Convert PDF to Base64

Updated:June 22, 2025

How can I convert a PDF to Base64?

The PdfDocument object doesn't contain a direct property to get Base64. However, you can get the byte array, which can then be used to obtain the Base64 string.

using System;
using SomePdfLibrary; // Make sure to import the library used for handling PDF files

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PdfDocument object for the specified PDF file
        var pdf = new PdfDocument("MyPDF.pdf");

        // Get the binary data (byte array) from the PDF document
        var byteArray = pdf.BinaryData;

        // Convert the byte array to a Base64 string
        var base64Result = Convert.ToBase64String(byteArray);

        // Output the Base64 result
        Console.WriteLine("Base64 of PDF: " + base64Result);
    }
}

using System;
using SomePdfLibrary; // Make sure to import the library used for handling PDF files

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Create a PdfDocument object for the specified PDF file
        var pdf = new PdfDocument("MyPDF.pdf");

        // Get the binary data (byte array) from the PDF document
        var byteArray = pdf.BinaryData;

        // Convert the byte array to a Base64 string
        var base64Result = Convert.ToBase64String(byteArray);

        // Output the Base64 result
        Console.WriteLine("Base64 of PDF: " + base64Result);
    }
}

Imports System
Imports SomePdfLibrary ' Make sure to import the library used for handling PDF files

Friend Class Program
	Shared Sub Main()
		' Create a PdfDocument object for the specified PDF file
		Dim pdf = New PdfDocument("MyPDF.pdf")

		' Get the binary data (byte array) from the PDF document
		Dim byteArray = pdf.BinaryData

		' Convert the byte array to a Base64 string
		Dim base64Result = Convert.ToBase64String(byteArray)

		' Output the Base64 result
		Console.WriteLine("Base64 of PDF: " & base64Result)
	End Sub
End Class

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Explanation:

PdfDocument Initialization: The PdfDocument object is initialized with the file name of the PDF you want to convert. Replace SomePdfLibrary with the actual library you are using.
BinaryData Retrieval: It retrieves the binary data (as a byte array) of the given PDF.
Base64 Conversion: The Convert.ToBase64String method is used to convert the byte array into a Base64 string.
Output Base64 String: The Base64 encoded string is printed to the console for verification.

Chaknith Bin

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Software Engineer

Chaknith works on IronXL and IronBarcode. He has deep expertise in C# and .NET, helping improve the software and support customers. His insights from user interactions contribute to better products, documentation, and overall experience.