---
title: "How to Build a Simple PDF Invoice Generator with PHP"
url: https://daily.dev/posts/how-to-build-a-simple-pdf-invoice-generator-with-php-ogjkch3ct
source_url: https://www.sitepoint.com/how-to-build-a-simple-pdf-invoice-generator-with-php
type: article
source: "SitePoint"
published: 2026-08-24T15:59:42.310Z
updated: 2026-08-24T16:00:07.354Z
tags: ["php"]
reading_time: 7
upvotes: 1
comments: 3
language: en
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://daily.dev/llms.txt
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# How to Build a Simple PDF Invoice Generator with PHP

**[SitePoint](https://daily.dev/sources/sitepoint)** · 7 min read · 1 upvotes · 3 comments

## Summary

A practical walkthrough for generating PDF invoices directly from PHP without relying on a browser print dialog. Covers choosing between FPDF, TCPDF, and Dompdf, structuring invoice data as a separate class from rendering logic, and building the actual PDF layout with FPDF including headers, line item tables, and totals. Also addresses common edge cases like currency formatting, long descriptions that need MultiCell, page break handling with AcceptPageBreak, and whether to regenerate or store invoice PDFs.

## Full article

daily.dev links to this article rather than hosting it. Read it at the original source: <https://www.sitepoint.com/how-to-build-a-simple-pdf-invoice-generator-with-php>

## Questions this post answers

### Which PHP library should I use to generate PDF invoices, FPDF or Dompdf?

Use FPDF or TCPDF if comfortable positioning content with drawing commands, since they are lightweight and dependency free and produce predictable output across PDF viewers, which matters for financial documents. Use Dompdf instead if you already have an HTML invoice template and prefer letting the library convert HTML and CSS into a PDF rather than rebuilding the layout with drawing commands.

_daily.dev surfaces practical comparisons like this for developers picking a PHP PDF library._

### How do I handle line items that overflow a single page in an FPDF generated invoice?

Use FPDF's AcceptPageBreak method to detect when the layout is near the bottom margin and automatically start a new page rather than letting the table overflow. It's also worth repeating the table header on the new page so the columns stay readable when an invoice has enough line items to span multiple pages.

_Developers wiring up automated billing systems can find implementation details like this on daily.dev._

### Should generated invoice PDFs be stored as files or regenerated on demand?

Store the generated PDF alongside the invoice data record used to create it, rather than regenerating on demand. This makes it possible to reproduce the exact document a client received later, even if the rendering code or template changes afterward, which matters for audit and dispute purposes.

_daily.dev helps developers weigh storage tradeoffs like this when building billing systems._

## Community discussion

Top comments from developers on daily.dev.

**@devdavidt** · 0 upvotes

> BE is just the half of the problem :D

**@juanplaza** · 0 upvotes

> This is how we generated PDF invoices 20 years ago. None of the packages mentioned is capable of rendering modern CSS.

**@lukaszteranet** · 0 upvotes

> None of them are accessible PDF libraries which will not pass compliance

---

Tags: [#php](https://daily.dev/tags/php)

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