How to Render DOCX to PNG with Text Overlay in .NET Using GroupDocs.Viewer

Introduction

Converting Word documents into image formats while preserving text overlays can be challenging. This tutorial guides you through rendering DOCX files as PNG images using GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET, complete with text overlay extraction. GroupDocs.Viewer is a robust library that simplifies document conversion, allowing developers to focus on creating dynamic applications.

In this guide, you’ll learn how to:

  • Set up file paths for output images
  • Render documents into PNG format while extracting text overlays
  • Optimize performance and troubleshoot common issues

Prerequisites

Before we begin, ensure you have the following ready:

Required Libraries and Dependencies

  • GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET (Version 25.3.0 or later)
  • .NET Framework version compatible with GroupDocs.Viewer
  • Development environment like Visual Studio

Environment Setup Requirements

Ensure your development environment is configured to manage NuGet packages, as we’ll use it for library installation.

Knowledge Prerequisites

A basic understanding of C# and .NET project structure will be beneficial.

Setting Up GroupDocs.Viewer for .NET

To start using GroupDocs.Viewer, you need to install the package in your .NET application. Here’s how:

NuGet Package Manager Console

Install-Package GroupDocs.Viewer -Version 25.3.0

.NET CLI

dotnet add package GroupDocs.Viewer --version 25.3.0

License Acquisition Steps

  • Free Trial: Begin with the free trial to test features.
  • Temporary License: Obtain a temporary license for full access during development.
  • Purchase: For production use, purchase a commercial license.

Let’s initialize and set up GroupDocs.Viewer in your project:

using GroupDocs.Viewer;
using System.IO;

// Initialize the viewer object with the document path
using (Viewer viewer = new Viewer("YOUR_DOCUMENT_DIRECTORY/TestFiles.SAMPLE_DOCX"))
{
    // Configuration options will be defined here later.
}

Implementation Guide

Setting Up Paths for Rendering

Overview: This feature configures paths where output images will be saved.

Define Output Directory and File Path Format

string outputDirectory = Path.Combine("YOUR_OUTPUT_DIRECTORY\