Generating PDF Reports in C# (.NET) with iTextSharp and QuestPDF

Generating PDF Reports in C# (.NET): Library Overview and Examples

In modern .NET platform development, creating PDF documents is a common task. Whether it's generating invoices, reports, waybills, or analytical dashboards, C# provides powerful tools for working with PDFs. In this article, we will cover three popular libraries: iTextSharp, QuestPDF, and PdfSharp. You will learn which one to choose for a specific task and see working code examples.

1. iTextSharp (iText 7 for .NET)

iTextSharp is a port of the popular Java library iText for .NET. It is the most mature and feature-rich solution, supporting complex layouts, tables, images, annotations, and digital signatures. However, commercial use requires purchasing a license (AGPL for open-source).

Installation

dotnet add package itext7

Example: Simple Report with a Table

using iText.Kernel.Pdf;using iText.Layout;using iText.Layout.Element;

public void CreatePdfReport(){    string filePath = "report.pdf";    using (PdfWriter writer = new PdfWriter(filePath))    using (PdfDocument pdf = new PdfDocument(writer))    using (Document document = new Document(pdf))    {        document.Add(new Paragraph("Sales Report for March")            .SetBold().SetFontSize(18));

        Table table = new Table(3);        table.AddCell("Product");        table.AddCell("Quantity");        table.AddCell("Price");        table.AddCell("Laptop");        table.AddCell("12");        table.AddCell("75,000 ₽");        table.AddCell("Monitor");        table.AddCell("5");        table.AddCell("32,000 ₽");

        document.Add(table);    }}

Pros: maximum flexibility, support for complex structures, digital signatures.
Cons: complex API for beginners, licensing for commercial use.

2. QuestPDF

QuestPDF is a modern library with a fluent interface and a built-in rendering engine. It allows you to describe a document in a declarative style, similar to HTML/CSS. It is ideal for generating standard reports with repeating elements.

Installation

dotnet add package QuestPDF

Example: Invoice with Header and Table

using QuestPDF.Fluent;using QuestPDF.Helpers;using QuestPDF.Infrastructure;

public byte[] GenerateInvoice(){    return Document.Create(container =>    {        container.Page(page =>        {            page.Size(PageSizes.A4);            page.Margin(20);            page.Header().Text("Invoice No. 12345")                .SemiBold().FontSize(20).FontColor(Colors.Blue.Darken2);

            page.Content().Table(table =>            {                table.ColumnsDefinition(columns =>                {                    columns.RelativeColumn();                    columns.RelativeColumn();                    columns.RelativeColumn();                });

                table.Header(header =>                {                    header.Cell().Background(Colors.Grey.Lighten3).Text("Service");                    header.Cell().Background(Colors.Grey.Lighten3).Text("Cost");                    header.Cell().Background(Colors.Grey.Lighten3).Text("Quantity");                });

                table.Cell().Text("Consultation");                table.Cell().Text("5,000 ₽");                table.Cell().Text("2");

                table.Cell().Text("Development");                table.Cell().Text("15,000 ₽");                table.Cell().Text("1");            });

            page.Footer().AlignCenter().Text("Thank you for your cooperation!");        });    }).GeneratePdf();}

Pros: simple and readable code, excellent performance, free for commercial