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wkhtmltoimage is a command-line tool that renders a web page or local HTML file as an image. On Windows, get the installer or archive from the official wkhtmltopdf downloads page, then run wkhtmltoimage <input> <output> in Command Prompt or PowerShell. For example, wkhtmltoimage https://example.com page.png captures a web page to an image file.
The project describes the tool as a headless HTML renderer based on Qt WebKit. Its published Windows package listings and manual are useful starting points, but the download page does not provide a Windows 10 or Windows 11 compatibility test matrix. Check the current package and the help output for the build you install before relying on it in a new setup.
What wkhtmltoimage does
wkhtmltoimage is part of the wkhtmltopdf project. It renders HTML pages to image files using Qt WebKit; the related project tools also render HTML to PDF. The basic workflow is to select or create HTML, then pass its URL or file path and an output filename to the command-line program. The project overview is available in the wkhtmltopdf documentation index.
This is a command-line utility, not a Windows screenshot application with a graphical interface. You run it from Command Prompt or PowerShell, and use command-line options to adjust settings such as output quality, width, local resource access, or when to capture a page.
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Download and install it on Windows
Open the official downloads page and confirm the asset and version currently offered before downloading. The page lists Windows installers for Vista or later in 32-bit and 64-bit variants. It also lists 7z archives for XP/2003 or later in 32-bit and 64-bit variants. Downloads are hosted through GitHub releases.
| Package | Published Windows listing | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Installer | Vista or later; 32-bit and 64-bit variants | Choose the architecture that matches your Windows setup, run the installer, and follow its prompts. |
| 7z archive | XP/2003 or later; 32-bit and 64-bit variants | Choose the matching architecture and extract the archive before locating the executable. |
The OS wording above is the download page’s published minimum claim, not a guarantee of compatibility with every current Windows edition. The page does not provide Windows 10 or Windows 11 test results. It identifies 0.12.6 as the stable series and gives June 11, 2020 as its release date; treat that as a dated page statement and verify the live page for current release information.
- On the downloads page, check the available version and choose the installer or archive for the machine’s architecture.
- Run the installer, or extract the archive to a folder you can find again.
- Open Command Prompt or PowerShell. Type
wkhtmltoimage --versionand press Enter to check whether Windows can find the executable and to display its version. - If Windows reports that the command is not recognized, use the executable’s full path, or add the folder containing it to your PATH. This is general Windows command-line troubleshooting, not a guarantee about how a particular package configures PATH.
Convert a web page or local HTML file
The manual gives the general command pattern as wkhtmltoimage [OPTIONS]... <input file> <output file>. Put the input first and the output filename second. The installed program’s help or README is the authority for formats supported by that particular build.
Capture a web page
In Command Prompt or PowerShell, run:
wkhtmltoimage https://example.com page.pngReplace the URL with the page you want and page.png with the output filename. Use an output extension corresponding to a format supported by your installed build. When the command completes, look for the image at the path represented by the output filename; if you supplied only a filename, that is normally the current working directory.
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Render a local HTML file
From the directory containing your HTML file, a basic invocation is:
wkhtmltoimage index.html page.pngYou can also provide full paths. If the HTML references local images, stylesheets, fonts, or other files, the converter may need permission to load those files; see --allow below. Relative paths are interpreted in the context of the input page, so check that referenced assets exist and that their paths make sense from the file being rendered.
Check version and available formats
Use wkhtmltoimage --version to identify the installed version. To see options available in that build, run wkhtmltoimage --help or wkhtmltoimage --extended-help. The command-line manual at Debian Manpages’ wkhtmltoimage(1) page documents the options below, but it is old; confirm behavior against your installed executable.
Options that commonly affect the result
| Option | Effect | When it helps |
|---|---|---|
--quality <int> |
Sets image quality from 0 to 100. | Use it for image formats where quality applies. It does not improve formats that do not use this kind of quality setting. |
--width <int> |
Sets a screen width used as a guideline. | Use it to influence the page layout width. The manual says --disable-smart-width can make the width strict. |
--allow <path> |
Allows files from a specified folder to load; it can be repeated. | Use it when local HTML needs to load local resources from a folder. |
--window-status <value> |
Waits for window.status to equal the specified value before rendering. |
Use it when the page sets a status value after preparing content that must appear in the image. |
--version |
Displays version information. | Use it to identify the installed executable. |
For example, an invocation can combine a width and an allowed local-resource folder:
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wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 --allow "C:siteassets" index.html page.pngUse the exact option spelling shown by the installed build’s help. Options vary in relevance by input: --allow matters for local files, while a window-status wait is useful only when the page sets the expected status. Start with a plain conversion, then add options one at a time so it is clear which setting changes the output.
Troubleshoot common problems
“wkhtmltoimage” is not recognized
Windows cannot locate the executable by that command name. Run it from the directory containing the executable or supply the full executable path, for example "C:Program Fileswkhtmltopdfbinwkhtmltoimage.exe" https://example.com page.png if that is where your installer placed it. Alternatively, add the executable’s folder to PATH and open a new terminal. The example location is illustrative; your install folder may differ.
The output file is missing or saved somewhere unexpected
Check the terminal’s current directory and the output path you supplied. Use an absolute output path to make the destination explicit, such as C:capturespage.png, and make sure that folder exists and is writable. Read any error printed by the command rather than assuming that a file was created successfully.
Local images or stylesheets are missing
Confirm that the referenced files exist and that their paths are correct. If the page needs to load local files from a folder, try the documented --allow <path> option, repeating it for additional folders if necessary. Verify support and syntax with --extended-help for your installed build.
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The capture has the wrong width or layout
Set --width to the desired screen-width guideline and inspect the result. The manual notes that smart-width behavior can affect whether this is strict; check whether --disable-smart-width is supported by your build if you need a strict width. This controls rendering width, not a promise that every page will use a particular responsive breakpoint.
Content appears before it is ready
If the page controls readiness by setting window.status, use --window-status <value> with that exact value so rendering waits for it. The option cannot make a page signal readiness if the page never sets the status; check the page’s behavior and your build’s help output.
An option from an online example is rejected
The manual is dated, and builds may differ. Run wkhtmltoimage --help or wkhtmltoimage --extended-help and use options supported by the executable you installed. Avoid copying a long command wholesale: remove unrecognized options and add back only those you need.
Security, compatibility, and operational limits
The wkhtmltopdf project’s downloads page warns: “Do not use wkhtmltopdf with any untrusted HTML – be sure to sanitize any user-supplied HTML/JS, otherwise it can lead to complete takeover of the server it is running on!” The warning specifically concerns untrusted HTML and JavaScript. Treat user-provided pages or markup with particular caution if you run the converter in a server environment; do not assume that a screenshot command is a safe way to process arbitrary content.
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For a new deployment, account for the gap between the published package listing and present-day compatibility evidence: the page’s Vista-or-later wording is not a current Windows 10/11 test matrix, and the stable-series date it gives is June 11, 2020. Confirm behavior on the Windows machine and with the exact build you intend to use. The cited documentation does not establish meaningful performance or feature differences between installer and archive packages, so choose between them by distribution preference, architecture, and the package listing rather than assuming one is faster or more capable.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Does wkhtmltoimage make PDFs?
No. It is the HTML-to-image utility in the wkhtmltopdf project; the related wkhtmltopdf tool is used for HTML-to-PDF conversion.
Can I use wkhtmltoimage without an internet connection?
A local HTML file can be supplied as input, but whether it renders fully offline depends on its dependencies: any external images, stylesheets, scripts, or fonts still need to be available to the renderer.
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