Where does PdfDocument live in the IronPDF API?

PdfDocument is a class in the PdfToSvg namespace, shipped in IronPdf.dll. It derives from Object and is obtained exclusively through the static Open or OpenAsync factory methods, never through a constructor.

How do you open a PDF file for SVG conversion in C#?

Call PdfDocument.Open with a file path string, or PdfDocument.OpenAsync for the awaitable form. Both accept an optional OpenOptions instance and a CancellationToken. Wrap the result in a using block so Dispose is called automatically when you are finished.

How do you open a password-protected or encrypted PDF?

Pass decryption credentials through an OpenOptions instance to PdfDocument.Open or OpenAsync. After loading, check IsEncrypted to confirm the file was encrypted, and inspect Permissions to see which operations the document allows.

What is the difference between Open and OpenAsync on PdfDocument?

Open blocks the calling thread until the PDF is fully loaded, making it suitable for console tools and batch scripts. OpenAsync returns a Task and is the better choice in ASP.NET Core request handlers or desktop apps where blocking the UI thread must be avoided.

Class PdfDocument

Inheritance

System.Object

PdfDocument

Implements

System.IDisposable

Namespace: PdfToSvg

Assembly: IronPdf.dll

Syntax

public sealed class PdfDocument : Object

The entry point for converting a PDF file to SVG output in C# is PdfDocument, the handle through which every page, image, metadata record, and permission flag in a PDF becomes accessible to your code. Call the static Open or OpenAsync factory to load a file from a path or a Stream, then work with the resulting object to inspect content and drive rendering. Because PdfDocument implements Dispose, wrap it in a using block to release native resources promptly.

**Opening a document** accepts two overloads for each transport: a string path and a Stream. The stream overload accepts a leaveOpen flag (default false) that controls whether the underlying stream is closed when the document is disposed. Both overloads accept an OpenOptions instance for fine-grained load control and a CancellationToken for cooperative cancellation. OpenAsync mirrors those signatures and returns Task<PdfDocument>, making it the right choice in ASP.NET Core handlers or any async pipeline.

**Working with the loaded document** centers on six properties grouped by concern:

- Content access: Pages (PdfPageCollection) enumerates every page for SVG conversion; Images (ImageEnumerable) iterates embedded raster images across the document. - Document identity: Info (DocumentInfo) exposes title, author, creation date, and other XMP/Info-dictionary fields. - Security: IsEncrypted reports whether the file is password-protected; Permissions (DocumentPermissions) details what operations the document allows, such as printing or copying. - Layering: OptionalContentGroups (OptionalContentGroupCollection) gives access to PDF optional content groups (OCG layers), which control visibility of layer-separated content during conversion.

Because Open is synchronous, it suits console tools and batch scripts where blocking is acceptable. For web applications or desktop apps with a responsive UI, prefer OpenAsync to keep the load operation off the main thread.

using PdfToSvg;

await using var pdf = await PdfDocument.OpenAsync("report.pdf");

Console.WriteLine($"Title: {pdf.Info.Title}");
Console.WriteLine($"Pages: {pdf.Pages.Count}");
Console.WriteLine($"Encrypted: {pdf.IsEncrypted}");

foreach (var page in pdf.Pages)
    await page.SaveAsSvgAsync($"page_{page.PageNumber}.svg");

Explore further at the IronPDF get-started guide, the PDF-to-SVG how-to, the PDF metadata how-to, and the PDF security examples.

Properties

Images

Declaration

public ImageEnumerable Images { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
ImageEnumerable

Info

Declaration

public DocumentInfo Info { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
DocumentInfo

IsEncrypted

Declaration

public bool IsEncrypted { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
System.Boolean

OptionalContentGroups

Declaration

public OptionalContentGroupCollection OptionalContentGroups { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
OptionalContentGroupCollection

Pages

Declaration

public PdfPageCollection Pages { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
PdfPageCollection

Permissions

Declaration

public DocumentPermissions Permissions { get; }

Property Value

Type	Description
DocumentPermissions

Methods

Dispose()

Declaration

public void Dispose()

Open(Stream, Boolean, OpenOptions, CancellationToken)

Declaration

public static PdfDocument Open(Stream stream, bool leaveOpen = false, OpenOptions options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = null)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.IO.Stream	stream
System.Boolean	leaveOpen
OpenOptions	options
System.Threading.CancellationToken	cancellationToken

Returns

Type	Description
PdfDocument

Open(String, OpenOptions, CancellationToken)

Declaration

public static PdfDocument Open(string path, OpenOptions options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = null)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	path
OpenOptions	options
System.Threading.CancellationToken	cancellationToken

Returns

Type	Description
PdfDocument

OpenAsync(Stream, Boolean, OpenOptions, CancellationToken)

Declaration

public static Task<PdfDocument> OpenAsync(Stream stream, bool leaveOpen = false, OpenOptions options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = null)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.IO.Stream	stream
System.Boolean	leaveOpen
OpenOptions	options
System.Threading.CancellationToken	cancellationToken

Returns

Type	Description
System.Threading.Tasks.Task<PdfDocument>

OpenAsync(String, OpenOptions, CancellationToken)

Declaration

public static Task<PdfDocument> OpenAsync(string path, OpenOptions options = null, CancellationToken cancellationToken = null)

Parameters

Type	Name	Description
System.String	path
OpenOptions	options
System.Threading.CancellationToken	cancellationToken

Returns

Type	Description
System.Threading.Tasks.Task<PdfDocument>

Implements

System.IDisposable