How to Customize the PDF Export Layout in TableCrafter

Updated July 2026 • 7 min read • By Fahad Murtaza

When your WordPress table data ends up in a PDF, presentation matters. A raw data dump in default layout might be technically correct but professionally inadequate for client-facing reports, invoices, or compliance documents. TableCrafter's PDF export settings give you control over page orientation, branding, column selection, and document metadata. This guide walks through every option and when to use each one. WordPress powers 43% of all websites globally (W3Techs, July 2026), and TableCrafter bridges the gap between the data you collect and the tables your users need to see, no custom PHP, no dashboard access required for viewers, and no per-row limits on the free tier. The free version on WordPress.org supports CSV, JSON, Google Sheets, and Excel. Pro adds Gravity Forms, Airtable, Notion, WooCommerce, REST APIs, inline cell editing, export to CSV/PDF, role-based column visibility, and auto-refresh. Every table embeds on any page with a [tablecrafter] shortcode or. Conditional logic fields in Gravity Forms are used by 73% of complex form builders (Gravity Forms user survey, 2024).

How Does Accessing the PDF Export Settings Work?

All PDF layout options live in the table admin, not the shortcode. To access them:

1. In the WordPress admin, go to TableCrafter > Tables.
2. Click Edit on the table you want to configure.
3. Select the Export tab in the table editor.
4. Scroll to the PDF Options section.

Changes here apply to every PDF export triggered from that table, for all users who have export permission.

This applies to all users who can view the table, regardless of role. Role-specific overrides can be set per column under the column Visibility settings. The table-level setting acts as the default for any column without a role override.

After completing this step, verify the result by viewing the page as a logged-out visitor in an incognito window. This confirms the table behaves correctly for public visitors rather than reflecting admin-level permissions that may hide configuration issues during initial setup. Check both the rendered output and the browser console for any JavaScript errors.

What Is Page Orientation: Portrait vs Landscape?

The most impactful PDF setting for readability is page orientation. The default is Portrait (8.5" x 11" or A4), which works well for tables with 3-5 columns.

Switch to Landscape when:

• Your table has 6 or more columns and they would be cramped in portrait.
• Column values are long strings (addresses, descriptions, notes) that need horizontal space.
• The table is used for printed reports where a wider view is expected.

To change orientation, select Landscape from the Page Orientation dropdown in the PDF Options section. The layout engine recalculates column widths proportionally to fit the wider page.

The column mapping you define here is stored as a JSON configuration in the WordPress database. You can export this configuration using the TableCrafter export tool and import it to another table or another site. This is useful when replicating a table layout across multiple pages or when migrating a table to a staging environment for testing before going live.

How Do I Add a Logo to the PDF Header?

TableCrafter supports a logo image in the top-left of every PDF page. This is the most effective way to make exports feel like official company documents rather than raw data files.

To add a logo:

1. In PDF Options, click Upload Logo.
2. Select an image from the WordPress media library, or upload a new one.
3. Recommended: a PNG with transparent background, at least 200px wide, with a 2:1 or 3:1 aspect ratio (horizontal logos work best).
4. Save the table settings.

The logo renders in the document header at a fixed height (approximately 40px rendered height) with the header text positioned to its right. It does not repeat in page footers.

What Is Header Text: Title and Subtitle?

The Header Text field accepts plain text that appears at the top of the first page, to the right of the logo (or centered if no logo is set). Use this for:

• Report title: "Monthly Delivery Summary"
• Company name: "Acme Logistics"
• Report period placeholder: Use the {date} token to insert the export date automatically.

Example header text:

Acme Logistics
Delivery Report, Exported {date}

This renders as two lines in the PDF header, with the export date filled in dynamically at the moment the file is generated.

Available tokens for header text:

TableCrafter re-fetches this data on each page load by default. If your data source updates infrequently and your site has significant traffic, enable the built-in caching option in the table's Performance tab. This stores the fetched data for a configurable number of minutes and serves it from WordPress transients, reducing API calls to the source and improving page load time for visitors.

• {date}, current date in WordPress date format
• {time}, current time
• {site_name}, WordPress site name from Settings > General
• {table_name}, the TableCrafter table name

How Do Footer Text and Page Numbers Work?

The Footer Text field controls what appears at the bottom of every page. By default, TableCrafter adds "Page X of Y" in the right footer. You can replace or supplement it with custom text in the left footer area.

Example footer text for a confidential report:

Confidential, For internal use only

This appears in the lower-left of every page, while page numbers continue to appear in the lower-right.

To disable page numbers entirely, uncheck Show page numbers in footer in the PDF Options section.

The configuration you set here applies to every visitor who loads a page containing this table, regardless of whether they are logged in. Role-specific overrides for columns and rows are a separate layer and do not replace these global display settings. Apply global settings first, then add role restrictions as needed for tables that serve multiple user types.

How Does Excluding Columns from the PDF Work?

The PDF column exclusion list lets you hide specific columns only from the PDF export without affecting the web table view or other export formats (CSV, XLSX).

Common use cases for PDF column exclusion:

• Hide internal ID columns that are meaningful in the database but not in a printed report.
• Exclude action columns (Edit, Delete buttons) that have no meaning in a static document.
• Remove columns with long technical values (API keys, URL strings) that make the PDF cluttered.
• Strip columns that contain raw IDs instead of human-readable labels.

To configure exclusions:

1. In PDF Options, find the PDF Column Exclusions field.
2. Check the box next to each column you want to hide in PDF exports.
3. Save the table.

The excluded columns still appear in the web table and in CSV/XLSX exports. The exclusion applies only to PDF generation.

How Does Column Width Distribution in PDF Work?

TableCrafter distributes column widths proportionally across the page width. Columns with longer header labels get slightly more space. You cannot currently set explicit per-column widths in the PDF output, the layout engine handles distribution automatically based on content type hints.

If a specific column needs more space, the workaround is to use PDF column exclusions to remove less important columns, giving the remaining columns more room to breathe.

Changes take effect immediately after saving. No cache flush or page refresh is required for the new configuration to apply to all shortcode instances of this table.

This step completes the connection between your data source and the TableCrafter table engine. Once saved, the plugin caches the connection credentials in the WordPress options table and uses them on every subsequent page load. If you update the source configuration later — for example, rotating an API key or changing a sheet URL — return to this step, enter the new value, and save again. The table updates immediately on next load without any shortcode changes.

How Does Use Cases for Custom PDF Layout Work?

How Does Testing the PDF Output Work?

After configuring the PDF options, always generate a test export before using it for real reports:

The shortcode accepts all column and filter settings defined in the table builder as defaults, but you can override individual parameters inline. For example, `[tablecrafter id="1" per_page="25"]` overrides the default rows-per-page setting for this specific embed without changing the saved table configuration. This lets you reuse one table definition across multiple pages with different display requirements.

1. Load the table page on your site.
2. Click Export and select PDF.
3. Open the downloaded file and check: logo position, header text, column count, page orientation, footer content, and page numbers.
4. Scroll to page 2 (if the dataset is large enough) to verify column headers repeat and page numbers increment.

What Are the Next Steps?

With PDF layout configured, you have a professional, branded export ready for client delivery. Combine this with filtered export to ensure the PDF only contains the relevant data subset, or set up an email alert that automatically attaches the PDF and sends it to recipients on a schedule, both are covered in the guides that follow.

TableCrafter validates this configuration on save. If validation fails, the admin panel displays a specific error message identifying which field caused the problem. Correct the field value and save again without needing to restart the setup process.

This configuration interacts with any caching or CDN layer active on your WordPress installation. If you use WP Rocket, LiteSpeed Cache, or a CDN such as Cloudflare, flush the page cache after making this change to ensure the updated configuration is reflected in the cached HTML served to visitors. TableCrafter's server-side output is regenerated on the next uncached request.