React PDF SPA
React + @react-pdf/renderer for PDF generation SPAs.
Stack Components
Why
Declarative PDF documents as React components. JavaScript is used by 62% of developers per the Stack Overflow 2024 survey, and React holds 40% framework market share (State of JS 2024).
Vite replaced Webpack as the default bundler, cutting dev server startup from 30s to <1s.
When
Use for invoice/report generation. Avoid for PDF viewing (use pdf.js).
How
Example
Common Problems
- ⚠Font embedding — use Font.register for custom fonts
- ⚠Large PDFs — stream with renderToStream
- ⚠Configuration drift between environments — use infrastructure-as-code (Terraform/Pulumi) to keep dev/staging/prod identical
Best Practices
- ✓Use Stylesheet for consistent styling
- ✓Memoize document component
- ✓Set up health checks and graceful shutdown — handle SIGTERM to drain in-flight requests before exit
FAQ
What is React PDF SPA and what projects is it for?
React + @react-pdf/renderer for PDF generation SPAs. It pairs layered technologies for end-to-end type safety and out-of-the-box deploys, fitting everything from MVPs to production SaaS.
How do I spin up a working demo with React PDF SPA in 10 minutes?
Two steps: (1) npm i @react-pdf/renderer; (2) Define Document with Page. Get the local dev server running, then wire one real data source to verify the end-to-end loop.
What is the most common pitfall with React PDF SPA and how do I avoid it?
The most common pitfall is: Font embedding — use Font.register for custom fonts. Avoid it by adding the matching checklist to your PR template and running type-check + lint + unit tests in CI — three gates before merge.
What are the best practices for React PDF SPA?
Best practices for React PDF SPA include: Use Stylesheet for consistent styling; Memoize document component; Set up health checks and graceful shutdown — handle SIGTERM to drain in-flight requests before exit. The first one — "Use Stylesheet for consistent styling" — should be set up at project init to avoid costly rework later.
When should I NOT choose React PDF SPA?
Pick something else in three cases: (1) the team has zero experience with the core framework and the deadline is tight (learning-curve risk); (2) it's a pure content/marketing site (Astro is lighter); (3) you need very high throughput (>10k RPS) or strict-consistency microservices (Go/Rust). React PDF SPA shines for mid-to-high complexity full-stack and API work — don't over-engineer simple static pages with it.