Design Philosophy

TCPDF-Next is inspired by TCPDF but is a complete ground-up rewrite for the modern PHP era. It is not a fork, not an incremental upgrade — it is an entirely new library built on next-generation architecture.

The original TCPDF served the PHP community well for over a decade. But its single-file, 30,000-line architecture cannot support the demands of modern PDF generation: PDF 2.0 compliance, PAdES digital signatures, PDF/A-4 archival, or integration with frameworks like Laravel.

TCPDF-Next keeps the concepts PHP developers know — addPage(), cell(), setFont() — while rebuilding everything underneath to meet 2026 standards.

At a Glance

	Original TCPDF	TCPDF-Next
PHP version	5.x – 8.x	8.5+ only
PDF spec	1.4 – 1.7	2.0 (ISO 32000-2:2020)
Architecture	Single ~30K-line class	213 files, 26 modules, 12 composable traits
Type safety	None	PHPStan level 8, backed enums, readonly classes
Signatures	Basic PKCS#7	PAdES B-B (Core) → B-LTA (Pro)
Archival	PDF/A-1b (partial)	PDF/A-4 (ISO 19005-4:2020)
HTML rendering	Built-in (limited CSS)	Built-in + Chrome CDP (full CSS3)
Testing	~50 tests	908+ tests, 28,881+ assertions
Extensibility	Subclass monolith	Modular ecosystem + extension API

Ecosystem Architecture

TCPDF-Next is not a monolith. It is a modular ecosystem of four packages, each with a clear responsibility:

TCPDF-Next
Core

Artisan
Chrome CDP

Laravel
Framework

Pro
Enterprise

• Core (148 files) — The PDF engine. Everything you need for document generation, typography, barcodes, encryption, and PAdES B-B signatures.
• Artisan (17 files) — Chrome CDP integration for pixel-perfect HTML/CSS3 rendering. Text-selectable PDF output via Form XObjects, not rasterized images.
• Laravel (4 files) — Zero-config framework integration. Facade, HTTP responses, queue jobs, Octane-safe bindings.
• Pro (47 files) — Enterprise features. PAdES B-T through B-LTA, PDF/A-4, HSM signing, specialty barcodes.

The extension API is open: third-party developers can build their own extensions that hook into Core through the published interfaces (PdfDocumentInterface, SignerInterface, FontManagerInterface, HsmSignerInterface).

The 12 Composable Traits

The Document class is the single entry point. Instead of a monolithic class, its functionality is composed from 12 focused traits:

Trait	Responsibility
HasMetadata	Title, author, subject, keywords, language
HasPages	Page management, sizes, margins, page groups
HasTypography	Font loading, sizes, text decorations, RTL, BiDi
HasColors	RGB, CMYK, spot colors, alpha, blend modes
HasTextOutput	cell(), multiCell(), text(), write(), writeHtml()
HasDrawing	Shapes, gradients, patterns, SVG, EPS, images
HasTransforms	Scale, rotate, translate, skew, mirror
HasLayout	Headers, footers, columns, booklet
HasNavigation	Bookmarks, links, TOC, annotations, file attachments
HasInteractive	Form fields, layers, templates, JavaScript
HasSecurity	Encryption, digital signatures, tagged PDF, BiDi, linearization
HasOutput	output(), save(), getPdfData(), streaming

Every public method returns static for fluent chaining:

$pdf = Document::create()
    ->setTitle('Invoice')       // HasMetadata
    ->addPage()                 // HasPages
    ->setFont('Helvetica', '', 12) // HasTypography
    ->setFillColor(240, 240, 240)  // HasColors
    ->cell(0, 10, 'Hello')     // HasTextOutput
    ->save('invoice.pdf');      // HasOutput

What's Next

• Architecture Deep Dive — Namespace map, module boundaries, lazy initialization
• Building Extensions — How to build third-party extensions
• Why PHP 8.5+? — The deliberate choice and Docker guidance