How to Convert a Worksheet to Image in C#

Exporting a single Excel worksheet to an image format (e.g., PNG, JPEG) is useful when generating previews, exporting charts, or sharing read-only visual representations of spreadsheet content. This guide shows you how to convert one worksheet from an Excel workbook to an image using Aspose.Cells for .NET.

Use Cases

Generate a preview of a specific worksheet
Export formatted reports for email or documentation
Embed a single sheet in a web page or PDF

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Install Aspose.Cells for .NET

dotnet add package Aspose.Cells

Step 2: Load the Excel File

Workbook workbook = new Workbook("SalesData.xlsx");
Worksheet sheet = workbook.Worksheets["Q1 Report"]; // Access specific worksheet

Step 3: Define Image Rendering Options

ImageOrPrintOptions options = new ImageOrPrintOptions
{
    ImageType = ImageType.Png,
    OnePagePerSheet = true,
    HorizontalResolution = 200,
    VerticalResolution = 200,
    PrintingPageType = PrintingPageType.Default
};

Step 4: Create SheetRender Object

SheetRender renderer = new SheetRender(sheet, options);

Step 5: Render Each Page to an Image

for (int pageIndex = 0; pageIndex < renderer.PageCount; pageIndex++)
{
    string imageName = $"worksheet_q1_page_{pageIndex + 1}.png";
    renderer.ToImage(pageIndex, imageName);
}

Step 6: Save the Images

This code automatically saves one image per printable page in the worksheet.

Step 7: Optional Enhancements

You can apply additional layout settings:

// Show gridlines in the output image
options.ShowGridLines = true;

// Fit all content on a single page
options.AllColumnsInOnePagePerSheet = true;

Complete Example Code

using System;
using Aspose.Cells;

class Program
{
    static void Main()
    {
        // Load the Excel workbook
        Workbook workbook = new Workbook("SalesData.xlsx");

        // Access a specific worksheet
        Worksheet sheet = workbook.Worksheets["Q1 Report"];

        // Define image rendering options
        ImageOrPrintOptions options = new ImageOrPrintOptions
        {
            ImageType = ImageType.Png,
            OnePagePerSheet = true,
            HorizontalResolution = 200,
            VerticalResolution = 200,
            PrintingPageType = PrintingPageType.Default
        };

        // Enable gridlines if desired
        options.ShowGridLines = true;

        // Render the sheet to image(s)
        SheetRender renderer = new SheetRender(sheet, options);

        for (int pageIndex = 0; pageIndex < renderer.PageCount; pageIndex++)
        {
            string imageName = $"worksheet_q1_page_{pageIndex + 1}.png";
            renderer.ToImage(pageIndex, imageName);
            Console.WriteLine($"Saved: {imageName}");
        }

        Console.WriteLine("Worksheet successfully rendered to image(s).");
    }
}

Common Scenarios & Troubleshooting

Issue	Solution
Cut-off content	Use `AllColumnsInOnePagePerSheet = true`
Output is low quality	Increase image resolution
Gridlines missing	Set `ShowGridLines = true`