Is it possible to generate PDF files in Baserow?

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For example, I would like to pick up the data from my Baserow table and create a PDF file with this information and with this data, so I could share with some people some reports.

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Hello @anon7289648, no, it’s not possible to generate PDF files in Baserow. We will add this feature, but not in the nearest releases :sweat_smile:

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Hey @anon7289648,

Even though the functionality to create a PDF from a Baserow table natively doesn’t currently exist, you still can achieve this using online JSON to PDF converters such as this one.

Simply:

  1. Export your Baserow table
  2. Download the JSON file
  3. Upload the JSON file to the linked converter (or any other one that you find)

I just tried a handful of these converters online and they all worked.

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Heads up: If I were you, I’d check the privacy policies and do some research on any converters you find online, especially if you’re handling sensitive info. Many “free” online converters store/mine the stuff that’s uploaded to them. This isn’t to say they’re all bad, just exercise caution and use good judgement.

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HI @anon7289648 I’d recommend Documint.me you can use a webhook to send the data to Zapier or Integromat and create your PDF that way :slight_smile:

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I like this one Convert JSON to PDF Online | WTOOLS

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Old topic but thought I’d add a note. A couple of high (or at least medium-high) tech solutions were suggested. But there is also a low (or at least OLD) tech approach that works just fine: copy and paste.

  • Create a grid view in Baserow that filters to show just the records and fields that you want
  • Create a “template” — a pre-formatted shell document — in the platform you want to use for your pdf output.
  • Select all the records in the Baserow report view, copy, and paste into your shell document
  • Save-as or print-to PDF

This is how I create invoices. I’m using Airtable but hope to switch to Baserow as soon as possible. Both Airtable and Baserow allow me to select a range of records and columns, just like copying a range in a spreadsheet. (NOTE: This something I cannot do in many other database platforms, like FileMaker.)

For my PDF output template, I use Google Sheets but of course this could be done with Excel, Word, whatever. If you’re doing a mail merge, you can create your Word + Excel merge document pair, and simply paste the data into the Excel file when you need to do a new report.

If I had a ton of reports to run out of Airtable (or Baserow) I would definitely look into automating the process. But every integration introduces a new potential point of failure in your system.

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Hello @WilliamPorterTech! Thanks for sharing your tips. Can I also ask you to create a separate topic in the Tips&Tricks category and re-share your suggestions there as well? The question on how to generate PDF files in Baserow is quite popular, so it might be useful to have a separate topic with the best workarounds posted in that category.

Thanks again for your contribution, we always appreciate the community involvement :blue_heart:

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