Do the PDF generated files get stored somewhere on a site?

  • Resolved TWD

    (@twd)


    6 years, 8 months ago

    a) I assume the pdf files must get stored somewhere on the site.

    In our case the “backup footprint” for the website is growing at an alarming pace, in direct correlation to the number of PDF invoices generated.
    We use Japanese text on a WPML-WooCommerce site which perhaps means that the file size is larger than normal.
    A normal PDF invoice weighs in at about 5.5MB

    Can you advise where these files are stored so that at least we can exclude that directory from our backup routines?

    b) If they are indeed stored in a directory, how can they be deleted?
    Deleting the order itself from the WC dashboard doesn’t seem to make any difference to the backup footprint.

    Can the PDFs be removed manually through FTP without any dire consequences?

    • This topic was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by TWD.
    • This topic was modified 6 years, 8 months ago by TWD.
Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
  • Plugin Contributor Ewout

    (@pomegranate)

    Hello TWD,
    First of all, I recommend turning on “Enable font subsetting” under WooCommerce > PDF Invoices > General. This should shrink down filesize dramatically for languages with large character sets!

    Second, yes, there is a temporary folder where the PDF files are stored. You can clean this folder by going to WooCommerce > PDF Invoices > Status > Remove temporary files.

    We plan to build in automatic cleanup for this folder later this year.

    Hope that helps!
    Ewout

    Thread Starter TWD

    (@twd)

    Thanks. That helps.
    Looking forward to the automatic cleanup enhancement.

    Two questions:
    a) Can you tell me the “path” to the temporary folder so that I can exclude this from the BackupBuddy profile settings?

    b) Font subsetting can reduce file size by only including the characters that are used in the PDF, but limits the ability to edit PDF files later. Recommended if you’re using an Asian font.

    HOW and WHEN would I want to “edit PDF files later”? Does this mean we can’t regenerate the invoices if needed from the Dashboard? I don’t understand these notes.

    Plugin Contributor Ewout

    (@pomegranate)

    Can you tell me the “path” to the temporary folder so that I can exclude this from the BackupBuddy profile settings?

    site root+wp-content/uploads/wpo_wcpdf/attachments/ (you can find the full path in the Status tab of the PDF invoice settings)

    HOW and WHEN would I want to “edit PDF files later”? Does this mean we can’t regenerate the invoices if needed from the Dashboard?

    Some people want to be able to edit the PDF in an editor like Illustrator, Acrobat Pro, etc, to change texts manually. If you don’t have the font that is used in the PDF itself installed on the computer that is editing the file, you won’t be able to edit the text (or it will switch to a different font, depending on the editor that is used).
    Most tax authorities actually forbid this. This is unrelated to functioning of the plugin itself, so you can still regenerate the invoices from WooCommerce.

    Ewout

    Thread Starter TWD

    (@twd)

    OK. That all makes sense now.
    Thanks.

Viewing 4 replies - 1 through 4 (of 4 total)
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