
import com.qoppa.pdfPrinter.PDFPrinterJob;
import java.io.File;
import java.io.IOException;
import java.net.URL;

public class PdfPrintExample {
    public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
        // Create a PDFPrinterJob object for printing
        PDFPrinterJob printerJob = new PDFPrinterJob();

        // Set the PDF file to be printed
        printerJob.setInputFile(new File("input.pdf"));

        // Execute the print job
        printerJob.print();
    }
}
JAVA

Comparing jPDFPrint Java PDF Print API vs. IronPDF

Both libraries offer sophisticated methods to manipulate PDF documents, such as printing and converting from other formats.

Using jPDFPrint Java PDF Print API to print Acrobat PDF documents

jPDFPrint focuses on programmatic PDF file printing using Qoppa's proprietary technology:

  1. Import the Required Classes: Import necessary classes from the jPDFPrint library into your Java application.

    package jPDFPrintSamples;
    
    import com.qoppa.pdfPrint.PDFPrint;
    package jPDFPrintSamples;
    
    import com.qoppa.pdfPrint.PDFPrint;
    JAVA
  2. Create a PDFPrint Object: Instantiate the PDFPrint class with the path of the PDF to print.
  3. Set Print Settings: Customize print settings using the PDFPrint class methods.
  4. Print the PDF: Use the print method to initiate printing.

    package jPDFPrintSamples;
    
    import com.qoppa.pdfPrint.PDFPrint;
    import javax.print.DocFlavor;
    import javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet;
    import javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet;
    import javax.print.attribute.standard.MediaSizeName;
    import java.io.FileOutputStream;
    
    public class PDFToPS {
        public static void main (String[] args) {
            try {
                // Define the print flavor and find available services
                DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.SERVICE_FORMATTED.PRINTABLE;
                StreamPrintServiceFactory[] factories = StreamPrintServiceFactory.lookupStreamPrintServiceFactories(flavor, DocFlavor.BYTE_ARRAY.POSTSCRIPT.getMimeType());
    
                if (factories.length == 0) {
                    System.err.println("No PS factories available!");
                    System.exit(0);
                }
    
                // Open the PDF file
                PDFPrint pdfPrint = new PDFPrint("test.pdf", null);
    
                // Set up the print job and attributes
                FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("output.ps");
                StreamPrintService sps = factories[0].getPrintService(fos);
                DocPrintJob pj = sps.createPrintJob();
                PrintRequestAttributeSet aset = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
                aset.add(MediaSizeName.NA_LETTER);
    
                // Print the document
                pj.print(new SimpleDoc(pdfPrint, flavor, null), aset);
                fos.close();
            } catch (Throwable t) {
                t.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
    package jPDFPrintSamples;
    
    import com.qoppa.pdfPrint.PDFPrint;
    import javax.print.DocFlavor;
    import javax.print.attribute.PrintRequestAttributeSet;
    import javax.print.attribute.HashPrintRequestAttributeSet;
    import javax.print.attribute.standard.MediaSizeName;
    import java.io.FileOutputStream;
    
    public class PDFToPS {
        public static void main (String[] args) {
            try {
                // Define the print flavor and find available services
                DocFlavor flavor = DocFlavor.SERVICE_FORMATTED.PRINTABLE;
                StreamPrintServiceFactory[] factories = StreamPrintServiceFactory.lookupStreamPrintServiceFactories(flavor, DocFlavor.BYTE_ARRAY.POSTSCRIPT.getMimeType());
    
                if (factories.length == 0) {
                    System.err.println("No PS factories available!");
                    System.exit(0);
                }
    
                // Open the PDF file
                PDFPrint pdfPrint = new PDFPrint("test.pdf", null);
    
                // Set up the print job and attributes
                FileOutputStream fos = new FileOutputStream("output.ps");
                StreamPrintService sps = factories[0].getPrintService(fos);
                DocPrintJob pj = sps.createPrintJob();
                PrintRequestAttributeSet aset = new HashPrintRequestAttributeSet();
                aset.add(MediaSizeName.NA_LETTER);
    
                // Print the document
                pj.print(new SimpleDoc(pdfPrint, flavor, null), aset);
                fos.close();
            } catch (Throwable t) {
                t.printStackTrace();
            }
        }
    }
    JAVA

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 4 - Reading PDFs in Java

Using IronPDF Java to print documents

IronPDF is a powerful library used for PDF manipulation, PDF generation, conversion, and more.

  1. Import the Required Classes: Start by importing classes from the IronPDF library.

    import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
    import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
    JAVA
  2. PDF Generation and Manipulation: IronPDF allows you to generate, manipulate, and convert PDFs using various methods and properties.

    import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
    import java.io.IOException;
    import java.nio.file.Paths;
    
    public class PdfGenerationExample {
        public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
            // Apply your license key
            License.setLicenseKey("YOUR-LICENSE-KEY");
    
            // Render HTML as a PDF document
            PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
    
            // Save the PDF document
            myPdf.saveAs(Paths.get("html_saved.pdf"));
        }
    }
    import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
    import java.io.IOException;
    import java.nio.file.Paths;
    
    public class PdfGenerationExample {
        public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
            // Apply your license key
            License.setLicenseKey("YOUR-LICENSE-KEY");
    
            // Render HTML as a PDF document
            PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello World</h1>");
    
            // Save the PDF document
            myPdf.saveAs(Paths.get("html_saved.pdf"));
        }
    }
    JAVA
  3. Document Manipulation: Methods for merging, splitting, text/image extraction, watermark insertion, encryption, and more.

    import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
    import java.io.IOException;
    import java.nio.file.Paths;
    
    public class PdfManipulationExample {
        public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
            // Initialize the PDF document
            PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello PDF</h1>");
    
            // Manipulate the document
            pdf.addTextHeader("Header", new HeaderFooterOptions());
            pdf.saveAs(Paths.get("output.pdf"));
        }
    }
    import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*;
    import java.io.IOException;
    import java.nio.file.Paths;
    
    public class PdfManipulationExample {
        public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
            // Initialize the PDF document
            PdfDocument pdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf("<h1>Hello PDF</h1>");
    
            // Manipulate the document
            pdf.addTextHeader("Header", new HeaderFooterOptions());
            pdf.saveAs(Paths.get("output.pdf"));
        }
    }
    JAVA

Preference for IronPDF

Both libraries offer unique features, but IronPDF tends to be more versatile with a broader range of functionalities:

  1. HTML to PDF Conversion: Particularly valuable for applications needing dynamic PDF generation.
  2. Document Manipulation: Extensive methods for handling PDFs make it a comprehensive solution.
  3. Support and Documentation: Rich resources available for developers.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 5

Given these advantages, developers seeking a powerful PDF manipulation solution with HTML to PDF conversion capabilities should consider IronPDF.

However, it's essential to assess your project's specific requirements and evaluate both libraries' offerings.

Comparing jPDFPrint features with IronPDF

1. Functionality

  • jPDFPrint: Focuses on printing PDFs with extensive control.
  • IronPDF: Offers a broader range of functionalities including PDF generation, manipulation, and HTML to PDF conversion.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 6

2. API Design

  • jPDFPrint: Straightforward, designed for printing.
  • IronPDF: Comprehensive, broad functionalities including HTML to PDF.

3. Integration and Ease of Use

  • jPDFPrint: Simple integration for printing tasks.
  • IronPDF: User-friendly API, takes effort to learn but offers broader possibilities.

4. HTML to PDF Conversion

  • IronPDF: Excels in HTML to PDF conversion.
  • jPDFPrint: Focuses on existing PDFs, doesn’t convert HTML directly.

5. Printing Features

  • jPDFPrint: Advanced printing features like duplex printing.
  • IronPDF: Mainly focuses on generation and manipulation over printing features.

6. Community and Support

Both libraries have active communities and documentation:

  • jPDFPrint: Qoppa's proprietary technology, responsive support.
  • IronPDF: Extensive documentation and a dedicated support team.

7. Licensing and Pricing

Licensing models differ, consider your project's needs and restrictions.

  • IronPDF: Offers pricing based on user count, with clear pricing structures.
  • jPDFPrint: Perpetual, annual, and subscription licenses based on components used.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 7 - Licensing Options

Conclusion

IronPDF for Java and jPDFPrint provide distinct features for PDF manipulation:

  • IronPDF: Comprehensive, suitable for diverse PDF tasks including HTML conversion, generation, and manipulation, with rich support and resources.
  • jPDFPrint: Specializes in PDF printing, offering detailed control and simplicity for print jobs.

IronPDF offers a more straightforward and versatile solution. Developers should assess project needs and budget when choosing the suitable library. Consider IronPDF for broader capabilities beyond printing, especially if HTML to PDF conversion is required.

A Comparison Between IronPDF For Java and jPDFPrint: Figure 8 - jPDFPrint Software Licensing Options

Please noteQoppa Software is a registered trademark of its respective owner. This site is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Qoppa 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.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main purpose of jPDFPrint in Java applications?

jPDFPrint is a Java library developed by Qoppa Software, designed specifically to enable programmatic printing of PDF documents within a Java runtime environment.

What PDF manipulation capabilities does IronPDF offer?

IronPDF provides a comprehensive set of features for creating, manipulating, and converting PDFs. This includes generating PDFs from HTML, merging documents, and extracting text and images.

How can I convert HTML to PDF using Java?

You can use IronPDF's RenderHtmlAsPdf method to convert HTML content into PDFs, ensuring that CSS styles and JavaScript interactivity are preserved for dynamic document generation.

What advanced printing features does jPDFPrint support?

jPDFPrint supports advanced printing features such as duplex and booklet printing, silent print, and watermarking, providing extensive control for print-related applications.

Why is IronPDF considered better for HTML to PDF conversion?

IronPDF excels in converting HTML to PDF by retaining CSS styles and JavaScript functionality, making it ideal for applications requiring dynamic and interactive PDFs.

How does the API of IronPDF compare to that of jPDFPrint?

While jPDFPrint offers a straightforward API focused on printing, IronPDF provides a versatile API that supports a wide range of PDF manipulation tasks, including conversion and document creation.

What are the licensing options available for IronPDF?

IronPDF offers licensing based on user count, with transparent pricing structures to accommodate various project needs and budget constraints.

What should developers consider when choosing between IronPDF and jPDFPrint?

Developers should evaluate their specific project needs, such as the requirement for advanced PDF manipulation or printing features, as well as budget considerations, to choose the most suitable library.

How does IronPDF handle document manipulation in Java?

IronPDF allows developers to perform extensive document manipulation tasks, including merging, splitting, and modifying the content of PDFs directly within a Java application.

What are the community support options for IronPDF?

IronPDF is supported by an active community and offers extensive documentation, along with a dedicated support team that provides resources and assistance for developers.

Darrius Serrant
Full Stack Software Engineer (WebOps)

Darrius Serrant holds a Bachelor’s degree in Computer Science from the University of Miami and works as a Full Stack WebOps Marketing Engineer at Iron Software. Drawn to coding from a young age, he saw computing as both mysterious and accessible, making it the perfect medium for creativity ...Read More

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