Generating PDFs with PHP

To generate PDFs with PHP, you can use a library called TCPDF. TCPDF is a free and open-source library that provides an easy way to create PDF documents with PHP.

Here is a step-by-step guide on how to generate PDFs with TCPDF:

1. Download TCPDF: Start by downloading the TCPDF library from the official website: https://tcpdf.org/. You can also use Composer to install TCPDF into your project.

2. Include TCPDF: Once you have downloaded TCPDF, include the TCPDF library in your PHP file using the require_once statement:

“`php
require_once(‘tcpdf/tcpdf.php’);
“`

3. Create a new TCPDF object: After including the TCPDF library, create a new TCPDF object:

“`php
$pdf = new TCPDF();
“`

4. Set up the PDF document: Next, set up the PDF document. You can set the document’s title, author, and other properties:

“`php
$pdf->SetCreator(PDF_CREATOR);
$pdf->SetAuthor(‘Your Name’);
$pdf->SetTitle(‘Sample PDF’);
“`

5. Add a page: Use the AddPage method to add a new page to the PDF document:

“`php
$pdf->AddPage();
“`

6. Set font and text color: You can set the font and text color for the PDF document:

“`php
$pdf->SetFont(‘times’, ‘B’, 12);
$pdf->SetTextColor(0, 0, 0);
“`

7. Add content to the PDF: Use the Cell method to add content to the PDF document:

“`php
$pdf->Cell(0, 10, ‘Hello World’, 0, 1, ‘C’);
“`

8. Output the PDF: Finally, use the Output method to generate and output the PDF:

“`php
$pdf->Output(‘sample.pdf’, ‘D’); // ‘D’ for downloading the PDF
“`

In this example, the generated PDF will be named “sample.pdf” and downloaded by the user.

That’s it! You have successfully generated a PDF document using PHP and TCPDF. You can add more content, images, and other elements to customize the PDF as needed. For more advanced features and customization options, refer to the TCPDF documentation.