Creating PDF Documents with Grid and 2D List Data Using ReportLab

Part I: Simple grid added to a PDF page.

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import A4
my_path='E:\\testing\\my_pdf\\my_pdf.pdf'# file path
c = canvas.Canvas(my_path,bottomup=1,pagesize=A4)
w,h=A4 # width and height of the page

xlist = [20, 70, 120, 170] # Horizontal coordinates 
ylist = [h - 20, h - 70, h - 120, h - 170] # vertical 
c.grid(xlist, ylist) # adding grid
c.save() # stores the file and close  the canvas

c.drawString(70,h-70,"plus2net") # write text 

Part II : Using List of Data to place inside a grid

1. Importing Necessary Libraries

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import A4

2. Defining the File Path and Canvas

my_path='E:\\testing\\my_pdf\\my_pdf.pdf'  # File path
c = canvas.Canvas(my_path, bottomup=1, pagesize=A4)
w, h = int(A4[0]), int(A4[1])  # Width and height as integers

3. Preparing Data

l1 = [('id', 'name', 'class', 'mark', 'gender'),
      (1, 'John Deo', 'Four', 75, 'female'),
      (2, 'Max Ruin', 'Three', 85, 'male'),
      (3, 'Arnold', 'Three', 55, 'male')]  # Data to be used

4. Calculating Grid Dimensions

rows, cols = len(l1), len(l1[0])  # Rows and columns of the grid
width_cell, height_cell = 75, 20  # Width and height of each cell

5. Generating Grid Coordinates

xlist=list(range(20,width_cell*(cols+1),width_cell))
ylist=list(range(h-20,h-(height_cell*(rows+2)),-height_cell))
c.grid(xlist, ylist) # add the grid to Canvas 

#Adding Data inside each cell of the grid by looping 
for i in range(rows):
    for j in range(cols):
        c.drawString(xlist[j]+2,ylist[i]-int(height_cell/1.5),
                     str(i) + str(j) +'-'+ str(l1[i][j]))

c.save()

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import A4
my_path='E:\\testing\\my_pdf\\my_pdf.pdf'# file path
c = canvas.Canvas(my_path,bottomup=1,pagesize=A4)
w,h=int(A4[0]),int(A4[1]) # Width and height as Integer  

l1=[('id', 'name', 'class', 'mark', 'gender'),
(1, 'John Deo', 'Four', 75, 'female'),
(2, 'Max Ruin', 'Three', 85, 'male'),
(3, 'Arnold', 'Three', 55, 'male')] # data to be used

rows,cols=len(l1),len(l1[0]) # rows and columns of the grid 
width_cell,height_cell=75,20 # Update to match the data 

xlist=list(range(20,width_cell*(cols+1),width_cell))
ylist=list(range(h-20,h-(height_cell*(rows+2)),-height_cell))
c.grid(xlist, ylist) # add the grid to Canvas 

#Adding Data inside each cell of the grid by looping 
for i in range(rows):
    for j in range(cols):
        c.drawString(xlist[j]+2,ylist[i]-int(height_cell/1.5),
                     str(i) + str(j) +'-'+ str(l1[i][j]))
print(xlist,ylist) # print the list used for grid 
c.save()

When to Use grid

• Simple Layouts: When we need a simple grid structure to align text or basic elements without complex formatting.
• Custom Drawings: When we need to combine grid lines with custom drawing operations on the canvas (e.g., shapes, annotations).
• Manual Control: When we require manual control over each cell's content and placement, especially if the content varies significantly in format or size.
• Background Grids: When we need a background grid to assist with aligning other elements on the canvas.
• Non-tabular Data: When the data isn’t strictly tabular and doesn’t need the rich features of a table (like spanning cells, automatic layout, etc.).

When to Use Table

• Tabular Data: When presenting data in a structured, table format with multiple rows and columns.
• Rich Formatting: When we need advanced formatting capabilities, such as cell spanning, border control, padding, and alignment.
• Ease of Use: When we prefer to use higher-level abstractions for creating and styling tables rather than manually drawing each element.
• Automatic Layout: When we want ReportLab to handle the layout, spacing, and adjustments automatically.

Subhendu Mohapatra

Author & Instructor at plus2net

I write and maintain practical tutorials on Python, PHP, SQL, JavaScript, HTML, jQuery, and web development at plus2net. The tutorials focus on clear explanations, working examples, and code that readers can test and adapt while learning.

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