To start a new TCPDF section on a fresh page, call $pdf->AddPage(); immediately before writing that section:
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->writeHTML($nextSection, true, false, true, false, '');Keep automatic page breaks enabled as well. AddPage() creates a deliberate boundary; setAutoPageBreak(true, PDF_MARGIN_BOTTOM) lets TCPDF flow paragraphs, tables and images onto additional pages without entering the footer area.
Manual versus automatic page breaks
TCPDF has two separate mechanisms, and reliable layouts usually use both.
Manual break: AddPage()
AddPage() is an explicit instruction in your PHP code. Everything written after the call starts on the new page. Put it before the first output belonging to the next logical section:
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$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->writeHTML($nextSectionHtml, true, false, true, false, '');If you call AddPage() after writing part of the section, only the remaining content moves; content already written stays on the previous page.
Automatic flow: setAutoPageBreak()
Automatic breaks are renderer-driven. TCPDF starts a new page when the current position reaches the usable bottom boundary:
$pdf->setAutoPageBreak(true, PDF_MARGIN_BOTTOM);The second argument is the reserved bottom margin. Set it to the space your footer needs, rather than disabling automatic breaks to force a manual boundary.
Configure a document before writing content
A predictable sequence is: construct the document, set margins and footer space, enable automatic breaks, select a font, add the first page, then write content.
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<?php
require_once __DIR__ . '/tcpdf/tcpdf.php';
$pdf = new TCPDF(
PDF_PAGE_ORIENTATION,
PDF_UNIT,
PDF_PAGE_FORMAT,
true,
'UTF-8',
false
);
$pdf->setCreator('My application');
$pdf->setAuthor('My application');
$pdf->setTitle('Manual section breaks');
$pdf->setMargins(PDF_MARGIN_LEFT, PDF_MARGIN_TOP, PDF_MARGIN_RIGHT);
$pdf->setFooterMargin(PDF_MARGIN_FOOTER);
$pdf->setAutoPageBreak(true, PDF_MARGIN_BOTTOM);
$pdf->setFont('dejavusans', '', 10);
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->writeHTML('<h1>Introduction</h1><p>First section.</p>', true, false, true, false, '');
// The next section begins on a fresh page.
$pdf->AddPage();
$pdf->writeHTML('<h1>Next section</h1><p>This starts on a new page.</p>', true, false, true, false, '');
$pdf->Output('manual-breaks.pdf', 'I');The constructor’s orientation and format become the defaults. Margins and footer settings determine the usable content rectangle; automatic flow respects those settings.
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Use AddPage() when a section must start on a new page
Use a manual break for discrete units such as a cover followed by a report, a chapter boundary, or an appendix. The method accepts optional orientation, format, margin and table-of-contents arguments:
$pdf->AddPage(
$_orientation = '',
$_format = '',
$_keepmargins = false,
$_tocpage = false
);For example, a landscape table can begin on a landscape page and then return to the document’s normal orientation:
$pdf->AddPage('L', 'A4');
$pdf->writeHTML($wideTableHtml, true, false, true, false, '');
$pdf->AddPage('P', 'A4');
$pdf->writeHTML($narrativeHtml, true, false, true, false, '');Use the optional arguments only when that page genuinely needs a different layout. If you need to preserve custom margins or integrate a table-of-contents page, pass the corresponding options deliberately and test the result with your headers and footer.
Keep long HTML from running into the footer
A manual break does not make later content fit on one page. A long paragraph, image or table can still need several pages. Leave automatic breaks enabled and reserve the footer area:
$pdf->setFooterMargin(18);
$pdf->setAutoPageBreak(true, 24);Choose the bottom value so it covers the footer plus any visual clearance below body content. If the value is too small, text can overlap the footer; if it is too large, usable page space is unnecessarily reduced.
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Headers and footers
Header and footer callbacks run as pages are created. When you change orientation or format with AddPage(), verify that your callback calculations use the current page dimensions. A footer that is positioned manually outside TCPDF’s normal footer area can still overlap body content even when automatic breaks are correctly configured.
Writing HTML that can span pages
For legacy TCPDF code, the common call is:
$pdf->writeHTML(
$html,
true, // reset height
false, // cell stretch
true, // allow page break
false, // reset x
'' // alignment
);The positioned form gives cell-level control:
$pdf->writeHTMLCell(
0, 0, '', '', $html,
0, 1, 0, true, '', true
);These methods can flow content when automatic page breaks are enabled, but complex HTML/CSS behavior depends on the TCPDF release. The current TCPDF HTML/CSS guide specifically recommends addHTMLCell() for content that may cross a page boundary because it accounts for automatic page and region breaks and appends the block to each page it reaches.
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$pdf->addHTMLCell($htmlBlock);If your project is using the legacy TCPDF API, continue with writeHTML() or writeHTMLCell() and keep automatic breaks on. Do not assume a CSS declaration alone behaves identically across legacy releases and the current HTML/CSS engine.
A complete two-section example
This example combines a deliberate chapter boundary with flowing content inside each chapter:
<?php
require_once __DIR__ . '/tcpdf/tcpdf.php';
$pdf = new TCPDF('P', 'mm', 'A4', true, 'UTF-8', false);
$pdf->setMargins(20, 25, 20);
$pdf->setHeaderMargin(10);
$pdf->setFooterMargin(15);
$pdf->setAutoPageBreak(true, 25);
$pdf->setFont('dejavusans', '', 10);
$pdf->AddPage();
$intro = '<h1>Project report</h1>'
. '<p>Introductory text goes here. A long body can flow naturally '
. 'onto another page.</p>';
$pdf->writeHTML($intro, true, false, true, false, '');
// Explicit boundary: chapter 2 starts on a new page.
$pdf->AddPage();
$chapter = '<h1>Chapter 2</h1>'
. '<p>This chapter begins at the top of a fresh page.</p>'
. '<table border="1" cellpadding="4">'
. '<tr><th>Item</th><th>Status</th></tr>'
. '<tr><td>Example</td><td>Complete</td></tr>'
. '</table>';
$pdf->writeHTML($chapter, true, false, true, false, '');
$pdf->Output('report.pdf', 'I');There is no need to predict how many lines fit on a page. TCPDF handles the natural flow, while the one explicit AddPage() controls the chapter boundary.
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When CSS page-break rules are appropriate
The current feature index documents paged-media controls, including orphan and widow handling and page-break control, as well as the print media type. Those controls belong to the current HTML/CSS engine. Legacy writeHTML() support can differ by release, so test CSS rules against the exact TCPDF version deployed by your application.
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Use CSS for renderer-level rules such as keeping a heading with the following paragraph, and use AddPage() for a business-level boundary that must occur at a known point in your program. Do not replace a known API boundary with CSS unless you have verified the target engine.
Troubleshooting manual page breaks
The section does not start on a new page
- Confirm that
AddPage()appears before the firstwriteHTML(),writeHTMLCell()or other output for that section. - Check that no output is sent between your intended boundary and the call.
- Make sure you are calling the TCPDF object that is actually used for the final
Output().
Text overlaps the footer
- Enable automatic flow with
setAutoPageBreak(true, $bottomMargin). - Increase the bottom margin to include the complete footer and a safety gap.
- Check manually positioned cells and images; an object placed with absolute coordinates can bypass normal flow.
A table or HTML block is cut off
- Keep the automatic-break argument enabled in
writeHTML(). - For the current HTML/CSS engine, use
addHTMLCell()for blocks that may span pages. - Reduce oversized images or split a deliberately indivisible component into smaller blocks.
The next page has the wrong orientation or margins
- Pass the required orientation and format to
AddPage(). - If custom margins are involved, use the keep-margins option as required by your layout and verify the header/footer callbacks on that page.
Blank pages appear
- Look for two consecutive
AddPage()calls, including one hidden in a helper method. - Do not add a page after a renderer has already created one automatically unless a blank separator is intentional.
- Log the page number before each manual break while diagnosing the generation path.
Performance, reliability and testing
Manual breaks are inexpensive; the expensive work is usually HTML parsing, image loading and rendering. Avoid repeatedly writing tiny fragments when one coherent block will do, but split very large, independently managed sections so a failure can be isolated.
- Test the shortest and longest realistic versions of every section.
- Include tables with many rows, images near the bottom margin and content containing non-ASCII characters.
- Render portrait and landscape pages separately when you use mixed orientation.
- Inspect the first page after a break, the last page before a break and every footer for overlap.
- Keep the TCPDF version consistent between development and production; HTML/CSS behavior is version-sensitive.
For deterministic output, set the same margins, font and footer settings before every generation. A page break is only as reliable as the layout state surrounding it.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I call AddPage() before the first page?
Yes, but the usual sequence is to configure the document, call AddPage() once for the first page, then write its content. Calling it again creates the next page.
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Should I turn off automatic breaks after adding a manual break?
No. Keep automatic breaks enabled so long content written after the deliberate boundary can continue onto additional pages.
What should I use for a long HTML block in current TCPDF?
The current HTML/CSS guide recommends addHTMLCell() for content that may span a page boundary. Legacy applications commonly use writeHTML() or writeHTMLCell() with automatic breaks enabled.
Quick Recap
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