How to create Dynamic PDF Files with Images in Laravel Using barryvdh or laravel-dompdf

In the world of web development, making PDF files is a common need, especially for things like reports or invoices. Luckily, Laravel, a popular web framework, makes it easy to do just that. With a handy package called barryvdh/laravel-dompdf, we can add images to our PDFs made from Blade views.

In this blog, we're going to break down the process step by step, so it's super easy to follow along. We'll start by installing the necessary package and configuring our environment. Then, we'll create a Blade view with our content and add an image to it. After that, we'll set up a route to download our PDF file, complete with the image.

By the end of this guide, you'll have the skills to effortlessly generate PDF files that look amazing and include all the images you need. So, let's dive in and make some beautiful PDFs with Laravel!

Step-by-step guide for creating PDF from Blade template with images in Laravel

Step 1: Installing the Package

First, install the barryvdh/laravel-dompdf package via Composer:

Next, publish the package configuration:

This command will publish the configuration file to config/dompdf.php.

Step 2: Check your php.ini file

Active gd library extension

Step 3: Creating the Blade View

Let's create a Blade view that we want to convert to PDF. For example, we'll create a view called pdf.blade.php:

Step 4: Create a Route for PDF Download :

In this example, we assume that there's an image file named logo.png located in the public/images directory.

Step 5: Generating the PDF

Now, let's create a Controller to generate the PDF:

Step 6: Testing the PDF Generation

To test the PDF generation, navigate to the /download-certificate route in your browser. This should trigger the download of the PDF file containing the image from the Blade view.

Demo certificate.pdf

In conclusion, PDF generation is an essential aspect of web application development, particularly for tasks like generating reports and invoices. Laravel simplifies this process with its support for PDF generation from Blade views using the barryvdh/laravel-dompdf package. By following the steps outlined in this blog, including Composer installation, controller setup, and image inclusion, you can seamlessly incorporate PDF generation into your Laravel projects. This efficient process ensures that your web applications can produce high-quality PDF files with ease, enhancing their functionality and user experience.