Generating PDF Files in PHP Using TCPDF: A Step-by-Step Guide

Introduction

Generating PDF files dynamically is a common requirement in invoices, reports, receipts, and certificates. PHP offers multiple libraries for this, and TCPDF is one of the most powerful, open-source PDF generation libraries available.

With TCPDF, you can:

✅ Create PDFs dynamically from PHP code
✅ Add text, images, tables, and custom formatting
✅ Generate invoices, reports, and receipts easily
✅ Save, download, or email generated PDFs

This guide will walk you through installing TCPDF, creating a basic PDF, and customizing it with images, tables, and styles.

1. Installing TCPDF in PHP

TCPDF can be installed manually or via Composer.

Install via Composer (Recommended)

composer require tecnickcom/tcpdf

After installation, include TCPDF in your PHP file:

require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

Manual Installation

1. Download TCPDF from GitHub.
2. Extract it and place the tcpdf folder in your project directory.
3. Include TCPDF in your PHP script:

require_once 'tcpdf/tcpdf.php';

✅ Now, TCPDF is ready for use!

2. Creating a Basic PDF File in PHP

Let's start by generating a basic PDF with text.

Example: Creating a Simple PDF

require_once 'vendor/autoload.php';

$pdf = new TCPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 12);
$pdf->Cell(0, 10, 'Hello, this is a generated PDF!', 0, 1, 'C');
$pdf->Output('generated.pdf', 'I');

Explanation:

✅ AddPage() – Creates a new blank page.
✅ SetFont('helvetica', '', 12) – Sets font style and size.
✅ Cell(0, 10, 'Text', 0, 1, 'C') – Adds text (centered).
✅ Output('generated.pdf', 'I') – Displays the PDF in the browser.

🔹 Want to download the PDF instead? Change 'I' to 'D':

$pdf->Output('download.pdf', 'D'); // Forces download

3. Adding Images to a PDF in PHP

You can add logos, product images, or profile pictures inside PDFs.

Example: Adding an Image

$pdf = new TCPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();

// Add Image
$pdf->Image('logo.png', 15, 10, 40, 20, 'PNG');

// Add Text
$pdf->SetY(40); // Move text below image
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 14);
$pdf->Cell(0, 10, 'Company Invoice', 0, 1, 'C');

$pdf->Output('image_pdf.pdf', 'I');

Explanation:

✅ Image('logo.png', x, y, width, height, 'PNG') – Places an image.
✅ SetY(40) – Moves text below the image.

🔹 Supports multiple formats: JPEG, PNG, GIF, SVG.

4. Creating a Table in PDF (For Reports & Invoices)

Tables help organize invoice details, reports, and structured data.

Example: Adding a Table to a PDF

$pdf = new TCPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 12);

// Table Header
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, 'Product', 1, 0, 'C');
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, 'Quantity', 1, 0, 'C');
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, 'Price ($)', 1, 1, 'C');

// Table Rows
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, 'Laptop', 1, 0, 'C');
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, '1', 1, 0, 'C');
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, '1200', 1, 1, 'C');

$pdf->Cell(50, 10, 'Phone', 1, 0, 'C');
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, '2', 1, 0, 'C');
$pdf->Cell(50, 10, '800', 1, 1, 'C');

$pdf->Output('table_pdf.pdf', 'I');

Explanation:

✅ Creates a table using Cell() with border and alignment.
✅ First row is the header, remaining rows contain data.

🔹 Modify column widths to fit your content.

5. Adding Page Numbers and Headers

For multi-page PDFs, add page numbers and headers automatically.

Example: Custom Header & Footer in TCPDF

class CustomPDF extends TCPDF {
    // Header
    public function Header() {
        $this->SetFont('helvetica', 'B', 12);
        $this->Cell(0, 10, 'Company Report', 0, 1, 'C');
    }

    // Footer
    public function Footer() {
        $this->SetY(-15);
        $this->SetFont('helvetica', 'I', 10);
        $this->Cell(0, 10, 'Page '.$this->getAliasNumPage().' of '.$this->getAliasNbPages(), 0, 0, 'C');
    }
}

$pdf = new CustomPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 12);
$pdf->Cell(0, 10, 'Report content goes here...', 0, 1);
$pdf->Output('header_footer.pdf', 'I');

✅ Header() method adds a header to every page.
✅ Footer() method adds page numbers dynamically.

🔹 Now, all pages will have headers and footers automatically!

6. Saving and Emailing a PDF File

Example: Save PDF to Server

$pdf->Output('invoices/invoice.pdf', 'F'); // Saves the file

Example: Email PDF as Attachment

$mail = new PHPMailer(true);
$mail->addAttachment('invoices/invoice.pdf');
$mail->send();

✅ PDFs can be saved, emailed, or stored for later access.

Best Practices for PHP PDF Generation with TCPDF

✅ Use SetFont() wisely – Avoid excessive font styles to reduce file size.
✅ Optimize images before adding – Large images increase PDF size.
✅ Use Output('D') for downloads – Prevent unnecessary storage.
✅ Always set headers for multi-page documents – Ensures consistency.

Conclusion

With TCPDF, you can generate dynamic, customizable PDFs in PHP for invoices, reports, or documentation.

✅ Create PDFs dynamically from PHP code
✅ Add images, tables, headers, and footers
✅ Save, email, or download PDF files

By following these best practices and examples, you can build efficient PDF generation features for any PHP application. 🚀