Create PDF Table from MySQL or SQLite Data using PHP FPDF

We will create a PDF table by reading records from the sample student database and displaying the values in rows and columns using FPDF. The same PDF-generation code can work with MySQL or SQLite when the database connection is created through PDO.

MySQL / SQLite
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PDO connection
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SELECT student records
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PHP associative array
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FPDF Cell()
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PDF table

Learn how to create PDF tables using the FPDF Cell() method

Steps to Create a PDF Table from Database Records Top ↑

1. Connect PHP to MySQL or SQLite using PDO.
2. Run a SELECT query to collect student records.
3. Create an FPDF document and add a page.
4. Create the column headings using Cell().
5. Loop through the database records.
6. Add one PDF table row for each database record.
7. Send the generated PDF to the browser.

Files Used in this PHP PDF Project Top ↑

Connect PHP to MySQL or SQLite Top ↑

The database connection is kept in config.php. Read the PHP PDO connection tutorial for the connection setup.

Once config.php creates the PDO object $dbo, the PDF script can use the same database-access code for MySQL or SQLite.

<?php
require "config.php";

The database-specific part is mainly the PDO connection string. The SELECT query and FPDF table-generation logic can remain the same for this example.

You can also read the SQL SELECT tutorial for more examples of retrieving database records.

Fetch Student Records using PDO Top ↑

We only need five columns for this PDF, so the query selects those columns instead of using SELECT *.

$sql="SELECT id,name,class,mark,gender
      FROM student
      ORDER BY id
      LIMIT :limit";

$stmt=$dbo->prepare($sql);
$stmt->bindValue(':limit',10,PDO::PARAM_INT);
$stmt->execute();

$rows=$stmt->fetchAll(PDO::FETCH_ASSOC);

The value supplied to LIMIT is bound as an integer. The returned records are stored as associative arrays, so values can be accessed by column name:

$row['id']
$row['name']
$row['class']
$row['mark']
$row['gender']

Create the PDF Table Header Top ↑

Load FPDF, create the document and add the first page:

require 'fpdf.php';

$pdf=new FPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetAutoPageBreak(true,15);

The column widths used by this table are:

$width_cell=[20,50,40,40,40];

The total width is 190 mm:

20 + 50 + 40 + 40 + 40 = 190 mm

This fits the usable width of a normal A4 portrait page when the standard left and right margins are used.

Create the header cells:

$pdf->SetFont('Arial','B',14);
$pdf->SetFillColor(193,229,252);

$pdf->Cell($width_cell[0],10,'ID',1,0,'C',true);
$pdf->Cell($width_cell[1],10,'NAME',1,0,'C',true);
$pdf->Cell($width_cell[2],10,'CLASS',1,0,'C',true);
$pdf->Cell($width_cell[3],10,'MARK',1,0,'C',true);
$pdf->Cell($width_cell[4],10,'GENDER',1,1,'C',true);

The last header uses 1 as the line-break argument so the next content starts on a new row.

Add Database Records to the PDF Table Top ↑

Each associative array returned by PDO becomes one row in the PDF table.

foreach($rows as $row){
    $pdf->Cell($width_cell[0],10,(string)$row['id'],1,0,'C',$fill);
    $pdf->Cell($width_cell[1],10,(string)$row['name'],1,0,'L',$fill);
    $pdf->Cell($width_cell[2],10,(string)$row['class'],1,0,'C',$fill);
    $pdf->Cell($width_cell[3],10,(string)$row['mark'],1,0,'C',$fill);
    $pdf->Cell($width_cell[4],10,(string)$row['gender'],1,1,'C',$fill);
    $fill=!$fill;
}

The database values are converted to strings before being passed to Cell().

Alternate the Background Color of PDF Rows Top ↑

Set the fill color used for alternate rows:

$pdf->SetFillColor(235,236,236);
$fill=false;

At the end of every row, toggle the Boolean value:

$fill=!$fill;

The output alternates between an unfilled row and the configured background color, making database records easier to read.

Complete PHP Code: Database Records to PDF Table Top ↑

The code uses Output('I','student-table.pdf') to display the generated PDF in the browser with a suggested filename.

View the PDF Output Top ↑

The sample PDF generated from student records can be viewed here:

Download and Install the FPDF Project Top ↑

The project files are arranged so the database connection and PDF-generation code remain separate.

• Use sql_dump.txt to create the sample student table in MySQL.
• Update config.php with the database connection details.
• Open index.php to display the records in the browser.
• Open index-pdf.php to generate the PDF table.
• Use the additional project examples for marks and multi-page reports.

PDO and MySQLi Database Connections Top ↑

Plus2net has examples using both PHP database interfaces:

• PDO
• MySQLi

This tutorial uses PDO for the main example because the same database-access structure can be used with both MySQL and SQLite by changing the connection configuration.

Use SQLite Instead of MySQL Top ↑

The project also supports SQLite. The SQLite version uses a PDO connection to the local database file, while the PDF table-generation logic remains the same.

See the PHP SQLite connection example for the connection setup.

The SQLite project includes create_table_sqlite.php, which creates the sample my_student.db database and student table used by the example.

Video: Display MySQL Records in a PDF Table Top ↑

Generate PDF Tables with More Database Records Top ↑

This example intentionally uses only 10 records so the basic database-to-PDF process is easy to understand.

For larger datasets, the PDF may require multiple pages and repeated table headings. Continue with the dedicated tutorial:

This keeps pagination logic separate from the basic example instead of making the first database-to-PDF tutorial unnecessarily complex.

Common Problems when Generating the PDF Top ↑

PDF cannot be sent because output already started Top ↑

A PDF response should be generated before HTML or other text is sent to the browser. Avoid echo, debugging output or extra whitespace before the PDF script calls Output().

Database connection fails Top ↑

Check the PDO settings in config.php and confirm that the student table is available in the selected MySQL or SQLite database.

Characters do not appear correctly in the PDF Top ↑

Classic FPDF core fonts such as Arial do not provide complete Unicode coverage. If the database contains characters outside the supported encoding, use a suitable font/encoding setup before sending the text to FPDF.

Long names do not fit inside a Cell Top ↑

Cell() uses a fixed width. For text that must wrap onto more than one line, continue with the FPDF MultiCell tutorial.

Related FPDF Database Tutorials Top ↑

Add database values and variables to the PDF:

Create enough pages to display a larger result set:

Learn the basic table layout:

Frequently Asked Questions Top ↑

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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