This helper is useful when using the TCPDF to generate pdfs

TcpdfHelper.php

<?php
//============================================================+
// File name   : TcpdfHelper.php
// Created by : Sagar Sgirsath
// Email : sagar.shirsath2009@gmail.com
// Created On : 5 december 2012
//============================================================+

App::uses('AppHelper', 'View/Helper');

App::import('Vendor', 'tcpdf/config/lang/eng');
App::import('Vendor', 'tcpdf/tcpdf');

class TcpdfHelper extends AppHelper {

    public function init() {
        // create new PDF document
        $pdf = new TCPDF(PDF_PAGE_ORIENTATION, PDF_UNIT, PDF_PAGE_FORMAT, true, 'UTF-8', false);

        // set document information
        $pdf->SetCreator(PDF_CREATOR);
        $pdf->SetAuthor('Nicola Asuni');
        $pdf->SetTitle('TCPDF Example 006');
        $pdf->SetSubject('TCPDF Tutorial');
        $pdf->SetKeywords('TCPDF, PDF, example, test, guide');

        // set default header data
        $pdf->SetHeaderData(PDF_HEADER_LOGO, PDF_HEADER_LOGO_WIDTH, PDF_HEADER_TITLE . ' 006', PDF_HEADER_STRING);

        // set header and footer fonts
        $pdf->setHeaderFont(Array(PDF_FONT_NAME_MAIN, '', PDF_FONT_SIZE_MAIN));
        $pdf->setFooterFont(Array(PDF_FONT_NAME_DATA, '', PDF_FONT_SIZE_DATA));

        // set default monospaced font
        $pdf->SetDefaultMonospacedFont(PDF_FONT_MONOSPACED);

        //set margins
        $pdf->SetMargins(PDF_MARGIN_LEFT, PDF_MARGIN_TOP, PDF_MARGIN_RIGHT);
        $pdf->SetHeaderMargin(PDF_MARGIN_HEADER);
        $pdf->SetFooterMargin(PDF_MARGIN_FOOTER);

        //set auto page breaks
        $pdf->SetAutoPageBreak(TRUE, PDF_MARGIN_BOTTOM);

        //set image scale factor
        $pdf->setImageScale(PDF_IMAGE_SCALE_RATIO);

        //set some language-dependent strings
//        $pdf->setLanguageArray($l);

        // ---------------------------------------------------------

        // set font
        $pdf->SetFont('dejavusans', '', 10);

        // add a page
        $pdf->AddPage();

        // writeHTML($html, $ln=true, $fill=false, $reseth=false, $cell=false, $align='')
        // writeHTMLCell($w, $h, $x, $y, $html='', $border=0, $ln=0, $fill=0, $reseth=true, $align='', $autopadding=true)
        return $pdf;

    }


    public function add_html($pdf , $html) {
        $pdf->writeHTML($html, true, false, true, false, '');
        $pdf->lastPage();
        return $pdf;

    }

    public function download_pdf($pdf){
        $pdf->Output('example_006.pdf', 'I');
        return $pdf;
    }
}