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Generate a PDF in Go
Create PDFs programmatically from Go: pages, vector graphics, embedded and subset fonts with full Unicode shaping, justified paragraphs, tables and images. rust-pdf gives Go a fast, memory-safe core with deterministic output.
Last updated: 2026-06-29
Why Go needs this
Most Go teams that need an invoice, report or shipping label find their options are an archived gofpdf or a commercial SDK. Neither pairs modern font shaping with a free, scriptable core, so simple documents end up harder to build than they should be.
Generation is rust-pdf's free foundation: draw vector shapes, place HarfBuzz-quality shaped and kerned Unicode text, lay out wrapping and justified paragraphs, build tables, and embed JPEG and PNG images, all from one idiomatic Go API with no per-document cost.
The same input always produces the same bytes, which is unusual for a PDF engine and exactly what Go testing wants: assert a generated document against a golden file, or serve it from a Gin handler and cache the response with confidence it will not drift between runs.
- Vector graphics, embedded and subset fonts, HarfBuzz-quality Unicode shaping and kerning.
- Wrapping and justified paragraphs, tables, images (JPEG, PNG, alpha, 16-bit).
- Deterministic output: identical bytes for identical input, ideal for audits and tests.
Generate a PDF in Go with rust-pdf
Install with go get, then call the same idiomatic API every rust-pdf binding shares. The snippet below is real Go code from the reference docs.
go get github.com/rustpdf/rustpdf-go
package main
import rustpdf "github.com/rustpdf/rustpdf-go"
func main() {
doc, _ := rustpdf.New() // A4 by default
defer doc.Close()
_ = doc.AddPage()
_ = doc.SetFillRGB(0.86, 0.20, 0.18)
_ = doc.Rect(72, 640, 200, 120) // x, y, width, height (points)
_ = doc.Fill()
_ = doc.Save("out.pdf")
}This is part of the free tier in Go. No license required.
Full Go reference in the documentation.
Generation in Go: FAQ
Is generating PDFs free in Go?
Yes. All basic generation (pages, graphics, fonts, text, paragraphs, images, links, bookmarks, watermarks) is free forever. You only license corporate features such as PDF/A, signatures and encryption when you ship them.
Does it support Unicode and custom fonts?
Yes. Fonts are embedded and subset with HarfBuzz-quality shaping and kerning, using Type0 fonts with ToUnicode, so non-Latin scripts render and extract correctly.
Why a Rust core for Go?
One memory-safe, high-performance Rust core is exposed to Go through a thin idiomatic binding. You get the same engine, the same features and deterministic output, without a heavy runtime.
How do I stream a generated PDF to an HTTP response in Go?
Build the document, save it, and serve the result from a net/http or Gin handler with Content-Type application/pdf. Because identical input yields identical bytes, you can cache the response and assert it in a golden-file test without any flakiness.
Start building PDFs in Go today
One Rust core, the same deterministic bytes in every language. All basic generation is free in Go forever; license only the corporate features.