Question

I have TPanel. On this Panel there is an TImage descendant , few other panels with controls, etc. In fact, picture contains some diagram, while additional panels with labels are created during runtime to provide user with additional info.
Recently I was told, that it would be nice, if it was possible to print this panel, and have it on the paper just as it appears in form. Any clues, how to do it?

Answer 1

I found an old usenet post that provides a solution, by copying the contents of the panel to a bitmap, which can be printed:

procedure TFormPrintWindows.ButtonPrintPanelClick(Sender: TObject);
  var
    Bitmap       :  TBitmap;
    FromLeft     :  INTEGER;
    FromTop      :  INTEGER;
    PrintedWidth :  INTEGER;
    PrintedHeight:  INTEGER;
begin
  Printer.BeginDoc;
  TRY
    Bitmap := TBitmap.Create;
    TRY
      Bitmap.Width  := Panel1.Width;
      Bitmap.Height := Panel1.Height;
      Bitmap.PixelFormat := pf24bit;  // avoid palettes

      // Copy the Panel area from the Form into a separate Bitmap
      Bitmap.Canvas.CopyRect(Rect(0,0, Bitmap.Width,Bitmap.Height),
                             FormPrintWindows.Canvas,
                             Rect(Panel1.Left, Panel1.Top,
                                  Panel1.Left + Panel1.Width-1,
                                  Panel1.Top  + Panel1.Height-1) );

      // Assumes 10% left, right and top margin
      // Assumes bitmap aspect ratio > ~0.75 for portrait mode
      PrintedWidth  := MulDiv(Printer.PageWidth, 80,100);  // 80%
      PrintedHeight := MulDiv(PrintedWidth, Bitmap.Height, Bitmap.Width);
      FromLeft      := MulDiv(Printer.PageWidth, 10,100);  // 10%
      FromTop       := MulDiv(Printer.PageHeight,10,100);  // 10%

      PrintBitmap(Printer.Canvas,
        Rect(FromLeft, FromTop,
             FromLeft + PrintedWidth,
             FromTop  + PrintedHeight),
        Bitmap);
    FINALLY
      Bitmap.Free
    END;
  FINALLY
    Printer.EndDoc
  END

end;

and add

//Source of Code: 
//http://www.swissdelphicenter.ch/torry/showcode.php?id=744
//Which refers to a posting to borland.public.delphi.winapi by Rodney E Geraghty, 8/8/97.

procedure PrintBitmap(Canvas: TCanvas; DestRect: TRect; Bitmap: TBitmap);
var
  BitmapHeader: pBitmapInfo;
  BitmapImage: Pointer;
  HeaderSize: DWORD;
  ImageSize: DWORD;
begin
  GetDIBSizes(Bitmap.Handle, HeaderSize, ImageSize);
  GetMem(BitmapHeader, HeaderSize);
  GetMem(BitmapImage, ImageSize);
  try
    GetDIB(Bitmap.Handle, Bitmap.Palette, BitmapHeader^, BitmapImage^);
    StretchDIBits(Canvas.Handle,
      DestRect.Left, DestRect.Top,    // Destination Origin
      DestRect.Right - DestRect.Left, // Destination Width
      DestRect.Bottom - DestRect.Top, // Destination Height
      0, 0,                           // Source Origin
      Bitmap.Width, Bitmap.Height,    // Source Width & Height
      BitmapImage,
      TBitmapInfo(BitmapHeader^),
      DIB_RGB_COLORS,
      SRCCOPY)
  finally
    FreeMem(BitmapHeader);
    FreeMem(BitmapImage)
  end
end {PrintBitmap};