DomPDF Laravel Tutorial: Easy HTML to PDF Guide

Introduction

Have you ever wished that turning your web pages into neat, printable PDFs could be as easy as snapping your fingers? Well, you’re not alone! Many developers-and even beginners-have felt the frustration of clunky PDF tools. That’s where the magical duo, DomPDF and Laravel, come in. With dompdf laravel, what used to take hours can now be done in just minutes.

Let’s imagine for a moment: converting a messy desk into a perfectly organized file cabinet. That’s what this guide will help you do-but with your web content!

What is DomPDF and Why Use It?

DomPDF is like a magic printer for the web-it turns all those beautiful web pages you see in your browser into real, shareable PDFs. Whether it’s receipts, invoices, or certificates, DomPDF lets you preserve the layout and design, giving you a “snapshot” of your content.

Why use DomPDF?

Free and Open Source: No licensing headaches.
Easy Integration: Works smoothly with frameworks like Laravel.
HTML and CSS Support: Converts web content faithfully.

Why Laravel and DomPDF Make a Great Team

Think of Laravel as your trusty backpack and DomPDF as the notebook inside. Laravel’s elegant structure makes it easy to organize, while DomPDF is the tool that turns your notes into printable pages. The partnership means you can design your content with Laravel’s Blade templates and serve it as a PDF instantly.

Benefits:

Clean, maintainable code.
Rapid development-no wrestling with complex libraries.
Customization is a breeze!

Getting Started: Requirements

Before you begin, make sure you have:

Laravel installed (8.x or newer is ideal)
Composer for PHP package management
Basic understanding of PHP/Laravel
Web server (XAMPP, MAMP, or a live server)

Just like making a recipe, having your “ingredients” ready will make things go smoothly.

Installing DomPDF in Laravel

Let’s get our toolkit ready! Installing DomPDF only takes a couple of commands.

Open your terminal and navigate to your Laravel project directory.
Run this Composer command:

Bash

composer require barryvdh/laravel-dompdf

composer require barryvdh/laravel-dompdf

You’ll notice the package is by Barryvdh, a popular DomPDF wrapper for Laravel that makes everything easier.

Optionally, publish the configuration file:

Bash

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Barryvdh\DomPDF\ServiceProvider"

php artisan vendor:publish --provider="Barryvdh\DomPDF\ServiceProvider"

And voilà! DomPDF is ready to go.

Configuration: Making DomPDF Work Properly

After installing, you may want to tweak a few settings in config/dompdf.php:

Paper Size: Default is A4, but you can switch to letter, legal, etc.
Orientation: Choose between portrait and landscape.
Font Directory: Set custom fonts if needed.

Example:

PHP

return  [
	'default_paper_size'  =>  'a4',
	'default_font'  =>  'Arial',
];

return  [
	'default_paper_size'  =>  'a4',
	'default_font'  =>  'Arial',
];

Most beginners can skip this step, but it’s helpful as you grow comfortable.

Basic PDF Creation: Your First Simple PDF

Let’s get our feet wet! Create a route in your web.php:

PHP

Route::get('/basic-pdf',  function  ()  {
	$pdf =  App::make('dompdf.wrapper');
	$pdf->loadHTML('<h1>Hello, DomPDF in Laravel!</h1>');
	return  $pdf->stream();
});

Route::get('/basic-pdf',  function  ()  {
	$pdf =  App::make('dompdf.wrapper');
	$pdf->loadHTML('<h1>Hello, DomPDF in Laravel!</h1>');
	return  $pdf->stream();
});

Just like that, visiting /basic-pdf in your browser will prompt you to download or view a nifty PDF.

Converting Dynamic HTML to PDF

Need to turn complex pages with data into a PDF? Use Blade views!

Create a Blade view (resources/views/my-pdf.blade.php):

Blade

<html>
	<body>
		<h1>Invoice #{{ $invoice->id }}</h1>
		<p>Date: {{ $invoice->date }}</p>
		<p>Amount: {{ $invoice->amount }}</p>
	</body>
</html>

<html>
	<body>
		<h1>Invoice #{{ $invoice->id }}</h1>
		<p>Date: {{ $invoice->date }}</p>
		<p>Amount: {{ $invoice->amount }}</p>
	</body>
</html>

In your controller or route:

PHP

use Barryvdh\DomPDF\Facade\Pdf;

Route::get('/invoice-pdf/{id}',  function  ($id)  {
	$invoice =  Invoice::find($id);
	$pdf =  Pdf::loadView('my-pdf',  compact('invoice'));
	return  $pdf->download('invoice.pdf');
});

use Barryvdh\DomPDF\Facade\Pdf;

Route::get('/invoice-pdf/{id}',  function  ($id)  {
	$invoice =  Invoice::find($id);
	$pdf =  Pdf::loadView('my-pdf',  compact('invoice'));
	return  $pdf->download('invoice.pdf');
});

Now, your users get a personalized PDF invoice with just a click!

Styling Your PDF

Want your PDFs to look as gorgeous as your website? DomPDF supports most CSS styles.

Inline styles are fully supported.
Use external CSS by importing it within your HTML.
Be aware: Some CSS3/HTML5 properties might not be supported.

Example:

HTML

<style>
	h1 { color: #3490dc; font-family: 'Arial'; }

	p { font-size: 16px; }
</style>

<style>
	h1 { color: #3490dc; font-family: 'Arial'; }

	p { font-size: 16px; }
</style>

A well-dressed PDF is always more impressive!

Saving and Downloading PDFs

DomPDF gives you options:

Stream: Directly display in browser for viewing/printing.
Download: Force download to user’s computer.
Save: Store PDF file on the server.

Example:

PHP

// Stream
return  $pdf->stream('document.pdf');

// Download
return  $pdf->download('document.pdf');

// Save to server
$pdf->save(storage_path('app/public/document.pdf'));

// Stream
return  $pdf->stream('document.pdf');

// Download
return  $pdf->download('document.pdf');

// Save to server
$pdf->save(storage_path('app/public/document.pdf'));

Pick what suits your app!

Sending PDF as Email Attachments

Say you want to email invoices. Laravel’s Mail functionality makes this simple:

PHP

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;

Mail::to($user->email)->send(new  InvoiceMail($pdf));

use Illuminate\Support\Facades\Mail;

Mail::to($user->email)->send(new  InvoiceMail($pdf));

In your Mailable class, attach the PDF:

PHP

public  function  build()
{

	return  $this->view('emails.invoice')
				->attachData($this->pdf->output(),  'invoice.pdf');
}

public  function  build()
{

	return  $this->view('emails.invoice')
				->attachData($this->pdf->output(),  'invoice.pdf');
}

PDFs fly to inboxes like magic!

Error Handling and Troubleshooting

Every magician faces a hiccup:

Blank PDFs: Check your HTML for errors or missing closing tags.
Fonts not rendering: Ensure your fonts are installed or linked correctly.
Image issues: Use absolute paths for images, not relative or base64 when possible.

Still stuck? The official DomPDF GitHub issues page is your friendly neighborhood detective.

Best Practices for Performance

Minimize CSS: Too many styles slow down rendering.
Paginate: Large documents? Split into multiple PDFs.
Cache PDFs: Save generated PDFs for repeat use instead of rendering every time.

Treat your PDF process like a chef – keep your “kitchen” tidy and efficient!

Real-world Use Cases

Where does dompdf laravel shine?

Invoices and receipts for customers
Certificates and diplomas in education platforms
Reports and summaries for businesses
Tickets and passes for events

If it’s printable, you can probably PDF it!

Deploying PDF-enabled Laravel Apps

Ready to launch your app to the world? Make sure your deployment environment supports the requirements for dompdf laravel.

Thinking of hosting your Laravel app? Check out how to Deploy Laravel on VM, VPS or Dedicated Server, a step that’s crucial for seamless PDF generation.

Conclusion

You’ve just learned how to tame the “paper tiger”! With dompdf laravel, creating PDFs is no longer a Herculean task but a walk in the park. From simple one-pagers to dynamic multi-page reports, the combo makes it easy, fun, and fast. So the next time someone asks, “Can you send that as a PDF?”-smile, because you’ve got it covered!

FAQs

Can DomPDF handle complex HTML and advanced CSS?

DomPDF covers most basic HTML and CSS needs but may not support very advanced CSS3 or JavaScript. Test your HTML templates and refer to the official DomPDF documentation.

Is DomPDF free for commercial use in Laravel projects?

Yes! DomPDF and Barryvdh’s Laravel wrapper are both open-source and free for commercial and personal projects.

How do I include images in my DomPDF PDFs?

Use absolute paths to images. Images in the public directory, for instance, should reference public_path('images/yourimage.jpg') to ensure they load correctly.

Can I protect my PDFs with passwords using DomPDF?

DomPDF doesn’t natively support PDF encryption or password protection. Consider using PDF processing libraries post-generation if you need advanced security.

What’s the best way to deploy a Laravel project that uses DomPDF?

Host your Laravel app on a reliable server with proper PHP and composer support. For detailed steps, refer to this guide on Deploying Laravel on VM, VPS or Dedicated Server.

And there you have it-a crystal-clear, practical guide to dompdf laravel that’ll have you generating PDFs like a pro in no time!

DomPDF Laravel Tutorial: Convert HTML to PDF in Minutes

Table Of Contents

Introduction

What is DomPDF and Why Use It?

Why Laravel and DomPDF Make a Great Team

Getting Started: Requirements

Installing DomPDF in Laravel

Configuration: Making DomPDF Work Properly

Basic PDF Creation: Your First Simple PDF

Converting Dynamic HTML to PDF

Styling Your PDF

Saving and Downloading PDFs

Sending PDF as Email Attachments

Error Handling and Troubleshooting

Best Practices for Performance

Real-world Use Cases

Deploying PDF-enabled Laravel Apps

Conclusion

FAQs

Can DomPDF handle complex HTML and advanced CSS?

Is DomPDF free for commercial use in Laravel projects?

How do I include images in my DomPDF PDFs?

Can I protect my PDFs with passwords using DomPDF?

What’s the best way to deploy a Laravel project that uses DomPDF?

Deploy your first application in 10 minutes, Risk Free!