Print Laravel Package

Getting Started

Minimal Steps

1. Installation:

   composer require print-filament/print
   php artisan vendor:publish --tag="print-config"  # Publish config (optional)
   php artisan vendor:publish --tag="print-views"   # Publish views (optional)
   

2. Register the Plugin: Add to app/Providers/Filament/AdminPanelProvider.php:

   public function panel(Panel $panel): Panel
   {
       return $panel
           ->plugins([
               \PrintFilament\Print\PrintPlugin::make(),
           ]);
   }
   

3. First Use Case: Add the print button to a Filament page (e.g., Resource/Pages/ListRecords.php):

   use PrintFilament\Print\PrintComponent;
   
   public function getHeaderActions(): array
   {
       return [
           PrintComponent::make("print_records")->label("Print"),
       ];
   }
   

Implementation Patterns

Common Workflows

1. Printing Records: Use PrintComponent in ListRecords or EditRecord pages to print filtered/selected data:

   PrintComponent::make("print_invoices")
       ->label("Print Invoices")
       ->query(fn () => Invoice::query()->where('status', 'paid'))
       ->columns(['id', 'amount', 'date'])
       ->title("Paid Invoices Report");
   

2. Custom Styling: Publish views (php artisan vendor:publish --tag="print-views") and override:

   • resources/views/vendor/print-filament/print/print.blade.php
   • Target .print-styles in your CSS for printer-specific tweaks.

3. Dynamic Data: Pass dynamic data via data():

   PrintComponent::make("print_custom")
       ->data(fn () => ['user' => auth()->user(), 'date' => now()])
       ->view('filament.print.custom');
   

4. Integration with Filament Actions: Combine with Filament’s Action system for conditional printing:

   use Filament\Actions\Action;
   
   Action::make('print')
       ->label('Print Selected')
       ->icon('heroicon-o-printer')
       ->action(fn (Table $table) => PrintComponent::make("print_selected")->records($table->getSelectedRecords()))
       ->visible(fn (Table $table) => $table->hasSelectedRecords()),
   

Gotchas and Tips

Pitfalls

1. CSS Inconsistencies:

   • Browser print previews may ignore custom styles. Use @media print in your global CSS:

     @media print {
         .no-print { display: none; }
         table { page-break-inside: avoid; }
     }
     

   • Fix: Publish views and override the print template to enforce styles.

2. Large Data Performance:

   • Printing thousands of records may freeze the browser. Use pagination or chunking:

     PrintComponent::make("print_large")
         ->query(fn () => Model::query()->paginate(50))
         ->perPage(50);
     

3. Filament Widgets:

   • Widgets (e.g., Chart, StatsOverview) may not render correctly in print. Exclude them:

     PrintComponent::make("print_dashboard")
         ->excludeWidgets(['chart_widget', 'stats_widget']);
     

4. Configuration Overrides:

   • Published config (config/print.php) may conflict with Filament’s caching. Clear cache after changes:

     php artisan optimize:clear
     

Debugging Tips

• Inspect Print Output: Use browser dev tools (Ctrl+Shift+P > "Show Print Preview") to debug rendering issues.
• Log Queries: Enable query logging in config/print.php:

  'debug' => env('PRINT_DEBUG', false),
  

• Test with Real Printers: Some CSS properties (e.g., box-shadow) are ignored in print. Test with actual printers or PDF generation tools.

Extension Points

1. Custom Views: Override the print template by publishing views and extending:

   PrintComponent::make("print_custom")
       ->view('filament.print.custom');
   

   Example template (resources/views/filament/print/custom.blade.php):

   @extends('print-filament::print.print')
   @section('content')
       <h1>Custom Print Title</h1>
       {{ $data['user']->name }}
   @endsection
   

2. Headless Printing: Use JavaScript to trigger print programmatically (e.g., after export):

   window.printFilament = {
       print: function (options) {
           // Custom logic (e.g., open in new tab with print styles)
           window.open(`/print?${options}`, '_blank').focus();
       }
   };
   

3. PDF Generation: Combine with barryvdh/laravel-dompdf for PDF exports:

   use Barryvdh\DomPDF\Facade\Pdf;
   
   PrintComponent::make("print_pdf")
       ->action(fn () => Pdf::loadView('filament.print.pdf')->stream('report.pdf'));