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Make the checked state part of the HTML you pass to Dompdf, then draw the mark with supported generated content. A browser’s live checkbox property is not available to Dompdf, and native form-control painting is unreliable in a PDF. Emit checked="checked" in the source, use the Unicode box glyphs U+2610 (☐) and U+2611 (☑), and select a font such as DejaVu Sans that contains them.
The reliable implementation
Dompdf is a CSS-driven HTML-to-PDF renderer. It lays out the HTML string supplied to loadHtml(); it does not run browser JavaScript to inspect a user’s current checkbox state. Your application therefore has to serialize the state into the HTML before rendering.
This minimal document renders an empty or checked square as text rather than relying on a browser control:
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<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<style>
input[type="checkbox"] {
display: inline-block;
font-family: "DejaVu Sans" !important;
font-size: 18px;
line-height: 1;
}
input[type="checkbox"]:before {
content: "\2610";
}
input[type="checkbox"][checked]:before {
content: "\2611";
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<label class="checkline">
<input type="checkbox" name="terms" checked="checked">
Terms accepted
</label>
</body>
</html>The important details are the literal checked attribute, the attribute selector [checked], and the explicit font and Unicode escapes. Dompdf’s own default stylesheet uses the same approach.
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Complete PHP example
Generate the attribute from your application value, not from a JavaScript-only change made in a browser. Escape every user-facing label before inserting it into the document.
<?php
require __DIR__ . '/vendor/autoload.php';
use DompdfDompdf;
use DompdfOptions;
$termsAccepted = (bool) ($record['terms_accepted'] ?? false);
$marketingOptIn = (bool) ($record['marketing_opt_in'] ?? false);
function checkbox(bool $checked, string $name, string $label): string
{
$attribute = $checked ? ' checked="checked"' : '';
return sprintf(
'<label class="checkline"><input type="checkbox" name="%s"%s> %s</label>',
htmlspecialchars($name, ENT_QUOTES | ENT_SUBSTITUTE, 'UTF-8'),
$attribute,
htmlspecialchars($label, ENT_QUOTES | ENT_SUBSTITUTE, 'UTF-8')
);
}
$html = '<!doctype html><html><head><meta charset="utf-8">
<style>
.checkline { display: block; margin: 0 0 8px; }
input[type="checkbox"] {
display: inline-block;
font-family: "DejaVu Sans" !important;
font-size: 18px;
line-height: 1;
}
input[type="checkbox"]:before { content: "\2610"; }
input[type="checkbox"][checked]:before { content: "\2611"; }
</style></head><body>'
. checkbox($termsAccepted, 'terms', 'Terms accepted')
. checkbox($marketingOptIn, 'marketing', 'Send me product updates')
. '</body></html>';
$options = new Options();
$options->set('isHtml5ParserEnabled', true);
$dompdf = new Dompdf($options);
$dompdf->loadHtml($html, 'UTF-8');
$dompdf->setPaper('A4', 'portrait');
$dompdf->render();
$dompdf->stream('form.pdf', ['Attachment' => false]);If a value is unknown, choose a deliberate policy. Treating a missing value as unchecked is usually safer than marking a legal acceptance as checked. For compliance records, preserve the original value and timestamp separately from the visual PDF.
Why a checked box is blank in the PDF
The browser state was never serialized
HTML has a checked attribute, while the DOM also has a live checked property. JavaScript can set the property without changing the original HTML attribute. If your server later submits or stores a template that still lacks checked, Dompdf correctly sees an unchecked input. Build the final string on the server and inspect it immediately before loadHtml().
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Native controls are not a dependable PDF drawing primitive
Browsers paint checkbox widgets as platform controls. Dompdf instead applies its supported CSS and layout engine. The portable solution is generated text containing box glyphs, not a platform-specific control appearance.
The glyph is missing from the font
A square or an empty space usually means the selected font does not contain U+2610 or U+2611. DejaVu Sans is available with Dompdf and provides the coverage used by its built-in checkbox rule. If you use another family, verify that the font file includes both glyphs and register it with @font-face when necessary.
The stylesheet never loaded
When the rule lives in a remote <link> stylesheet, Dompdf must be allowed to fetch it. A failed request, disallowed protocol, or non-CSS response leaves the input unstyled. Inline the small rule while diagnosing; if that fixes the output, investigate the remote stylesheet rather than the checkbox selector.
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State serialization patterns
Boolean values from a database
$checked = (int) $row['completed'] === 1;
$attr = $checked ? ' checked="checked"' : '';
$html .= '<input type="checkbox"'.$attr.'> Completed';Do not concatenate a raw database value as an attribute. Convert it to a boolean, then emit either the complete attribute or nothing.
Values from an HTTP form
$checked = isset($_POST['terms']) && $_POST['terms'] === '1';Unchecked HTML checkboxes are commonly omitted from a request, so test for presence and validate the expected value. Never infer a checked state merely because a key exists if your client can submit arbitrary values.
Multiple choices
$selected = array_map('strval', $record['features'] ?? []);
foreach ($features as $key => $label) {
$checked = in_array((string) $key, $selected, true);
$html .= checkbox($checked, 'features[]', $label);
}Use strict comparisons and stable identifiers. This prevents a value such as 1 from accidentally matching an unrelated string.
CSS that Dompdf can actually use
The relevant properties are content, font-family, font-size, and line-height. Keep the rule intentionally small.
| Need | Use | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Unchecked mark | content: "\2610" |
U+2610 is the open box glyph. |
| Checked mark | content: "\2611" |
U+2611 is the ballot box with check glyph. |
| Reliable font | font-family: "DejaVu Sans" !important |
It is supplied with Dompdf and includes the needed glyphs. |
| Vertical sizing | font-size and line-height |
These control alignment without relying on unsupported box-model behavior. |
Avoid building the solution around box-sizing; Dompdf’s compatibility information lists it as unsupported. If the mark sits too high or low, adjust the font size, line height, or surrounding label spacing rather than adding browser-only control styling.
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Allowing a remote stylesheet
If you cannot inline the rule, enable remote resources in the options used to create Dompdf:
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$options = new DompdfOptions();
$options->set('isRemoteEnabled', true);
$dompdf = new DompdfDompdf($options);Remote access is subject to the URL protocol allow-list and the response MIME type. A URL that returns an HTML error page instead of text/css will not become a stylesheet. Check the application logs for an “Unable to load css file” warning.
Registering a custom font
Use a font file that really contains both checkbox characters, register it through Dompdf’s font mechanism, and reference the exact family name in CSS. Test with DejaVu Sans first; it separates a font-registration problem from a checkbox problem.
Parsing malformed markup
Dompdf is not tolerant of poorly formed HTML. Close labels, quotes, and table cells, include a character encoding declaration, and enable the HTML5 parser for templates that contain modern markup. A malformed input can cause a selector or pseudo-element to be discarded even when the CSS itself is correct.
A repeatable debugging checklist
- Log the final HTML string and search for the specific checked input. It must contain
checked="checked", not only a JavaScript property in an earlier browser page. - Replace external stylesheets with the inline rule shown above.
- Set the font to DejaVu Sans and use the explicit escapes
2610and2611. - Render one checked and one unchecked input on an otherwise empty page.
- Enable the HTML5 parser and validate the generated markup.
- If inline CSS works, re-enable the remote stylesheet and inspect protocol, MIME type, TLS, and Dompdf warnings.
- Open the generated PDF in more than one viewer. A viewer rendering difference is separate from Dompdf’s source and layout output.
Common symptoms and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Checked box appears empty | The HTML has no checked attribute. | Serialize the application boolean before loadHtml(). |
| Both states look identical | The [checked] selector does not match, or the stylesheet failed. |
Inspect the final attribute and inline the CSS. |
| A blank square or tofu glyph appears | Font lacks U+2610/U+2611. | Use DejaVu Sans or register a font with those glyphs. |
| Checkbox CSS has no effect | Remote CSS was blocked, returned the wrong MIME type, or malformed HTML prevented parsing. | Inline the rule, enable remote resources if required, and validate markup. |
| Mark is misaligned | Font metrics and line height differ from the browser. | Adjust font-size, line-height, and label spacing; avoid unsupported box-model properties. |
| Layout changes after a package update | Font, parser, or CSS behavior changed between Dompdf versions. | Keep a small fixture PDF in regression tests and verify both states after upgrades. |
Testing and operational considerations
Use a two-state fixture
Render the same template with one value true and one false. The PDF should contain visibly different marks and identical labels. Keep the fixture in automated tests so a dependency, font, or parser change cannot silently remove the check.
Keep the source auditable
Store the normalized boolean used for rendering, the time it was captured, and (where appropriate) the user or record that supplied it. The glyph is a visual representation; it is not a substitute for the underlying value.
Prefer deterministic resources
Inline the tiny checkbox stylesheet and use a known local font for invoices, forms, and archival documents. Remote CSS introduces network, protocol, and MIME-type failure modes. If remote resources are unavoidable, set explicit timeouts and log the resulting warnings.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does adding checked=”false” work?
No. HTML boolean attributes are true when present, regardless of their text. Omit the attribute for an unchecked item and emit checked=”checked” for a checked one.
Can I use an image instead of a Unicode glyph?
Yes, but an image adds a resource-loading and sizing dependency. The generated-content approach is usually simpler when the selected font contains U+2610 and U+2611.
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Dompdf does not execute browser JavaScript to discover live form state. Serialize the state into the HTML string before rendering.
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