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Fpdf Laravel Package
setasign/fpdf
FPDF is a free PHP class for generating PDF files with pure PHP. Clone of official releases, installable via Composer as setasign/fpdf. No active development in this repository.
FPDF is a PHP class which allows to generate PDF files with pure PHP. F from FPDF stands for Free: you may use it for any kind of usage and modify it to suit your needs.
Frequently asked questions about Fpdf
- How do I install setasign/fpdf in Laravel?
- Run composer require setasign/fpdf:^1.9 and instantiate the FPDF class directly in your code. There is no service provider, facade, or config file to publish, so installation is just the Composer dependency. A five-line spike in a controller or artisan command is enough to confirm the happy path.
- Does setasign/fpdf work with Laravel 11?
- setasign/fpdf is framework-agnostic pure PHP with no Laravel coupling, so it works across Laravel versions as long as your PHP version is compatible. Support depends on the PHP runtime rather than the Laravel release. It can be called from controllers, jobs, invokable actions, or artisan commands.
- Can FPDF render Blade templates or HTML and CSS?
- No. FPDF is a drawing API, not a templating engine, so there is no Blade, HTML, or CSS rendering path. Every layout is built with Cell, MultiCell, and SetXY arithmetic in PHP. If you need HTML fidelity, choose Dompdf, mPDF, or Browsershot instead.
- How do I use Unicode or non-Latin fonts with setasign/fpdf?
- By default FPDF core fonts are Latin-1, so Unicode and RTL content will not work out of the box. You need to embed TrueType fonts with AddFont and handle code pages, or pair FPDF with FPDI or mPDF for broader language support. Treat this as a discovery decision gate before building templates, because it is the most common reason teams reject FPDF.
- Is setasign/fpdf still maintained?
- The setasign/fpdf repository is only a Composer mirror of official FPDF releases, and the README states there will be no development in it. Upstream is a single-maintainer project at fpdf.org with a frozen PDF 1.x target. Frame it internally as adopting a finished, unmaintained library: pin the version, name an owner, and do not expect upstream roadmap or CVE response.
- What are the best alternatives to FPDF for Laravel PDF generation?
- For HTML and CSS templates, look at Dompdf, mPDF, or Browsershot. For encryption, digital signatures, existing-PDF editing, or tagged and accessible output, FPDF is out of scope and TCPDF, FPDI, or SetaPDF are the relevant tools. Keep FPDF behind a PdfGenerator contract so swapping later is contained.
- How should I organize FPDF code in a Laravel application?
- Create a thin PdfGenerator contract and bind an FPDF implementation in a service provider. All call sites should depend on the contract so FPDF types appear in exactly one class. That cheap day-one decision preserves the option to swap to Dompdf, mPDF, or Browsershot later and prevents imperative PDF code from spreading across controllers.
- How do I test PDF generation when using FPDF in Laravel?
- Because FPDF is a plain PHP class, you can unit test your wrapper by injecting a fake PdfGenerator and asserting the contract behavior. For a smoke test, run the real implementation and check that the returned bytes begin with %PDF rather than asserting exact binary output. Keep layout-heavy PDF assertions narrow so tests do not become brittle.
- What production risks should I consider before adopting FPDF?
- The main risks are a mid-build Unicode or RTL requirement, underestimated layout estimates (teams often under-scope by three to five times), and a mirror-only supply chain with a single upstream maintainer. The license scanner may return NOASSERTION because FPDF uses its own permissive non-SPDX terms, so open legal review at kickoff. Pin the version, vendor the font metrics you rely on, and log the adoption as a finished dependency with a named owner.
- Does FPDF support encryption, digital signatures, or accessible PDFs?
- No. FPDF has no native form support, encryption, digital signatures, or tagged and accessible PDF output, and it cannot edit existing PDFs. Those needs belong to TCPDF, FPDI, or SetaPDF. Use the limitation as a roadmap forcing function: if compliance or e-signature obligations are on the horizon, adopt FPDF as a stopgap with a known expiry date.
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