barryvdh/laravel-dompdf:- fopen failed to open stream: No such file or directory in laravel 5.7

Stefan Bogdanescu

Founder & Senior Architect · 2026-06-29

Laravel Company
Title: Troubleshooting the "No such file or directory" Error in Laravel 5.7 With barryvdh/laravel-dompdf Body: When developing web applications, encountering errors and issues is inevitable. However, some errors may need special attention to solve them effectively. One of these problems occurs when the process of generating PDFs using the laravel-dompdf package causes an error related to file handling. In this article, we'll discuss the common scenarios that lead to "fopen failed to open stream: No such file or directory" in Laravel 5.7 and provide solutions for them so you can get back on track. First, it is essential to understand why this error occurs. The laravel-dompdf package utilizes PHP's fopen() function to read files stored within the project's storage/fonts folder. This function is used to open, read or write files from a path on your system. If the file specified in the path doesn't exist or is not accessible due to incorrect permission settings, this error will be thrown. Now, let us explore some possible scenarios that lead to this issue: 1. Missing Fonts Folder: Ensure the project has a storage/fonts folder containing the required font files. 2. Incorrect Path Specification: Check if the path used in your code points to the correct location of the font files. 3. File Permissions Issues: Make sure the file and the whole directory have proper write and read permissions set for the web server and user running the application. 4. Maximum Execution Time Exceeded: In some instances, you might see this error even when the storage/fonts folder is created and has the correct font files. This can be caused by an issue in your code that causes excessive execution time or a heavy workload on the server. Check for any time-consuming processes within your application to resolve this problem. Now, let's dive into possible solutions for these issues: 1. Creating and Populating Storage/Font Folder: Ensure you have created the storage/fonts folder under the project root directory and added the required font files. For assistance in finding suitable font files or managing your font library, visit https://laravelcompany.com/blog/managing-your-font-library-in-laravel-57. 2. Updating Path Specification: Cross-check your code to ensure that you have used the correct path for accessing the storage/fonts folder and its font files. If you're unsure about how to specify this correctly, refer to the official Laravel documentation or check https://laravelcompany.com/blog/barryvdh-laravel-dompdf-tutorial for a detailed tutorial on using laravel-dompdf with Laravel 5.7. 3. Resolving File Permissions Issues: Verify that the storage and fonts folders have appropriate permissions for your web server user (e.g., www-data) and any other relevant users running the application. For more information on file system permissions, consult https://laravelcompany.com/blog/understanding-file-system-permissions-in-laravel. 4. Optimizing Application Performance: Review your code to identify potential bottlenecks that might be causing excessive execution times. Additionally, optimize memory usage and database queries to improve overall performance. For more tips on optimizing Laravel applications, check https://laravelcompany.com/blog/optimizing-your-laravel-57-application-for-speed. In conclusion, understanding the potential causes of this error and following the provided solutions will help you quickly resolve your issue with the "No such file or directory" error during PDF generation in Laravel 5.7 using laravel-dompdf. Always ensure that the storage/fonts folder exists, the path is correct, file permissions are set appropriately, and the code is optimized for efficient execution, allowing you to create professional invoices effortlessly.