Text Output (HasTextOutput)

The HasTextOutput trait provides the primary methods for placing text on a page. Each method serves a different layout model: fixed cells, flowing text, absolute positioning, and HTML rendering.

Quick Reference

Method	Layout Model	Wrapping
cell()	Single-line box	No — text is clipped
multiCell()	Multi-line block	Yes — auto-wraps at cell width
text()	Absolute position	No
write()	Inline flow	Yes — flows like a word processor
writeHtml()	HTML block	Yes — full HTML layout
writeHtmlCell()	HTML in a positioned cell	Yes
ln()	Line break	N/A

Basic Example

use Yeeefang\TcpdfNext\Core\Document;

$pdf = Document::create()
    ->addPage()
    ->setFont('Helvetica', '', 12)
    ->cell(0, 10, 'Single line cell', newLine: true)
    ->multiCell(0, 10, 'This is a longer text that will automatically wrap to multiple lines when it reaches the edge of the printable area.')
    ->ln(5)
    ->text(50.0, 100.0, 'Absolute positioned text')
    ->write(10, 'Inline text that ')
    ->write(10, 'continues flowing.');

All methods return static, so every call can be chained.

cell()

Draws a single-line rectangular cell with optional border, background fill, alignment, and link.

$pdf->cell(
    float  $w,           // Width (0 = extend to right margin)
    float  $h,           // Height
    string $txt,         // Text content
    mixed  $border = 0,  // 0, 1, or 'LTRB' combination
    bool   $newLine = false,
    string $align  = '',  // L, C, R, J
    bool   $fill   = false,
    mixed  $link   = '',
);

The cursor moves to the right of the cell (or to the next line when $newLine is true).

Alignment

use Yeeefang\TcpdfNext\Contracts\Enums\Alignment;

$pdf->cell(0, 10, 'Left aligned')
    ->ln()
    ->cell(0, 10, 'Centered', align: 'C')
    ->ln()
    ->cell(0, 10, 'Right aligned', align: 'R')
    ->ln()
    ->cell(0, 10, 'Justified text in a cell', align: 'J');

Borders

// No border
$pdf->cell(60, 10, 'No border', border: 0);

// Full frame
$pdf->cell(60, 10, 'Full frame', border: 1);

// Individual sides — Left, Top, Right, Bottom
$pdf->cell(60, 10, 'Top and bottom', border: 'TB');
$pdf->cell(60, 10, 'Left only', border: 'L');

Fill

$pdf->setFillColor(230, 230, 250)
    ->cell(0, 10, 'Lavender background', fill: true, newLine: true);

multiCell()

Renders a multi-line text block that auto-wraps at the specified width. After output, the cursor moves below the cell.

$pdf->multiCell(
    float  $w,           // Width (0 = extend to right margin)
    float  $h,           // Minimum line height
    string $txt,         // Text content
    mixed  $border = 0,
    string $align  = 'J',
    bool   $fill   = false,
);

$pdf->setFont('Helvetica', '', 11)
    ->multiCell(80, 6, 'This paragraph will wrap at 80mm width. The text flows naturally, respecting word boundaries and hyphenation rules.', border: 1, align: 'J');

text()

Places a single string at an absolute (x, y) position. The cursor is not moved afterward — this is a "fire and forget" method.

$pdf->text(20.0, 50.0, 'Positioned at x=20, y=50');

Use text() for watermarks, labels, or overlay content where you control the exact position.

write()

Writes text inline at the current cursor position. Text wraps automatically when it reaches the right margin, just like typing in a word processor.

$pdf->setFont('Helvetica', '', 12)
    ->write(6, 'This sentence starts here and ')
    ->setFont('Helvetica', 'B', 12)
    ->write(6, 'this part is bold')
    ->setFont('Helvetica', '', 12)
    ->write(6, ' then back to normal.');

The first parameter ($h) is the line height. Use write() when you need mid-sentence font or style changes.

writeHtml()

Renders an HTML string using the built-in HTML parser. Supports common tags including headings, paragraphs, tables, lists, and inline styles.

$pdf->writeHtml('<h2>Section Title</h2><p>Paragraph with <b>bold</b> and <i>italic</i> text.</p>');

Tables

$html = '
<table border="1" cellpadding="4">
    <thead>
        <tr>
            <th>Product</th>
            <th>Qty</th>
            <th>Price</th>
        </tr>
    </thead>
    <tbody>
        <tr>
            <td>Widget A</td>
            <td align="center">10</td>
            <td align="right">$25.00</td>
        </tr>
        <tr>
            <td>Widget B</td>
            <td align="center">5</td>
            <td align="right">$42.50</td>
        </tr>
    </tbody>
</table>';

$pdf->writeHtml($html);

writeHtmlCell()

Combines HTML rendering with cell positioning. The HTML content is placed inside a cell at the specified coordinates.

$pdf->writeHtmlCell(
    float  $w,     // Width
    float  $h,     // Minimum height
    float  $x,     // X position
    float  $y,     // Y position
    string $html,
    mixed  $border = 0,
    bool   $fill   = false,
);

$pdf->writeHtmlCell(90, 0, 10, 50, '<p style="color:#336699;">Positioned HTML content with <b>formatting</b>.</p>', border: 1);

ln()

Inserts a line break. The cursor moves to the left margin and down by the specified height.

$pdf->ln();       // Line break using the last cell height
$pdf->ln(10);     // Line break with 10mm vertical spacing
$pdf->ln(0);      // Move to left margin without vertical movement

Choosing the Right Method

Scenario	Method
Table cells, labels, single-line data	cell()
Paragraphs, descriptions, long text	multiCell()
Watermarks, stamps, absolute labels	text()
Inline text with mixed formatting	write()
Rich content with HTML markup	writeHtml()
HTML content at a specific position	writeHtmlCell()