Create PDF Files in PHP: Step-by-Step Guide

PHP can create PDF files by using third-party libraries. The most popular libraries for this purpose are TCPDF and FPDF. Here are the steps for generating a PDF file using the TCPDF library.

First, download the TCPDF library and extract it to your project directory.

Create a PHP file and include the main TCPDF library file at the beginning of the file.

require_once('tcpdf/tcpdf.php');

Create an instance of TCPDF.

$pdf = new TCPDF();

4. Adjust the properties of a PDF file, such as page size, orientation, and title.

$pdf->setPrintHeader(false);
$pdf->setPrintFooter(false);
$pdf->SetDefaultMonospacedFont(PDF_FONT_MONOSPACED);
$pdf->SetMargins(10, 10, 10, true);
$pdf->SetTitle('My PDF Document');
$pdf->SetHeaderData('', 0, 'My PDF Document', '');
$pdf->SetHeaderFont(Array(PDF_FONT_NAME_MAIN, '', PDF_FONT_SIZE_MAIN));
$pdf->SetFooterFont(Array(PDF_FONT_NAME_DATA, '', PDF_FONT_SIZE_DATA));
$pdf->SetDefaultFontSize(10);
$pdf->SetAutoPageBreak(TRUE, 10);
$pdf->AddPage();

Add content to a PDF file, such as text, images, and tables.

$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 12);
$pdf->Cell(0, 10, 'Hello, World!', 0, 1, 'C');

6. Finally, create a PDF file and save it to a specified location on the server.

$pdf->Output('my_pdf_file.pdf', 'F');

By following the steps above, you can use the TCPDF library to create a basic PDF file. Customize the style and content of the PDF file as needed.