Effective PDF Generation in Drupal

This article details how to generate PDFs in Drupal, focusing on creating printable game cards. It compares Drupal modules and recommends the Print module with wkhtmltopdf for accurate, high-quality output. The author highlights the shift in mindset needed from web to print design, emphasizing pixel-perfect precision.

Key Takeaways:

• Drupal's Print module is preferred over Views PDF for its superior support, output options, and efficiency.
• Print design requires pixel-perfect accuracy, unlike web design.
• The Print module leverages HTML and CSS for PDF generation. Customization is achieved through themes and templates.
• wkhtmltopdf is recommended for its accuracy, but requires server-side installation.
• Troubleshooting involves checking logs, configurations, and module updates.

Why Not Just Print?

While simple printing suffices for basic needs, controlled PDF generation is necessary for distributing or managing printable files.

Web vs. Print Design:

The article stresses the difference between web and print design. Print demands precise pixel (or millimeter) accuracy.

Project Goal:

The author aims to create a system for generating printable game cards with specific size and layout requirements. An example design is shown:

Drupal PDF Options:

The article compares the Print module and Views PDF, favoring Print due to better support and efficiency. It advises against Views PDF because of its reliance on the potentially resource-intensive eval() function.

wkhtmltopdf Integration:

The article recommends wkhtmltopdf for PDF generation, detailing its installation and linking to the Drupal libraries folder (e.g., ln -s /usr/bin/wkhtmltopdf /var/www/sites/all/libraries/wkhtmltopdf). Manual installation from the official website is suggested for Ubuntu users.

Print Module Configuration:

The author outlines configuring the Print module's settings, including logo, footer, theme CSS retention, link display, paper size, orientation, caching, and filename tokens. Specific wkhtmltopdf command-line options are added for margin control and DPI settings (--margin-bottom 0m --margin-left 0m --margin-top 0m --margin-right 0m --dpi 300).

HTML and CSS Creation:

The article demonstrates creating the HTML and CSS for the game card, using a content type with custom fields (shown visually). It utilizes image styles and custom fonts. The CSS is designed to achieve the precise dimensions required for printing (using centimeters). The author notes the importance of high-resolution images for optimal print quality.

Print Module Template Customization:

The article explains modifying the print.tpl.php template (copied from the module to the theme) to remove unwanted elements like header links and horizontal rules.

Font Handling:

The article addresses issues with using remote fonts (like Google Fonts), recommending local font inclusion for reliable results. The process of downloading, placing, and referencing the fonts in CSS (@font-face) is detailed.

Comparison with Other PDF Generators:

The author compares wkhtmltopdf to TCPDF and dompdf, showcasing the superior accuracy of wkhtmltopdf. The examples illustrate the differences in output quality.

Why wkhtmltopdf?

The article reiterates wkhtmltopdf's advantages in accuracy and ease of use, acknowledging the requirement for server-side executable installation.

Frequently Asked Questions:

The article concludes with a comprehensive FAQ section covering various aspects of PDF generation in Drupal, including module choices, customization, data handling, multilingual support, troubleshooting, performance optimization, dynamic content, and security.

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