import com.ironsoftware.ironpdf.*; import java.io.IOException; import java.nio.file.Paths; // Apply your license key License.setLicenseKey("YOUR-LICENSE-KEY"); // Set a log path Settings.setLogPath(Paths.get("C:/tmp/IronPdfEngine.log")); // Render the HTML as a PDF. Stored in myPdf as type PdfDocument; PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf("<h1> ~Hello World~ </h1> Made with IronPDF!"); // Save the PdfDocument to a file myPdf.saveAs(Paths.get("html_saved.pdf"));

Published December 25, 2023

How to Create A PDF Document in Java

Introduction

This article will provide a comprehensive guide to working with PDFs in Java, covering key concepts, the best library, and examples.

How to Create PDF Document in Java

Create or Open Java Project
Add Reference to IronPDF Library
Write a Code to create PDF Documents in Java
Create PDF files from HTML Files

Understanding PDF Basics

Before delving into Java-specific implementations, it's essential to understand the basic structure of PDF files. PDFs consist of objects, streams, and a hierarchical structure that defines the document's content and layout.

Objects may include pages, fonts, images, and annotations, while streams contain data such as images or compressed text.

The Best Java PDF Library

There are multiple PDF libraries available for Java with their pros and cons. Some are difficult to use, some are very costly, some do not have enough features, and some lack performance and efficiency.

IronPDF is the ideal library as it is very easy to use, and provides a comprehensive set of features including, creating, reading, and editing PDF files in Java with greater efficiency and performance.

Introducing IronPDF for Java

IronPDF for Java is a Java PDF library that helps software engineers to create, edit, and extract PDF content in projects in Java. IronPDF for Java supports many features, such as generating PDFs from HTML, URL, JavaScript, CSS, and many image formats, adding headers, footers, signatures, attachments, and passwords and security, converting PDFs to PDF/A and PDF/UA, and more.

IronPDF supports HTML to PDF conversion, allowing the transformation of web-based content into PDF format.

Create a new Project

Create or open an existing project. This project may be a Web application, android, or desktop application. This will work in any type of project. In this tutorial, I have created a maven project to make it simple and understandable.

How to Create A PDF Document in Java: Figure 1

Adding IronPDF to our Project

Add a Maven dependency to your Java project by adding the relevant <dependency> entry in your project's pom.xml file

<dependency>
   <groupId>com.ironsoftware</groupId>
   <artifactId>com.ironsoftware</artifactId>
   <version>2024.3.1</version>
</dependency>

Save the Pom.xml file and build the project. This will install IronPDF in our project.

Create PDF files from HTML String (HTML to PDF)

We can generate PDF in Java easily by using IronPDF Library. The following sample code demonstrates the creation of a PDF file.

String htmlString = "<h1> This is Sample PDF File</h1><p> This file is created for PDF File Java";
        PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf(htmlString);
        myPdf.saveAs("HtmlToPDF.pdf");

String htmlString = "<h1> This is Sample PDF File</h1><p> This file is created for PDF File Java";
        PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlAsPdf(htmlString);
        myPdf.saveAs("HtmlToPDF.pdf");

JAVA

The above Java code snippet demonstrates the use of IronPDF Library that converts an HTML string (htmlString) into a PDF document. The HTML content, containing a title (<h1>) and a paragraph (<p>), is intended for the PDF file.

The code creates a PDF document by rendering the HTML content, and then saves the resulting PDF as "HtmlToPDF.PDF." This kind of functionality is useful for dynamically generating PDF documents from HTML content in Java applications, potentially facilitating the conversion of web-based content into a downloadable or shareable PDF format.

The generated PDF file is as:

How to Create A PDF Document in Java: Figure 2

Create PDF documents from the URL

We can create a PDF file from a URL. The following sample code demonstrates the example of creating a PDF file using IronPDF.

public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
 PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderUrlAsPdf("https://elements.envato.com/");
        myPdf.saveAs("UrlToPDF.pdf");
    }

public static void main(String[] args) throws IOException {
 PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderUrlAsPdf("https://elements.envato.com/");
        myPdf.saveAs("UrlToPDF.pdf");
    }

JAVA

The above Java code snippet utilizes an IronPDF Library to create a PDF document by rendering the content of a specified URL ("https://elements.envato.com/"). This code effectively converts the web content at the given URL into a PDF document.

The resulting PDF is then saved as "UrlToPDF.PDF." Such functionality is valuable for capturing and storing the content of a web page in PDF format, offering a convenient way to preserve and share online information offline.

How to Create A PDF Document in Java: Figure 3

Create a PDF Document from an HTML File

The following source code demonstrates the example of HTML to PDF file conversion. This will extract content from an HTML file and create a new document from that.

PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlFileAsPdf("about.html");
        myPdf.saveAs("HtmlFileToPDF.pdf");

PdfDocument myPdf = PdfDocument.renderHtmlFileAsPdf("about.html");
        myPdf.saveAs("HtmlFileToPDF.pdf");

JAVA

In the above Java code snippet, IronPDF is used to generate a PDF document by rendering the HTML content stored in a local file named "about.HTML."

The code essentially converts the content of the HTML file into an instance document. The resulting PDF is then saved as "HtmlFileToPDF.PDF." This functionality is beneficial for scenarios where existing HTML files need to be transformed into PDF documents, providing a practical means of preserving and distributing content in a different format.

We can see that IronPDF efficiently adds image files into our PDF file which were present in the HTML File.

How to Create A PDF Document in Java: Figure 4

The strength of IronPDF lies in its ability to faithfully replicate the visual aspects of a web page, encompassing layout, styles, and dynamic elements. This meticulous rendering ensures that the resulting PDF closely mirrors the original website, making IronPDF an influential tool for diverse tasks.

It proves invaluable for archiving web pages, generating PDF reports from online data, and reliably capturing the visual state of dynamic web content. Developers leveraging IronPDF within their .NET applications can achieve these objectives with precision, offering a robust solution for seamlessly integrating web content into PDF documents.

Conclusion

In conclusion, working with PDFs in Java is made efficient and powerful with the integration of IronPDF. This comprehensive guide has explored fundamental PDF concepts, the importance of selecting the right Java PDF library, and practical examples using IronPDF.

Notably, IronPDF stands out for its ease of use, extensive feature set, and robust capabilities, including HTML to PDF conversion and faithful reproduction of web page elements.

IronPDF's ability to accurately capture the visual representation of web content makes it an invaluable tool for tasks such as working with PDF form, archiving, report generation, and capturing dynamic web states within Java applications.

Whether creating PDFs from HTML strings, URLs, or HTML files, PDF Forms, IronPDF provides a seamless and reliable solution for developers. It can also be used as a standard Java printing API to print the PDF Document.

IronPDF offers a free trial is cost-friendly, making it an accessible and budget-friendly choice for developers seeking robust PDF solutions in their Java applications.