How to generate PDF thumbnail in PHP using Imagick

Pradeep Maurya

1 day ago

How to generate PDF thumbnail in PHP using Imagick

Generating thumbnail from PDF file is a basic requirement for many web applications, including document management systems, e-commerce websites, and digital libraries.

If you’re developing a document management system, an e-learning platform, or an online file-sharing service, showing a preview of PDFs can greatly improve the user experience.

In this tutorial, I’ll explain you how to create thumbnail for PDF in PHP using Imagick, which offers seamless image processing capabilities.

Also Read: How to Convert an Image to PDF in CodeIgniter using FPDF Library

This approach improves the user experience by displaying a preview of PDFs before opening them.

By the end of this tutorial, you will be able

✅ Upload a PDF file using PHP
✅ Generate a thumbnail from the first page using Imagick
✅ Display the thumbnail with a link to the full PDF

Why Use Imagick for PDF Thumbnails?

Imagick is a powerful PHP extension that acts as an interface for the ImageMagick library. It supports multiple image formats, including PDF, and allows easy conversion of PDF pages into images.

Benefits of Using Imagick:

✔ Supports multiple file formats (JPEG, PNG, GIF, PDF, etc.)
✔ High-quality image generation with customizable resolution
✔ Lightweight and efficient for server-side processing

Also Read: How to Combine Multiple Images or PDF Files into a Single PDF File Using ImageMagick

Generating Thumbnail From PDF in PHP

Before you start coding, ensure that Imagick extension are installed on your server.


extension=php_imagick.dll

extension=php_imagick.dll

To check if the Imagick extension is available on your server, use the browser’s phpinfo() command.

Step-1: Create a PDF Upload Form

We need a simple HTML form that allows users to upload a PDF file:


<div class="uploadcontainer">
    <h4>Generate Thumbnail From PDF</h4>
        <form action="" method="post" enctype="multipart/form-data">
            <input type="file" name="pdfFile" accept="application/pdf" required>
            <button type="submit">Upload and Generate Thumbnail</button>
        </form>
    </div>

<h4>Generate Thumbnail From PDF</h4>

<button type="submit">Upload and Generate Thumbnail</button>

</form>

</div>

Step-2: Handle PDF Upload in PHP

The following PHP script handles the uploaded PDF and saves it in the uploads/ directory:


if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST' && isset($_FILES['pdfFile'])) {
    $uploadDir = 'uploads/';
    $uploadFile = $uploadDir . basename($_FILES['pdfFile']['name']);
    
    if (!is_dir($uploadDir)) {
        mkdir($uploadDir, 0777, true);
    }
    
    if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES['pdfFile']['tmp_name'], $uploadFile)) {
        echo "<p>File uploaded successfully: <a href='" . htmlspecialchars($uploadFile) . "' target='_blank'>View PDF</a></p>";
    } else {
        echo "<p>File upload failed.</p>";
        exit;
    }
}

if ($_SERVER['REQUEST_METHOD'] == 'POST' && isset($_FILES['pdfFile'])) {

$uploadDir = 'uploads/';

$uploadFile = $uploadDir . basename($_FILES['pdfFile']['name']);

if (!is_dir($uploadDir)) {

mkdir($uploadDir, 0777, true);

}

if (move_uploaded_file($_FILES['pdfFile']['tmp_name'], $uploadFile)) {

echo "<p>File uploaded successfully: <a href='" . htmlspecialchars($uploadFile) . "' target='_blank'>View PDF</a></p>";

} else {

echo "<p>File upload failed.</p>";

exit;

}

✔ The script stores the uploaded PDF.
✔ It generates a clickable “View PDF” link.

Step-3: Generate a PDF Thumbnail with Imagick

Now, we use Imagick to extract the first page of the uploaded PDF and convert it into an image


        // Path to the uploaded PDF file
        $pdfFile = $uploadFile;
        // Output thumbnail image
        $outputImage = rand().'thumbnail.jpg';
        // Thumbnail size
        $thumbnailWidth = 250;
        $thumbnailHeight = 250;

        try {
            // Create a new Imagick object and read the first page of the PDF
            $imagick = new Imagick();
            $imagick->setResolution(150, 150); // Set resolution for better quality
            $imagick->readImage($pdfFile.'[0]'); // Read only the first page
            
            // Set image format to JPEG
            $imagick->setImageFormat('jpg');
            
            // Resize the image
            $imagick->thumbnailImage($thumbnailWidth, $thumbnailHeight, true);
            
            // Save the thumbnail
            $imagick->writeImage($outputImage);
            
            // Clear resources
            $imagick->clear();
            $imagick->destroy();

            echo "<div class='thumbnail-container'>
                    <p>Thumbnail:</p>
                    <a href='" . htmlspecialchars($pdfFile) . "' target='_blank'>
                        <img src='" . htmlspecialchars($outputImage) . "' alt='PDF Thumbnail'><br> View PDF
                    </a>
                  </div>";
        } catch (Exception $e) {
            echo '<p>Error: ' . $e->getMessage() . '</p>';
        }

// Path to the uploaded PDF file

$pdfFile = $uploadFile;

// Output thumbnail image

$outputImage = rand().'thumbnail.jpg';

// Thumbnail size

$thumbnailWidth = 250;

$thumbnailHeight = 250;

try {

// Create a new Imagick object and read the first page of the PDF

$imagick = new Imagick();

$imagick->setResolution(150, 150); // Set resolution for better quality

$imagick->readImage($pdfFile.'[0]'); // Read only the first page

// Set image format to JPEG

$imagick->setImageFormat('jpg');

// Resize the image

$imagick->thumbnailImage($thumbnailWidth, $thumbnailHeight, true);

// Save the thumbnail

$imagick->writeImage($outputImage);

// Clear resources

$imagick->clear();

$imagick->destroy();

echo "<div class='thumbnail-container'>

<p>Thumbnail:</p>

<img src='" . htmlspecialchars($outputImage) . "' alt='PDF Thumbnail'><br> View PDF

</a>

</div>";

} catch (Exception $e) {

echo '<p>Error: ' . $e->getMessage() . '</p>';

}

✔ Extracts the first page of the PDF
✔ Converts it to JPEG for web display
✔ Generates a clickable thumbnail

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Step-4: Final Output

View Demo

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Conclusion

This tutorial explained how to Generate Thumbnail from PDF in PHP using Imagick. This approach is excellent for applications that require document previews, since it enhances user experience and interactivity.

Thanks for reading 🙏, I hope you found this tutorial helpful for your project. Keep learning! If you face any problems – I am here to solve your problems.

FAQs

How can I change the thumbnail size?

You can modify the width and height in the thumbnailImage() function:

$thumbnailWidth = 300; // Change to desired width
$thumbnailHeight = 300; // Change to desired height
$imagick->thumbnailImage($thumbnailWidth, $thumbnailHeight, true);

Can I generate thumbnails for multi-page PDFs?

Yes! You can loop through pages using:

for ($i = 0; $i < $imagick->getNumberImages(); $i++) {
$imagick->setIteratorIndex($i);
$imagick->writeImage(“thumbnail_page_$i.jpg”);
}

How do I save thumbnails in a specific directory?

Change the $outputImage path like this:

$outputImage = ‘thumbnails/’ . basename($uploadFile, “.pdf”) . ‘.jpg’;
$imagick->writeImage($outputImage);

Does this work on shared hosting?

It depends. Some shared hosting providers disable Imagick for security reasons. You can check your hosting provider’s settings or contact support. If Imagick is disabled, you might need a VPS or dedicated server.

Can I use this method to generate thumbnails in Laravel?

Yes! You can integrate Imagick in Laravel by using it in a controller.

use Imagick;
$pdfFile = ‘path-to-file.pdf’;
$imagick = new Imagick();
$imagick->setResolution(150, 150);
$imagick->readImage($pdfFile . ‘[0]’);
$imagick->setImageFormat(‘jpg’);
$imagick->thumbnailImage(200, 200, true);
$imagick->writeImage(‘thumbnail.jpg’);

Pradeep Maurya

Pradeep Maurya is the Professional Web Developer & Designer and the Founder of “Tutorials website”. He lives in Delhi and loves to be a self-dependent person. As an owner, he is trying his best to improve this platform day by day. His passion, dedication and quick decision making ability to stand apart from others. He’s an avid blogger and writes on the publications like Dzone, e27.co