Excel is widely used in daily work, but when it comes to sharing or archiving files, formatting issues often arise due to version differences. To avoid these problems, many users prefer converting Excel files to PDF. PDF not only ensures consistent formatting across platforms but also provides better compatibility. In this beginner’s guide, you’ll learn how toconvert Excel to PDF in C# efficiently and automate the process to improve productivity.

The Reasons for Converting Excel to PDF

Converting Excel files to PDF offers several practical benefits. The most notable one is format consistency—a PDF looks the same no matter which device or platform you open it on. In addition, PDF files are usually smaller in size, which makes them easier to store and share. They also convey a more professional impression, making them suitable for reports, contracts, or other formal documents. Thanks to their stable layout, PDFs are also a preferred format for printing, ensuring that the printed output matches the original design.

With these advantages in mind, the next step is to find a reliable way to handle Excel-to-PDF conversion in your projects. One practical solution is to use a dedicated .NET library such as Spire.XLS.

Tools for Converting Excel to PDF

When converting Excel to PDF, online tools are fine for occasional use, but they often come with size limits, lack batch processing, and raise security concerns.

For developers, a dedicated library is a better choice. Spire.XLS for .NET offers reliable Excel-to-PDF conversion with high fidelity, batch support, and the ability to export entire workbooks or specific worksheets — all locally, ensuring data security.

You can install it from NuGet with:

Install-Package Spire.XLS

How to Convert Excel to PDF in C# Automatically

Now let’s move on to the practical part — using Spire.XLS for .NET to automate Excel-to-PDF conversion. Since an Excel workbook often contains multiple worksheets, we’ll look at two common approaches: exporting the entire workbook as a single PDF and converting only specific worksheets. For each case, you’ll find clear and practical code examples to help you get started quickly.

Convert an Entire Excel File to PDF

Converting an entire Excel workbook to PDF with Spire.XLS is easy. The process involves just three simple steps: create a Workbook object, load the Excel file, and convert it to PDF. Here’s an example:

csharp

using Spire.Xls;

namespace ExcelToPdf

{

   internal class Program

    {

       static void Main(string[] args)

       {

           // Create a Workbook object

           Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

           // Load an Excel file

           workbook.LoadFromFile("E:\\Administrator\\Python1\\input\\Population.xlsx");

 

           // Save the Excel file to PDF

           workbook.SaveToFile("E:\\Administrator\\Python1\\output\\topdf.pdf", FileFormat.PDF);

           // Dispose resources

           workbook.Dispose();

       }

    }

}

Alt： Convert an Excel File to PDF in C#

Convert a Specified Worksheet to PDF

Sometimes, you don’t need the whole Excel workbook — just a few worksheets. Spire.XLS lets you convert only the worksheets you need into PDF quickly and easily.

csharp

using Spire.Xls;

 

namespace WorksheetOrCellRangeToPdf

{

   internal class Program

    {

       static void Main(string[] args)

       {

           // Create a Workbook object

           Workbook workbook = new Workbook();

           // Load the Excel file

           workbook.LoadFromFile("E:\\Administrator\\Python1\\input\\invoice.xlsx");

 

           // Get the first worksheet

           Worksheet sheet = workbook.Worksheets[0];

 

           // Save the worksheet as a PDF

           sheet.SaveToPdf("E:\\Administrator\\Python1\\output\\worksheettopdf.pdf");

           // Dispose resources

           workbook.Dispose();

       }

    }

}

 

Alt: Convert the First Worksheet to PDF in C#

If you want to convert a specific cell range to PDF, Spire.XLS also supports this. Simply add the following line to the code above:

csharp

sheet.PageSetup.PrintArea = "";

Customize Excel-to-PDF Conversion Options 

Spire.XLS also allows you to customize various settings during the Excel-to-PDF conversion. For example, you can adjust the worksheet to fit the page size, modify PDF page settings, or even add a password to the output file. Making these adjustments during the conversion process eliminates the need for additional editing and ensures the PDF meets different usage scenarios.

Example code: set fit sheet to one page

csharp

 // Fit every worksheet in the workbook to one page

 workbook.ConverterSetting.SheetFitToPage = true;

Example code: adjust page margins

csharp

// Adjust page setup settings

// Set page orientation

sheet.PageSetup.Orientation = PageOrientationType.Landscape;

// Set paper size

sheet.PageSetup.PaperSize = PaperSizeType.PaperA4;

// Set margins

sheet.PageSetup.LeftMargin = 0.5;

sheet.PageSetup.RightMargin = 0.5;

sheet.PageSetup.TopMargin = 0.5;

sheet.PageSetup.BottomMargin = 0.5;

// Display Gridlines

sheet.PageSetup.IsPrintGridlines = true;

Example code: set open and permission passwords

csharp

// Set the open and permission passwords for the converted PDF

workbook.ConverterSetting.PdfSecurity.Encrypt("openPassword", "persmissionPassword", PdfPermissionsFlags.Print, PdfEncryptionKeySize.Key128Bit);

You can add the above code lines to your Excel-to-PDF conversion code and adjust it as needed to generate a PDF that meets your requirements.

The Conclusion

Converting Excel files to PDF in C# can greatly simplify file sharing, archiving, and printing tasks. With Spire.XLS for .NET, you can easily export entire workbooks or specific worksheets, and even customize conversion options like page sizing and password protection. These features help streamline your workflow and save valuable time. If you want to explore more Excel automation possibilities, consider trying Spire.XLS in your projects — it’s a practical tool for developers looking to handle Excel files efficiently.