Printing the view in iOS with Swift

Question

I am developing an app which requires visitor passes to be generated and printed directly from an iPad over AirPrint.

I have looked everywhere to find out how to print a view but I can only find how to print text, webKit and mapKit.

Is there a way of printing an entire view? If not, what would be a good solution to print a visitor pass which will be plain text, boxes and a photograph. Thanks.

Answer 1

I have found the answer to my question by modifying the code found here: AirPrint contents of a UIView

//create an extension to covert the view to an image
extension UIView {
 func toImage() -> UIImage {
    UIGraphicsBeginImageContextWithOptions(bounds.size, false, UIScreen.mainScreen().scale)

    drawViewHierarchyInRect(self.bounds, afterScreenUpdates: true)

    let image = UIGraphicsGetImageFromCurrentImageContext()
    UIGraphicsEndImageContext()
    return image
 }
}

//In your view controller    
@IBAction func printButton(sender: AnyObject) {

    let printInfo = UIPrintInfo(dictionary:nil)
    printInfo.outputType = UIPrintInfoOutputType.General
    printInfo.jobName = "My Print Job"

    // Set up print controller
    let printController = UIPrintInteractionController.sharedPrintController()
    printController.printInfo = printInfo

    // Assign a UIImage version of my UIView as a printing iten
    printController.printingItem = self.view.toImage()

    // If you want to specify a printer
    guard let printerURL = URL(string: "Your printer URL here, e.g. ipps://HPDC4A3E0DE24A.local.:443/ipp/print") else { return }
    guard let currentPrinter = UIPrinter(url: printerURL) else { return }                     

    printController.print(to: currentPrinter, completionHandler: nil)

    // Do it
    printController.presentFromRect(self.view.frame, inView: self.view, animated: true, completionHandler: nil)
}