What are the advantages and disadvantages of generating a PDF for printing instead of using browser-based printing in PHP?

Generating a PDF for printing in PHP can provide more control over the layout and design of the printed document, ensuring consistent formatting across different devices and browsers. However, it may require additional libraries or tools to be installed on the server, which can increase complexity and maintenance overhead. On the other hand, browser-based printing relies on the user's browser settings and may not always render the document as intended. 

// Example code for generating a PDF for printing in PHP using the TCPDF library

require_once('tcpdf/tcpdf.php');

$pdf = new TCPDF();
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->SetFont('helvetica', '', 12);
$pdf->Write(0, 'Hello, World!');

$pdf->Output('example.pdf', 'D');

Keywords

PDF generation browser-based printing advantages disadvantages PHP libraries

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