Invoice Mockup Text Generator

Understanding the DANFE — the visual face of the Brazilian NF-e

What our generator produces is a DANFE (Documento Auxiliar da Nota Fiscal Eletrônica), not a real NF-e. The actual fiscal document in Brazil is an XML signed with an ICP-Brasil digital certificate and authorized by the issuing state's Sefaz (Secretaria da Fazenda). The DANFE is the human-readable PDF that accompanies cargo and lets the recipient look up the authorized XML using the chave de acesso — a 44-digit access key — or by scanning the embedded barcode/QR Code. Without the corresponding authorized XML in the Sefaz database, a DANFE is meaningless from a fiscal standpoint, no matter how convincing the layout looks.

A canonical DANFE is divided into clearly defined blocks: issuer header (logo, legal name, CNPJ, state inscription, full address, ZIP), NF identification (number, série, nature of operation, 44-digit access key, issue date, authorization protocol), recipient block, the item table with description, NCM, CFOP, unit, quantity, unit price, total, ICMS base, ICMS rate, IPI and other state/federal taxes, the totals box, transporter and freight data, and finally additional information. The portrait layout is standard; landscape is used when there are too many items to fit vertically. The DANFE NFC-e (consumer) uses a different cupom-style layout and a mandatory QR Code linking to the state's consumer query page.

How real NF-e PDFs are built in production

Real ERPs render DANFEs from the authorized XML using libraries such as nfephp-org (PHP), iText (Java/C#), pdfkit or pdf-lib (Node.js), ReportLab or FPDF (Python), or commercial gateways like TecnoSpeed, Webmaniabr, eNotas and Focus NFe. The flow is: build the XML → sign with the ICP-Brasil cert → submit to Sefaz → receive the authorization protocol → render the DANFE PDF embedding the access key as a Code128 barcode (NF-e) or QR Code (NFC-e). Anyone with the access key can validate the document for free at nfe.fazenda.gov.br or the issuing state's portal — which is exactly why real fraud is so easy to detect.

Legitimate uses for a mock DANFE PDF

• ERP and accounting-software UX testing: ensure the DANFE preview renders correctly across paper sizes and printers.
• Mobile app demos showing how an internal "consult NF" feature looks before integrating the real Sefaz API.
• Training material for fiscal teams learning to read DANFE blocks, NCM/CFOP codes and ICMS substitution rules.
• Print-layout calibration for warehouse label printers and A4 lasers — orientation, margins, barcode density.
• Stress-testing OCR pipelines that extract data from supplier DANFEs without exposing customer information.

Where the law draws a hard red line

Issuing or circulating a fake fiscal document to deceive a buyer, customs, the tax authority or any third party is a federal crime in Brazil: Código Penal art. 171 (estelionato, 1 to 5 years), art. 297-299 (falsidade documental), and Lei 8.137/1990 (crimes against the tax order — sonegação fiscal, 2 to 5 years plus a fine of up to 200% of the evaded tax). Because every DANFE references a unique access key, Receita Federal and Sefaz can detect a fabricated document in seconds. This generator must be used only for sandbox testing, UI mockups and training. Never print, email, sign, send to a real customer, attach to a real shipment or upload to a real fiscal portal.

FAQ

Does the generated PDF count as a valid NF-e? No. Only the XML authorized by Sefaz is the fiscal document; the DANFE is just its visual representation. A PDF created here has no authorized XML behind it.

Can I use it to test my ERP's DANFE preview? Yes — that is exactly the kind of use the tool was built for. Render the PDF, load it inside your viewer, calibrate fonts and barcode density, then plug in your real Sefaz-authorized XML once development is done.

Do I need an active CNPJ to simulate NF-e issuance? Not in the public Sefaz sandboxes — every state publishes a homologation endpoint with sample certificates. Production issuance, however, requires an active CNPJ, a state inscription compatible with the operation and an ICP-Brasil A1 or A3 certificate.

Will scanning the QR Code on the PDF work? The QR will encode a syntactically correct URL, but the access key won't resolve to an authorized document on the Sefaz portal — the lookup will return "não encontrada".

Is anything sent to a server? No. The DANFE is rendered entirely in your browser; no data leaves your machine.