Easy PDF 1.2 is a Joomla content plugin package from JoomlaX that embeds PDFs in articles with modal or inline viewers, thumbnail openers, download and print controls, login gates, and protected file streaming.

It is shortcode-first: upload a PDF in Media Manager, insert {epdf} (or use the editor button), choose modal, embed, or download mode, then publish. Plugin defaults cover everyday cases; each shortcode can override mode, access, download, print, thumbnails, theme, and sizing.

What you can do

• Open PDFs in a responsive modal viewer
• Embed PDFs inline with or without a header toolbar
• Offer download-only links with optional file-size badges
• Use auto first-page thumbnails, custom covers, or text buttons
• Show or hide download and print independently
• Gate guests with login or register prompts
• Stream files through signed URLs when Protect PDF files is on
• Match chrome with dark/light themes and template primary colour

Who it is for

Product guides, member documents, forms, brochures, manuals, and any article that needs an on-page PDF experience without fighting browser differences.

Built for modern Joomla

• Joomla 4, 5, and 6
• PHP 8.1 or later recommended
• Native JavaScript (no jQuery)
• Web Asset Manager CSS and JS
• Service provider, dispatcher, and namespaces
• Package installs content plugin + editor button

Before you install

• Joomla: 4.x, 5.x, or 6.x
• PHP: 8.1 or newer
• Content: standard com_content articles
• Access: a Super User (or administrator) account so you can install extensions

Helpful but optional

• PDFs uploaded under Media (for example images/docs/)
• A published Users login and/or registration menu item when using access gates
• Font Awesome available in the template (icons fall back gracefully if missing)

Not required

• jQuery
• A custom content component or extra table
• Server PDF tools such as Ghostscript or Imagick

Step 1: Download

Email: After you buy from the JoomlaX store, you get an email with the download link.

Store: You can also open the Downloads section and use the same email you used when buying.

File name: EasyPdf_UNZIP.zip

Step 2: Unzip on your computer

1. Right-click EasyPdf_UNZIP.zip and choose Extract (or Unzip).
2. Inside you should see:
   • pkg_easy_pdf_1.2.0.zip (install this one)
   • ReadMe.txt

Step 3: Install in Joomla

1. Log in to the Joomla administrator.
2. Go to System > Install > Extensions.
3. Click Upload Package File.
4. Choose pkg_easy_pdf_1.2.0.zip and wait for the success message.
5. Clear Joomla cache: System > Maintenance > Clear Cache.

What the package installs

• Content - Easy PDF: shortcode rendering and protected streaming
• Editor - Easy PDF: toolbar button to insert shortcodes

Enable the plugins

1. Go to System > Plugins.
2. Enable Content - Easy PDF.
3. Enable Editor - Easy PDF if you want the insert button.

Updates

Install a newer pkg_easy_pdf zip the same way. The package uses method="upgrade", so your plugin settings stay safe.

Follow these steps in order the first time. You can finish in about 10 minutes.

1. Upload a PDF

1. Go to Content > Media.
2. Upload a PDF into a folder such as images/docs/.
3. Copy the relative path (example: images/docs/guide.pdf).

2. Confirm plugin defaults

1. Open System > Plugins > Content - Easy PDF.
2. Leave Default display mode as Modal for most sites.
3. Leave Viewer engine as Built-in viewer.
4. Turn on Protect PDF files (recommended).
5. If you use login gates, set Login menu / Register menu or URL overrides.
6. Save.

3. Insert a shortcode

1. Edit an article.
2. Click the Easy PDF editor button, or paste a shortcode manually.
3. Example: {epdf file="images/docs/guide.pdf" mode="modal" thumb="auto"}View guide{/epdf}
4. Save the article.

4. Check the front end

1. Open the article on the site.
2. If something looks old, clear cache and hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5).

Student tip

Change one shortcode attribute at a time, Save, then refresh so you can see what each option does.

Basic form:

{epdf file="images/docs/guide.pdf" mode="modal"}View PDF{/epdf}

Self-closing style is not used: always include the closing {/epdf} tag. Inner text becomes the button or link label.

Core attributes

• file (required): relative path or URL. Aliases: src, url
• mode: modal (default), embed, or download
• access: public, login, or register
• accesslevel: optional Joomla access level ID
• download: 1 or 0
• print: 1 or 0
• newtab: 1 or 0 (open in new tab control)
• nocontext: 1 to soft-block right-click (alias: rightclick="0")
• engine: builtin (default) or native
• theme: dark or light
• header: embed header toolbar, 1 or 0 (alias: toolbar)
• height / width: CSS dimensions for the viewer
• title: modal or embed title
• page: start page number
• class: extra CSS class on the wrapper

Thumbnail attributes (modal)

• thumb: image path, auto, or 0 / off for text button. Aliases: thumbnail, cover
• thumbsize / thumbwidth: width (example 240px)
• thumbheight: auto or a fixed height such as 300px

Examples

{epdf file="images/docs/guide.pdf" mode="modal" thumb="auto" thumbsize="240px"}View guide{/epdf}

{epdf file="images/docs/guide.pdf" mode="embed" header="0" height="560px"}{/epdf}

{epdf file="images/docs/guide.pdf" mode="download"}Download guide{/epdf}

{epdf file="images/docs/guide.pdf" mode="modal" access="login" download="0" print="0"}Members only{/epdf}

Modal

Shows a button or thumbnail that opens a Bootstrap modal with the built-in viewer (lazy-loaded). Best for article body content where you do not want a tall iframe until the visitor asks.

• Default when Modal thumbnail is enabled: auto first-page preview
• Use thumb="0" for a classic text button
• Use height to control modal body height (for example 80vh)

Embed

Renders the viewer in the article. header="0" (plugin default) shows only the frame. header="1" adds title/meta and toolbar actions above the viewer.

Download

Outputs a download button/link only. Useful for attachments where in-page viewing is not needed.

Viewer engines

• builtin (recommended): consistent cross-browser UI and better download control
• native: device browser PDF viewer inside an iframe

Modal mode can open from a cover tile instead of a plain button.

Plugin setting

• Modal thumbnail trigger: Yes by default. When Yes and no custom image is set, the first page is rendered automatically.
• Thumbnail width / height: site defaults (example width 220px, height auto)

Shortcode options

• thumb="auto": force auto first-page preview
• thumb="images/covers/brochure.jpg": custom cover
• thumb="0": text button only
• thumbsize="280px": override width
• thumbheight="300px": fixed height with cover crop; use auto to keep aspect ratio

Tips

• Auto thumbs load when scrolled into view
• Custom covers are best when branding matters more than page one
• Large thumbs work well on brochure or product sheet layouts

Download

• Plugin default: Show download by default
• Shortcode: download="1" or download="0"
• When off: download buttons are hidden and the download token is blocked
• With the built-in viewer, browser Save chrome is also avoided
• When download is off, open-in-new-tab defaults off unless you set newtab explicitly

Print

• Plugin default: Show print by default
• Shortcode: print="1" or print="0"
• When off: print controls are hidden and Ctrl+P is soft-blocked on the viewer

Right-click

• Plugin: Disable right-click by default
• Shortcode: nocontext="1" or rightclick="0"
• Soft deterrence only: blocks context menu (and Ctrl+S when download is off)

Honest limit

These options improve everyday UX and reduce casual saving. They are not DRM. Determined users can still capture streamed bytes.

Access attribute

• access="public": everyone can view
• access="login": guests see Log in to view
• access="register": guests see Register and Log in
• accesslevel="N": require Joomla viewing access level ID N

Login and register pages

On the plugin Access pages fieldset:

• Login menu item or Login URL override
• Register menu item or Register URL override

URL override wins when set. Return URL is appended so visitors come back to the article after signing in. Prefer a published Users menu item on SEF sites so login does not 404.

Protect PDF files

When Yes, view and download URLs use signed com_ajax tokens. Allowed folders (default images,media) limit which paths may be streamed.

Open System > Plugins > Content - Easy PDF.

Behaviour

• Default display mode, Default access, Viewer engine
• Show download / Show print / Disable right-click
• Modal thumbnail trigger, Thumbnail width, Thumbnail height
• Show header on embeds, Protect PDF files, Allowed folders
• Default height / width, Show open in new tab, Show file size badge

Login and register

• Login menu / Login URL override
• Register menu / Register URL override

Design

• Viewer theme (dark / light)
• Use template primary colour, Accent colour, Corner radius
• Extra CSS

Shortcode attributes always win over plugin defaults for that instance.

Enable Editor - Easy PDF, then open an article and click Easy PDF in the editor toolbar.

What you can set in the insert modal

• PDF path, label text, mode, access, download, print
• Viewer engine, disable right-click
• Thumbnail mode (auto / custom / text button), thumb width and height
• Embed header, theme, viewer height, start page, access level
• Optional title, custom thumb image path, CSS class

The button builds a complete {epdf}...{/epdf} shortcode and inserts it at the cursor.

Shortcode

• file, mode, access, accesslevel
• download, print, newtab, nocontext / rightclick
• engine, theme, header / toolbar
• height, width, title, page, class, label/text
• thumb / thumbnail / cover, thumbsize / thumbwidth, thumbheight

Plugin Behaviour

• defaultMode, defaultAccess, viewerEngine
• defaultDownload, showPrint, disableRightClick
• useModalThumb, thumbWidth, thumbHeight
• showEmbedHeader, protectFiles, allowedFolders
• defaultHeight, defaultWidth, showOpenTab, showFileSize

Plugin Access pages

• loginMenu, loginUrl, registerMenu, registerUrl

Plugin Design

• viewerTheme, useTemplateColor, accent, radius, extraCSS

Common uses

• Product guides: modal with auto thumbnail on a feature page
• Member documents: access="login" or access="register" with download="0"
• Brochure landings: large thumbsize openers in a row of offers
• Inline manuals: mode="embed" header="0" for a clean reading frame
• Attachment lists: mode="download" with file-size badges
• Print-sensitive PDFs: print="0" while still allowing view or download

Content planning tips

• Keep PDFs under allowed folders (images or media by default)
• Prefer Protect PDF files for gated shortcodes
• Publish Users login/register menu items before relying on access gates
• Use custom covers when page one is not a good marketing preview

• Shortcode shows as plain text

  • Enable Content - Easy PDF. Confirm matching {epdf} and {/epdf} tags. Clear cache.

• PDF not found

  • Check the relative path. Confirm the file is under Allowed folders. Re-upload via Media if needed.

• Login gate links to a 404

  • Set Login menu item or Login URL override. SEF sites need a published Users login menu item.

• Download still appears

  • Set download="0" on the shortcode and confirm the plugin default is not forcing Yes via a missing attribute. Hard-refresh.

• Auto thumb stays as a skeleton

  • Scroll the thumb into view. Confirm the PDF streams correctly. Check the browser console. Hard-refresh after updates.

• Editor button missing

  • Enable Editor - Easy PDF. Confirm your editor profile allows the button.

• Viewer looks wrong after changing settings

  • Save the article and plugin, clear Joomla cache, then hard-refresh (Ctrl+F5).

• Native engine ignores download hide

  • Browser iframe chrome can expose Save. Prefer the built-in viewer when download control matters.

• Which Joomla versions are supported?

  • Joomla 4, 5, and 6. PHP 8.1 or later is recommended.

• What file do I install?

  • Unzip EasyPdf_UNZIP.zip, then install pkg_easy_pdf_1.2.0.zip from System > Install > Extensions.

• Does it create its own content type?

  • No. It uses standard article shortcodes and Media Manager files.

• Can I place several PDFs on one page?

  • Yes. Each shortcode is independent.

• Does it need jQuery?

  • No. Easy PDF uses native JavaScript.

• Where can I get help?

  • Visit support.joomlax.com. Include your Joomla version, PHP version, page URL, and the shortcode you used.

Documentation: joomlax.com/documentation/easy-pdf

Demo: demo.joomlax.com/demo/utilities/easy-pdf