Add charts, barcodes, and slides to PDF files

With GemBox.Pdf you can add complex content (such as charts, barcodes, and slides) to your PDF files, using C# and VB.NET. It's necessary to use other components for creating different type of content. For example, you can use GemBox.Spreadsheet to create charts, GemBox.Document to create barcodes, and GemBox.Presentation to create slides.

In the following examples, you will learn how to create the following PDF content:

You will also learn to add this content to existing PDF pages using GemBox.Pdf.

Charts

The following example shows how to create a PDF file with a chart using GemBox.Spreadsheet, and then attach that file's content to another PDF with GemBox.Pdf.

PDF file with added chart content
Screenshot of PDF file with a chart
View on GitHub 
using System.IO;
using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Content;
using GemBox.Spreadsheet;
using GemBox.Spreadsheet.Charts;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Pdf serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        // If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Spreadsheet serial key below.
        SpreadsheetInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        using (var document = new PdfDocument())
        {
            var page = document.Pages.Add();
            double x = 50;
            double y = page.Size.Height;

            using (var formattedText = new PdfFormattedText())
            {
                formattedText.Append("The following chart is imported from a PDF that was created with GemBox.Spreadsheet.");
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, new PdfPoint(x, y - 50));
            }

            // Create chart and save it as PDF stream.
            var chart = CreateChart(400, 200);
            var chartAsPdf = new MemoryStream();
            chart.Format().Save(chartAsPdf, GemBox.Spreadsheet.SaveOptions.PdfDefault);

            // Add chart to PDF page.
            using (var chartDocument = PdfDocument.Load(chartAsPdf))
                document.AppendPage(chartDocument, 0, 0, new PdfPoint(x, y - chart.Position.Height - 60));

            document.Save("Chart.%OutputFileType%");
        }
    }

    static ExcelChart CreateChart(double width, double height)
    {
        var workbook = new ExcelFile();
        var worksheet = workbook.Worksheets.Add("Chart");

        worksheet.Cells["A1"].Value = "Name";
        worksheet.Cells["A2"].Value = "John Doe";
        worksheet.Cells["A3"].Value = "Fred Nurk";
        worksheet.Cells["A4"].Value = "Hans Meier";
        worksheet.Cells["A5"].Value = "Ivan Horvat";

        worksheet.Cells["B1"].Value = "Salary";
        worksheet.Cells["B2"].Value = 3600;
        worksheet.Cells["B3"].Value = 2580;
        worksheet.Cells["B4"].Value = 3200;
        worksheet.Cells["B5"].Value = 4100;

        worksheet.Columns[1].Style.NumberFormat = "\"$\"#,##0";

        var chart = worksheet.Charts.Add(ChartType.Bar,
            new AnchorCell(worksheet.Cells["A1"], true), width, height, LengthUnit.Point);

        chart.SelectData(worksheet.Cells.GetSubrangeAbsolute(0, 0, 4, 1), true);
        return chart;
    }
}

public static class PdfDocumentExtension
{
    public static PdfFormContent AppendPage(this PdfDocument destination, PdfDocument source,
        int sourcePageIndex, int destinationPageIndex, PdfPoint destinationBottomLeft)
    {
        var form = source.Pages[sourcePageIndex].ConvertToForm(destination);
        var group = destination.Pages[destinationPageIndex].Content.Elements.AddGroup();

        var formContent = group.Elements.AddForm(form);
        formContent.Transform = PdfMatrix.CreateTranslation(destinationBottomLeft.X, destinationBottomLeft.Y);
        return formContent;
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Content
Imports GemBox.Spreadsheet
Imports GemBox.Spreadsheet.Charts

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Pdf serial key below.
        ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        ' If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Spreadsheet serial key below.
        SpreadsheetInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Using document = New PdfDocument()
            Dim page = document.Pages.Add()
            Dim x As Double = 50
            Dim y As Double = page.Size.Height

            Using formattedText = New PdfFormattedText()
                formattedText.Append("The following chart is imported from a PDF that was created with GemBox.Spreadsheet.")
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, New PdfPoint(x, y - 50))
            End Using

            ' Create chart and save it as PDF stream.
            Dim chart = CreateChart(400, 200)
            Dim chartAsPdf As New MemoryStream()
            chart.Format().Save(chartAsPdf, GemBox.Spreadsheet.SaveOptions.PdfDefault)

            ' Add chart to PDF page.
            Using chartDocument = PdfDocument.Load(chartAsPdf)
                document.AppendPage(chartDocument, 0, 0, New PdfPoint(x, y - chart.Position.Height - 60))
            End Using

            document.Save("Chart.%OutputFileType%")
        End Using
    
    End Sub

    Function CreateChart(width As Double, height As Double) As ExcelChart
        Dim workbook As New ExcelFile()
        Dim worksheet = workbook.Worksheets.Add("Chart")

        worksheet.Cells("A1").Value = "Name"
        worksheet.Cells("A2").Value = "John Doe"
        worksheet.Cells("A3").Value = "Fred Nurk"
        worksheet.Cells("A4").Value = "Hans Meier"
        worksheet.Cells("A5").Value = "Ivan Horvat"

        worksheet.Cells("B1").Value = "Salary"
        worksheet.Cells("B2").Value = 3600
        worksheet.Cells("B3").Value = 2580
        worksheet.Cells("B4").Value = 3200
        worksheet.Cells("B5").Value = 4100

        worksheet.Columns(1).Style.NumberFormat = """$""#,##0"

        Dim chart = worksheet.Charts.Add(ChartType.Bar,
            New AnchorCell(worksheet.Cells("A1"), True), width, height, LengthUnit.Point)

        chart.SelectData(worksheet.Cells.GetSubrangeAbsolute(0, 0, 4, 1), True)
        Return chart
    End Function
End Module

Module PdfDocumentExtension
    <Extension>
    Function AppendPage(destination As PdfDocument, source As PdfDocument,
        sourcePageIndex As Integer, destinationPageIndex As Integer, destinationBottomLeft As PdfPoint) As PdfFormContent

        Dim form = source.Pages(sourcePageIndex).ConvertToForm(destination)
        Dim group = destination.Pages(destinationPageIndex).Content.Elements.AddGroup()

        Dim formContent = group.Elements.AddForm(form)
        formContent.Transform = PdfMatrix.CreateTranslation(destinationBottomLeft.X, destinationBottomLeft.Y)
        Return formContent

    End Function
End Module

Barcodes

The following example shows how to create a PDF file with a barcode using GemBox.Document, and then append that file's content to another PDF with GemBox.Pdf.

PDF file with added barcode content
Screenshot of PDF file with a barcode
View on GitHub 
using System.IO;
using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Content;
using GemBox.Document;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Pdf serial key below.
        GemBox.Pdf.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        // If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Document serial key below.
        GemBox.Document.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        using (var document = new PdfDocument())
        {
            var page = document.Pages.Add();
            double x = 50;
            double y = page.Size.Height;

            using (var formattedText = new PdfFormattedText())
            {
                formattedText.Append("The following QR code is imported from a PDF that was created with GemBox.Document.");
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, new PdfPoint(x, y - 50));
            }

            // Create barcode and save it as PDF stream.
            var barcode = CreateBarcode("1234567890");
            var barcodeAsPdf = new MemoryStream();
            barcode.FormatDrawing().Save(barcodeAsPdf, GemBox.Document.SaveOptions.PdfDefault);

            // Add barcode to PDF page.
            using (var barcodeDocument = PdfDocument.Load(barcodeAsPdf))
                document.AppendPage(barcodeDocument, 0, 0, new PdfPoint(x, y - barcode.Layout.Size.Height - 60));

            document.Save("Barcode.%OutputFileType%");
        }
    }

    static TextBox CreateBarcode(string qrCode)
    {
        var document = new DocumentModel();
        document.DefaultParagraphFormat.SpaceAfter = 0;
        document.DefaultParagraphFormat.LineSpacing = 1;

        var textBox = new TextBox(document, Layout.Inline(0, 0, LengthUnit.Point),
            new Paragraph(document,
                new Field(document, FieldType.DisplayBarcode, $"{qrCode} QR")));

        document.Sections.Add(
            new Section(document,
                new Paragraph(document, textBox)));

        textBox.TextBoxFormat.InternalMargin = new Padding(0);
        textBox.TextBoxFormat.AutoFit = TextAutoFit.ResizeShapeToFitText;
        document.GetPaginator(new PaginatorOptions() { UpdateTextBoxHeights = true });

        double size = textBox.Layout.Size.Height;
        textBox.Layout.Size = new Size(size, size);

        return textBox;
    }
}

public static class PdfDocumentExtension
{
    public static PdfFormContent AppendPage(this PdfDocument destination, PdfDocument source,
        int sourcePageIndex, int destinationPageIndex, PdfPoint destinationBottomLeft)
    {
        var form = source.Pages[sourcePageIndex].ConvertToForm(destination);
        var group = destination.Pages[destinationPageIndex].Content.Elements.AddGroup();

        var formContent = group.Elements.AddForm(form);
        formContent.Transform = PdfMatrix.CreateTranslation(destinationBottomLeft.X, destinationBottomLeft.Y);
        return formContent;
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Content
Imports GemBox.Document

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Pdf serial key below.
        GemBox.Pdf.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        ' If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Document serial key below.
        GemBox.Document.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Using document = New PdfDocument()
            Dim page = document.Pages.Add()
            Dim x As Double = 50
            Dim y As Double = page.Size.Height

            Using formattedText = New PdfFormattedText()
                formattedText.Append("The following QR code is imported from a PDF that was created with GemBox.Document.")
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, New PdfPoint(x, y - 50))
            End Using

            ' Create barcode and save it as PDF stream.
            Dim barcode = CreateBarcode("1234567890")
            Dim barcodeAsPdf As New MemoryStream()
            barcode.FormatDrawing().Save(barcodeAsPdf, GemBox.Document.SaveOptions.PdfDefault)

            ' Add chart to PDF page.
            Using barcodeDocument = PdfDocument.Load(barcodeAsPdf)
                document.AppendPage(barcodeDocument, 0, 0, New PdfPoint(x, y - barcode.Layout.Size.Height - 60))
            End Using

            document.Save("Barcode.%OutputFileType%")
        End Using
    
    End Sub

    Function CreateBarcode(qrCode As String) As TextBox
        Dim document As New DocumentModel()
        document.DefaultParagraphFormat.SpaceAfter = 0
        document.DefaultParagraphFormat.LineSpacing = 1

        Dim textBox As New TextBox(document, Layout.Inline(0, 0, GemBox.Document.LengthUnit.Point),
            New Paragraph(document,
                New Field(document, FieldType.DisplayBarcode, $"{qrCode} QR")))

        document.Sections.Add(
            New Section(document,
                New Paragraph(document, textBox)))

        textBox.TextBoxFormat.InternalMargin = New Padding(0)
        textBox.TextBoxFormat.AutoFit = TextAutoFit.ResizeShapeToFitText
        document.GetPaginator(New GemBox.Document.PaginatorOptions() With {.UpdateTextBoxHeights = True})

        Dim size As Double = textBox.Layout.Size.Height
        textBox.Layout.Size = New Size(size, size)

        Return textBox
    End Function
End Module

Module PdfDocumentExtension
    <Extension>
    Function AppendPage(destination As PdfDocument, source As PdfDocument,
        sourcePageIndex As Integer, destinationPageIndex As Integer, destinationBottomLeft As PdfPoint) As PdfFormContent

        Dim form = source.Pages(sourcePageIndex).ConvertToForm(destination)
        Dim group = destination.Pages(destinationPageIndex).Content.Elements.AddGroup()

        Dim formContent = group.Elements.AddForm(form)
        formContent.Transform = PdfMatrix.CreateTranslation(destinationBottomLeft.X, destinationBottomLeft.Y)
        Return formContent

    End Function
End Module

Slides

The following example shows how to create a PDF file with a slide containing multiple shapes using GemBox.Presentation, and then append that file's content to another PDF with GemBox.Pdf.

PDF file with added slide content
Screenshot of PDF file with shapes
View on GitHub 
using System.IO;
using GemBox.Pdf;
using GemBox.Pdf.Content;
using GemBox.Presentation;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Pdf serial key below.
        GemBox.Pdf.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        // If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Presentation serial key below.
        GemBox.Presentation.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY");

        using (var document = new PdfDocument())
        {
            var page = document.Pages.Add();
            double x = 50;
            double y = page.Size.Height;

            using (var formattedText = new PdfFormattedText())
            {
                formattedText.Append("The following shapes are imported from a PDF that was created with GemBox.Presentation.");
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, new PdfPoint(x, y - 50));
            }

            // Create shapes and save them as PDF stream.
            var shapes = CreateShapes();
            var shapesAsPdf = new MemoryStream();
            shapes.Save(shapesAsPdf, GemBox.Presentation.SaveOptions.Pdf);

            // Add shapes to PDF page.
            using (var shapesDocument = PdfDocument.Load(shapesAsPdf))
                document.AppendPage(shapesDocument, 0, 0, new PdfPoint(0, y - shapes.SlideSize.Height - 60));

            document.Save("Shapes.%OutputFileType%");
        }
    }

    static PresentationDocument CreateShapes()
    {
        var presentation = new PresentationDocument();
        var slide = presentation.Slides.AddNew(SlideLayoutType.Custom);

        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RectangularCallout, 30, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.AliceBlue));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RoundedRectangularCallout, 170, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.BlueViolet));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.OvalCallout, 310, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.CadetBlue));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.Pentagon, 450, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.CornflowerBlue));

        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RoundedRectangle, 30, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.DarkSeaGreen));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RegularPentagon, 170, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.ForestGreen));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.Hexagon, 310, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.GreenYellow));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.Octagon, 450, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.LightSeaGreen));

        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.UpArrow, 30, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.DarkRed));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RightArrow, 170, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.IndianRed));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.UpDownArrow, 310, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.OrangeRed));
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.LeftRightArrow, 450, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.MediumVioletRed));

        return presentation;
    }
}

public static class PdfDocumentExtension
{
    public static PdfFormContent AppendPage(this PdfDocument destination, PdfDocument source,
        int sourcePageIndex, int destinationPageIndex, PdfPoint destinationBottomLeft)
    {
        var form = source.Pages[sourcePageIndex].ConvertToForm(destination);
        var group = destination.Pages[destinationPageIndex].Content.Elements.AddGroup();

        var formContent = group.Elements.AddForm(form);
        formContent.Transform = PdfMatrix.CreateTranslation(destinationBottomLeft.X, destinationBottomLeft.Y);
        return formContent;
    }
}
Imports System.IO
Imports System.Runtime.CompilerServices
Imports GemBox.Pdf
Imports GemBox.Pdf.Content
Imports GemBox.Presentation

Module Program

    Sub Main()

        ' If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Pdf serial key below.
        GemBox.Pdf.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        ' If using the Professional version, put your GemBox.Presentation serial key below.
        GemBox.Presentation.ComponentInfo.SetLicense("FREE-LIMITED-KEY")

        Using document = New PdfDocument()
            Dim page = document.Pages.Add()
            Dim x As Double = 50
            Dim y As Double = page.Size.Height

            Using formattedText = New PdfFormattedText()
                formattedText.Append("The following shapes are imported from a PDF that was created with GemBox.Presentation.")
                page.Content.DrawText(formattedText, New PdfPoint(x, y - 50))
            End Using

            ' Create shapes and save them as PDF stream.
            Dim shapes = CreateShapes()
            Dim shapesAsPdf As New MemoryStream()
            shapes.Save(shapesAsPdf, GemBox.Presentation.SaveOptions.Pdf)

            ' Add shapes to PDF page.
            Using shapesDocument = PdfDocument.Load(shapesAsPdf)
                Dim slideHeight As Double = shapes.SlideSize.Height
                document.AppendPage(shapesDocument, 0, 0, New PdfPoint(0, y - slideHeight - 60))
            End Using

            document.Save("Shapes.%OutputFileType%")
        End Using
    
    End Sub

    Function CreateShapes() As PresentationDocument
        Dim presentation As New PresentationDocument()
        Dim slide = presentation.Slides.AddNew(SlideLayoutType.Custom)

        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RectangularCallout, 30, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.AliceBlue))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.RoundedRectangularCallout, 170, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.BlueViolet))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.OvalCallout, 310, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.CadetBlue))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.CloudCallout, 450, 30, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.CornflowerBlue))

        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.ActionButtonEnd, 30, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.DarkSeaGreen))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.ActionButtonForwardOrNext, 170, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.ForestGreen))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.ActionButtonHelp, 310, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.GreenYellow))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.ActionButtonHome, 450, 150, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.LightSeaGreen))

        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.UpArrow, 30, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.DarkRed))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.UpArrowCallout, 170, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.IndianRed))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.UpDownArrow, 310, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.OrangeRed))
        slide.Content.AddShape(ShapeGeometryType.UpDownArrowCallout, 450, 270, 130, 100, LengthUnit.Point).Format.Fill.SetSolid(Color.FromName(ColorName.MediumVioletRed))

        Return presentation
    End Function
End Module

Module PdfDocumentExtension
    <Extension>
    Function AppendPage(destination As PdfDocument, source As PdfDocument,
        sourcePageIndex As Integer, destinationPageIndex As Integer, destinationBottomLeft As PdfPoint) As PdfFormContent

        Dim form = source.Pages(sourcePageIndex).ConvertToForm(destination)
        Dim group = destination.Pages(destinationPageIndex).Content.Elements.AddGroup()

        Dim formContent = group.Elements.AddForm(form)
        formContent.Transform = PdfMatrix.CreateTranslation(destinationBottomLeft.X, destinationBottomLeft.Y)
        Return formContent

    End Function
End Module

See also

Create and write PDF files from C# / VB.NET applications

Create and write PDF files from C# / VB.NET applications

Export and import images to PDF file with C# / VB.NET applications

Export and import images to PDF file with C# / VB.NET applications

Create Table of Contents in PDF

Create Table of Contents in PDF

Next steps

GemBox.Pdf is a .NET component that enables developers to read, merge and split PDF files or execute low-level object manipulations from .NET applications in a simple and efficient way.

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