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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

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main purpose of jPDFPrint?

jPDFPrint is a Java library developed by Qoppa Software, focusing specifically on printing PDF documents programmatically within a Java runtime environment.

What are the key features of this Java library?

IronPDF is a comprehensive Java library that allows developers to create, manipulate, and convert PDFs. It offers functionalities such as generating PDFs from HTML, merging, extracting text and images, and extensive document manipulation.

How does this library handle HTML to PDF conversion?

IronPDF allows developers to convert HTML content into PDF documents, preserving CSS styles and JavaScript interactivity, making it ideal for dynamic PDF generation.

What printing features does jPDFPrint offer?

jPDFPrint provides advanced printing features, including duplex printing, booklet printing, silent printing, and watermarking, offering extensive control over print settings.

Which library is better for HTML to PDF conversion?

IronPDF excels in HTML to PDF conversion, making it a preferred choice for applications that require dynamic PDF generation from HTML content.

How does the API design of jPDFPrint compare to this Java library?

jPDFPrint offers a straightforward API focused on printing tasks, while IronPDF provides a comprehensive and versatile API for a broader range of PDF manipulation tasks.

What are the licensing options for this Java library and jPDFPrint?

IronPDF offers licensing based on user count with clear pricing structures, whereas jPDFPrint provides perpetual, annual, and subscription licenses based on the components used.

Which library offers better community support?

Both IronPDF and jPDFPrint have active communities and extensive documentation. IronPDF is known for its dedicated support team and rich resources, while jPDFPrint benefits from Qoppa's proprietary technology and responsive support.

Why should developers consider this Java library over jPDFPrint?

Developers should consider IronPDF for its comprehensive functionalities that go beyond printing, such as HTML to PDF conversion and extensive document manipulation capabilities, along with rich support and documentation.

What should developers consider when choosing between this Java library and jPDFPrint?

Developers should assess their specific project needs, such as whether they require extensive PDF manipulation or advanced printing features, as well as budget constraints, to determine the most suitable library.

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 and problem-solving.

At Iron Software, Darrius enjoys creating new things and simplifying complex concepts to make them more understandable. As one of our resident developers, he has also volunteered to teach students, sharing his expertise with the next generation.

For Darrius, his work is fulfilling because it is valued and has a real impact.

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