ReportLab PDF Generation

Overview

ReportLab is a powerful Python library for programmatic PDF generation. Create anything from simple documents to complex reports with tables, charts, images, and interactive forms.

Two main approaches:

Canvas API (low-level): Direct drawing with coordinate-based positioning - use for precise layouts
Platypus (high-level): Flowing document layout with automatic page breaks - use for multi-page documents

Core capabilities:

Text with rich formatting and custom fonts
Tables with complex styling and cell spanning
Charts (bar, line, pie, area, scatter)
Barcodes and QR codes (Code128, EAN, QR, etc.)
Images with transparency
PDF features (links, bookmarks, forms, encryption)

Choosing the Right Approach

Use Canvas API when:

Creating labels, business cards, certificates
Precise positioning is critical (x, y coordinates)
Single-page documents or simple layouts
Drawing graphics, shapes, and custom designs
Adding barcodes or QR codes at specific locations

Use Platypus when:

Creating multi-page documents (reports, articles, books)
Content should flow automatically across pages
Need headers/footers that repeat on each page
Working with paragraphs that can split across pages
Building complex documents with table of contents

Use Both when:

Complex reports need both flowing content AND precise positioning
Adding headers/footers to Platypus documents (use onPage callback with Canvas)
Embedding custom graphics (Canvas) within flowing documents (Platypus)

Quick Start Examples

Simple Canvas Document

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

c = canvas.Canvas("output.pdf", pagesize=letter)
width, height = letter

# Draw text
c.setFont("Helvetica-Bold", 24)
c.drawString(inch, height - inch, "Hello ReportLab!")

# Draw a rectangle
c.setFillColorRGB(0.2, 0.4, 0.8)
c.rect(inch, 5*inch, 4*inch, 2*inch, fill=1)

# Save
c.showPage()
c.save()

Simple Platypus Document

from reportlab.lib.pagesizes import letter
from reportlab.platypus import SimpleDocTemplate, Paragraph, Spacer
from reportlab.lib.styles import getSampleStyleSheet
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

doc = SimpleDocTemplate("output.pdf", pagesize=letter)
story = []
styles = getSampleStyleSheet()

# Add content
story.append(Paragraph("Document Title", styles['Title']))
story.append(Spacer(1, 0.2*inch))
story.append(Paragraph("This is body text with <b>bold</b> and <i>italic</i>.", styles['BodyText']))

# Build PDF
doc.build(story)

Common Tasks

Creating Tables

Tables work with both Canvas (via Drawing) and Platypus (as Flowables):

from reportlab.platypus import Table, TableStyle
from reportlab.lib import colors
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

# Define data
data = [
    ['Product', 'Q1', 'Q2', 'Q3', 'Q4'],
    ['Widget A', '100', '150', '130', '180'],
    ['Widget B', '80', '120', '110', '160'],
]

# Create table
table = Table(data, colWidths=[2*inch, 1*inch, 1*inch, 1*inch, 1*inch])

# Apply styling
style = TableStyle([
    # Header row
    ('BACKGROUND', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.darkblue),
    ('TEXTCOLOR', (0, 0), (-1, 0), colors.whitesmoke),
    ('FONTNAME', (0, 0), (-1, 0), 'Helvetica-Bold'),
    ('ALIGN', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 'CENTER'),

    # Data rows
    ('ROWBACKGROUNDS', (0, 1), (-1, -1), [colors.white, colors.lightgrey]),
    ('GRID', (0, 0), (-1, -1), 1, colors.black),
])

table.setStyle(style)

# Add to Platypus story
story.append(table)

# Or draw on Canvas
table.wrapOn(c, width, height)
table.drawOn(c, x, y)

Detailed table reference: See references/tables_reference.md for cell spanning, borders, alignment, and advanced styling.

Creating Charts

Charts use the graphics framework and can be added to both Canvas and Platypus:

from reportlab.graphics.shapes import Drawing
from reportlab.graphics.charts.barcharts import VerticalBarChart
from reportlab.lib import colors

# Create drawing
drawing = Drawing(400, 200)

# Create chart
chart = VerticalBarChart()
chart.x = 50
chart.y = 50
chart.width = 300
chart.height = 125

# Set data
chart.data = [[100, 150, 130, 180, 140]]
chart.categoryAxis.categoryNames = ['Q1', 'Q2', 'Q3', 'Q4', 'Q5']

# Style
chart.bars[0].fillColor = colors.blue
chart.valueAxis.valueMin = 0
chart.valueAxis.valueMax = 200

# Add to drawing
drawing.add(chart)

# Use in Platypus
story.append(drawing)

# Or render directly to PDF
from reportlab.graphics import renderPDF
renderPDF.drawToFile(drawing, 'chart.pdf', 'Chart Title')

Available chart types: Bar (vertical/horizontal), Line, Pie, Area, Scatter Detailed charts reference: See references/charts_reference.md for all chart types, styling, legends, and customization.

Adding Barcodes and QR Codes

from reportlab.graphics.barcode import code128
from reportlab.graphics.barcode.qr import QrCodeWidget
from reportlab.graphics.shapes import Drawing
from reportlab.graphics import renderPDF

# Code128 barcode (general purpose)
barcode = code128.Code128("ABC123456789", barHeight=0.5*inch)

# On Canvas
barcode.drawOn(c, x, y)

# QR Code
qr = QrCodeWidget("https://example.com")
qr.barWidth = 2*inch
qr.barHeight = 2*inch

# Wrap in Drawing for Platypus
d = Drawing()
d.add(qr)
story.append(d)

Supported formats: Code128, Code39, EAN-13, EAN-8, UPC-A, ISBN, QR, Data Matrix, and 20+ more Detailed barcode reference: See references/barcodes_reference.md for all formats and usage examples.

Working with Text and Fonts

from reportlab.platypus import Paragraph
from reportlab.lib.styles import ParagraphStyle
from reportlab.lib.enums import TA_JUSTIFY

# Create custom style
custom_style = ParagraphStyle(
    'CustomStyle',
    fontSize=12,
    leading=14,           # Line spacing
    alignment=TA_JUSTIFY,
    spaceAfter=10,
    textColor=colors.black,
)

# Paragraph with inline formatting
text = """
This paragraph has <b>bold</b>, <i>italic</i>, and <u>underlined</u> text.
You can also use <font color="blue">colors</font> and <font size="14">different sizes</font>.
Chemical formula: H<sub>2</sub>O, Einstein: E=mc<sup>2</sup>
"""

para = Paragraph(text, custom_style)
story.append(para)

Using custom fonts:

from reportlab.pdfbase import pdfmetrics
from reportlab.pdfbase.ttfonts import TTFont

# Register TrueType font
pdfmetrics.registerFont(TTFont('CustomFont', 'CustomFont.ttf'))

# Use in Canvas
c.setFont('CustomFont', 12)

# Use in Paragraph style
style = ParagraphStyle('Custom', fontName='CustomFont', fontSize=12)

Detailed text reference: See references/text_and_fonts.md for paragraph styles, font families, Asian languages, Greek letters, and formatting.

Adding Images

from reportlab.platypus import Image
from reportlab.lib.units import inch

# In Platypus
img = Image('photo.jpg', width=4*inch, height=3*inch)
story.append(img)

# Maintain aspect ratio
img = Image('photo.jpg', width=4*inch, height=3*inch, kind='proportional')

# In Canvas
c.drawImage('photo.jpg', x, y, width=4*inch, height=3*inch)

# With transparency (mask white background)
c.drawImage('logo.png', x, y, mask=[255,255,255,255,255,255])

Creating Forms

from reportlab.pdfgen import canvas
from reportlab.lib.colors import black, white, lightgrey

c = canvas.Canvas("form.pdf")

# Text field
c.acroForm.textfield(
    name="name",
    tooltip="Enter your name",
    x=100, y=700,
    width=200, height=20,
    borderColor=black,
    fillColor=lightgrey,
    forceBorder=True
)

# Checkbox
c.acroForm.checkbox(
    name="agree",
    x=100, y=650,
    size=20,
    buttonStyle='check',
    checked=False
)

# Dropdown
c.acroForm.choice(
    name="country",
    x=100, y=600,
    width=150, height=20,
    options=[("United States", "US"), ("Canada", "CA")],
    forceBorder=True
)

c.save()

**Detailed

reportlab

Como adicionar

Cole no README do seu repo

Skills relacionadas

pdf

pptx

docx

canvas-design

Receba novas skills de Documentos toda segunda