Exploring Online HTML to PDF Conversion

When it comes to converting HTML to PDF, wkhtmltopdf is often a popular choice. However, there are many other powerful tools and libraries available that can meet a range of needs. Whether you’re working in PHP, Python, or another language, there’s likely an alternative that can fit your specific requirements. In this blog post, we’ll explore several of these alternatives, including both PHP libraries and external tools, and discuss how you can integrate them into your projects.

PHP Libraries for PDF Generation

External Tools for HTML to PDF Conversion

Installation:
bash
Copy code
sudo apt-get install python3-pip python3-cffi libffi-dev

pip3 install weasyprint

Usage:

weasyprint input.html output.pdf


Installation:

sudo apt-get install nodejs npm

npm install puppeteer

Usage:

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');


(async () => {

    const browser = await puppeteer.launch();

    const page = await browser.newPage();

    await page.goto('file:///path/to/your/input.html', {waitUntil: 'networkidle2'});

    await page.pdf({path: 'output.pdf', format: 'A4'});

    await browser.close();

})();


Installation:
bash
Copy code
sudo apt-get install google-chrome-stable

Usage:

google-chrome --headless --print-to-pdf=output.pdf file:///path/to/your/input.html


Usage:

prince input.html -o output.pdf


Overview: DocRaptor is an online API service that provides high-quality HTML to PDF conversion.

Usage:

<?php

require 'vendor/autoload.php';


use GuzzleHttp\Client;


$client = new Client();

$response = $client->post('https://api.docraptor.com/v1/documents?user_credentials=YOUR_API_KEY', [

    'json' => [

        'document_type' => 'pdf',

        'name' => 'output.pdf',

        'document_content' => file_get_contents('input.html'),

    ]

]);


file_put_contents('output.pdf', $response->getBody());

?>


Conclusion

The choice of tool for HTML to PDF conversion depends on your specific requirements and environment. PHP libraries like TCPDF and mPDF are robust options for server-side PDF generation, while external tools like Puppeteer and WeasyPrint offer advanced rendering capabilities and modern CSS support. Each tool has its strengths and trade-offs, so consider your project’s needs and choose the solution that best fits your use case.