To convert a Yii2 view into a paginated PDF, render the view as HTML, pass it to your PDF renderer, and use that renderer’s page-break controls to decide where sheets begin and how content behaves at page edges. With mPDF, you can insert a hard break with $mpdf->AddPage(), an HTML <pagebreak />, or CSS such as page-break-before: always.
First distinguish PDF pagination from Yii2 data pagination: yiidataPagination divides records into application pages; it does not paginate a continuous HTML document across PDF sheets. The examples below focus on mPDF, while noting other Yii2 integration routes. Confirm which renderer and version your application actually uses before adapting the configuration.
Choose a renderer before writing the PDF code
The title does not identify a particular PDF engine. Yii2 projects can use an mPDF integration or a wkhtmltopdf-based converter, and their configuration, CSS support, and deployment requirements differ.
| Integration | What it does | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Kartik yii2-mpdf | A Yii2 wrapper around mPDF that accepts HTML and supports CSS and mPDF options. | The Yii extension catalog lists release 1.0.0 dated 2014-11-03. Its catalog example is historical guidance, not confirmation of current compatibility. Check your installed package, PHP and Yii2 versions, and mPDF dependency before using its configuration. |
| robregonm/yii2-pdf | A Yii2 response formatter based on mPDF; its catalog page demonstrates setting a PDF response format and rendering a view. | The catalog page is old. Verify that the package and its dependencies fit your project rather than assuming current support. |
| boundstate/yii2-htmlconverter | A Yii2 converter using wkhtmltopdf; its repository shows passing rendered HTML and options such as page size and header HTML. | This route requires the wkhtmltopdf binary to be installed and configured, as well as compatible integration settings. |
There is no universally best renderer established by these integration examples. Compare compatibility with your PHP and Yii versions, deployment dependencies, required CSS and language/font behavior, page-break needs, and package maintenance. No application lockfile or generated PDF is available here, so the exact installation command and configuration depend on your project.
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Render a Yii2 view as PDF content
Keep PDF markup in a print-oriented view, rather than mixing layout rules into controller logic. The Kartik extension catalog illustrates a configuration pattern with HTML content, a CSS file or inline CSS, paper format, orientation, and an output destination. Treat that as an extension-specific pattern: consult the documentation for the version actually installed.
Controller and view responsibilities
- The controller gathers the data and renders the dedicated view or partial.
- The view produces semantic HTML: headings, paragraphs, lists, and tables.
- A print stylesheet handles typography, spacing, and break hints.
- The renderer configuration sets page dimensions, orientation, margins, and any headers or footers.
For example, the HTML passed to an mPDF integration can include a section boundary:
<h1>Annual report</h1>
<p>Introductory content…</p>
<pagebreak />
<h2>Financial results</h2>
<p>Section content…</p>That markup expresses an mPDF page break; it is not a Yii2 pagination setting. If your app uses a different renderer, check whether it supports the same HTML control before copying it.
Insert a page break at a known section boundary
When a chapter or major section must begin on a new sheet, use one hard-break mechanism supported by your mPDF setup. The documented choices include PHP, HTML, and CSS.
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$mpdf->AddPage();Call this where the document flow should move to a new page. It is useful when the boundary is controlled by PHP rather than embedded in the view. In a Yii wrapper, obtain and use the underlying mPDF instance according to that wrapper’s installed-version documentation.
HTML: place a break in the rendered markup
<pagebreak />Use this when the break belongs to a particular point in the document’s HTML. mPDF’s page-break control can also specify properties for the new page, including orientation, margins, page numbering, headers, and footers. Follow mPDF’s syntax for the options you need.
CSS: mark a section that starts on a new sheet
.chapter {
page-break-before: always;
}Apply the class to the block that must start a fresh page:
<section class="chapter">
<h2>Next chapter</h2>
…
</section>CSS is convenient when the rule is part of the print layout, but verify the result with the renderer and version in use. Do not stack several hard-break mechanisms on the same boundary unless you intend to create multiple blank pages.
Control page layout, headers, and numbering
mPDF supports page dimensions and orientation, margins, named headers and footers, and controls for resetting, styling, or suppressing page numbers at page breaks. CSS @page can also set page properties and margins.
Coordinate margins in one place
When @page supplies margins, those values override margins passed to the mPDF constructor. If the output has unexpected whitespace, inspect both sources instead of assuming the constructor setting wins.
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Use page-break controls for a deliberate layout change
A break can be configured so the following page uses changed properties such as orientation or margins. This is useful for a wide table or a new section with different page furniture, but confirm the exact syntax against the mPDF version in your project and inspect the rendered pages.
Plan page numbers with breaks
Page-break controls can reset or change page numbering, or suppress numbering from the new page forward. Decide where numbering should begin and whether front matter uses a different style before inserting resets; otherwise the numbering can be technically valid but confusing to readers.
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Keep content together where possible
Use page-break-inside: avoid as a best-effort hint, not a guarantee:
.keep-together {
page-break-inside: avoid;
}mPDF documents this behavior as limited to blocks spanning at most two pages and notes incompatibility with table autosize or rotation. A block taller than the available page area cannot be kept intact by a hint. Breaks may also close enclosing block elements and lose their characteristics, so do not rely on an outer wrapper’s styling continuing unchanged across a forced break.
Automatic breaks have limited control, and mPDF does not provide widows/orphans protection. A heading can therefore end up near the foot of a page with little following content. Review the actual PDF and adjust content structure, spacing, or explicit breaks where the reading flow needs improvement.
Test the PDF at real page boundaries
A successful response or a PDF that opens is not proof that pagination is correct. Inspect the document after changing its renderer, CSS, data, or page settings. Pay particular attention to:
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- Long tables and rows that approach or exceed page height.
- Large blocks to which
page-break-inside: avoidis applied. - Section starts and the possibility of an accidental blank page.
- Headers, footers, and page-number resets near a forced break.
- Content close to the top or bottom margin and any page with a different orientation.
This is practical validation advice based on the documented break limitations; no specific application output has been rendered or tested here.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common pagination problems
The PDF is one continuous flow with no intended section break
Confirm that the HTML actually contains <pagebreak />, that the PHP path calls AddPage() at the correct point, or that the section has the CSS class carrying the break rule. Then verify that the renderer is mPDF; another engine may not interpret mPDF-specific markup.
A block still splits despite the keep-together rule
page-break-inside: avoid is constrained: mPDF documents it for blocks spanning at most two pages, with incompatibility involving table autosize or rotation. Reduce the block’s size, restructure it, or choose a more suitable explicit boundary rather than treating the CSS rule as absolute.
Styles or wrapper formatting change across a break
mPDF warns that a forced break may close enclosing block elements and lose their characteristics. Put the styling on the content after the break or restructure the HTML so the new page does not depend on an outer block remaining open.
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Margins do not match the constructor configuration
Look for margins set in CSS @page. When present, those margins override the mPDF constructor’s margin values.
The PDF integration fails after a package update or deployment
Check the installed Yii extension, mPDF or wkhtmltopdf version, PHP version, and deployment prerequisites together. Catalog examples and repository snippets do not establish compatibility with every current environment; for the wkhtmltopdf route, also confirm the binary is installed and configured.
Or skip the browser setup
If the task is capturing a web page as an image or PDF rather than generating an application document from Yii data, ScreenshotNeo can return a screenshot or PDF with one GET request. It is not a replacement for an mPDF-based Yii2 document renderer when you need a PDF assembled from your application’s view and data.
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpSee the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for request options. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. Its MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots, and 1,000 screenshots a month are free with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Learn about ScreenshotNeo, or sign up for the free plan.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Yii2’s Pagination class what controls PDF page breaks?
No. It paginates application data; the PDF renderer controls breaks across sheets.
Can I use wkhtmltopdf instead of mPDF in Yii2?
Yes, a Yii2 converter route exists, but it requires the wkhtmltopdf binary and its own compatible configuration.
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