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Use --width and --height to request a larger rendering surface, and use --zoom only when you intentionally want page content scaled. wkhtmltoimage does not provide a simple image-output equivalent of a camera’s device-pixel-ratio switch. Its screen width is a guideline unless strict-width behavior is enabled, and smart shrinking can make the final pixel-to-DPI relationship non-constant. Always inspect the saved file’s pixel dimensions and layout with the exact binary you deploy.
What “high DPI” means in wkhtmltoimage
A high-DPI image can mean several different things:
- More saved pixels: the PNG, JPEG or WebP is physically larger in pixel dimensions.
- A wider or taller CSS viewport: the page lays out at a different width, which can change wrapping, breakpoints and element positions.
- Page zoom: WebKit scales page content and may change the effective CSS viewport.
- Device scale: a mapping between logical display units and physical pixels. This can trigger rerasterization or bitmap resampling without changing layout.
wkhtmltoimage’s command-line controls expose the first and third ideas most directly. They do not guarantee a native device-pixel-ratio render. A zoomed capture may contain more pixels while having a different layout, and a large viewport may preserve layout but still be affected by smart shrinking.
The controls that actually affect image output
| Control | What it changes | Important qualification |
|---|---|---|
--width <pixels> |
Requested screen width for rendering | The command reference describes width as a guideline unless strict-width behavior is requested; verify the result. |
--height <pixels> |
Requested screen height | Without it, height is calculated from page content. |
--zoom <factor> |
Scales rendered page content | Page zoom is not the same as device scale and can alter layout. |
| Smart shrinking | Fits content to the available width | Enabled by default in the upstream reference; it makes the pixel/DPI ratio non-constant. |
| Crop options | Sets crop left, top, width and height | Coordinates and dimensions are pixel-oriented image settings. |
Options vary among wkhtmltoimage packages because builds can bundle different Qt/WebKit versions. Run wkhtmltoimage --help on the machine that will perform captures and treat that output as authoritative for available switches.
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- Improved ComfortView Plus: Reduces harmful blue light emissions to ≤35%, for all-day comfort without sacrificing color accuracy.
- Refresh rate: A smooth, tear-free experience with AMD FreeSync Premium (refresh rate up to 120Hz) and an ultra-low 0.03ms response time create a captivating experience for work and play.
- Vivid colors: Immerse yourself in breathtaking 4K visuals with in-plane switching technology. Enjoy vibrant colors with 99% sRGB. The 1500:1 contrast ratio and HDR readiness deliver excellent depth and detail.
- Re-engineered sound quality: Enjoy more detailed sound with spacious audio featuring greater output power, deeper frequency response and more decibel range than the previous generation.
- Ultra-thin bezel: Designed with a sleek, modern aesthetic and an ash white finish, this display features ultra-thin bezels for a refined, minimalist design.
A predictable workflow for a sharper capture
1. Establish the intended CSS layout width
Decide whether the page should look like a 1,280-CSS-pixel desktop viewport, a mobile breakpoint, or another specific layout. This is the width you want to preserve visually. Do not begin by multiplying it by an arbitrary “DPI” number; that can move media-query breakpoints and change line wrapping.
2. Request enough screen pixels
Pass --width and, when the capture must have a fixed canvas, --height. Include the entire page area needed for the crop. For example:
wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 --height 1800 https://example.com page.pngThe width is not guaranteed to become the file width in every build. After rendering, inspect the image metadata rather than assuming the command-line value was honored exactly.
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3. Add zoom only for intentional content scaling
If text and vector elements must appear larger in the output, test a zoom factor such as 1.5:
wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 --height 1800 --zoom 1.5 https://example.com page-zoomed.pngZoom can change the CSS viewport and therefore responsive layout. Compare headings, columns, media-query behavior and crop boundaries with the unzoomed version. Calling this “native high DPI” would be misleading: it is page scaling.
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4. Check smart shrinking
Smart shrinking is enabled by default in the upstream documentation. It can shrink a page to fit and make the relationship between CSS units and output pixels vary. If your result is unexpectedly small or wraps differently, render a comparison with the documented smart-shrinking switch disabled (the exact switch name is shown by your binary’s help output). Keep it disabled only if that produces the layout you need; disabling it is not an automatic quality improvement.
5. Verify pixels, layout and crop
- Read the saved image’s actual width and height.
- View representative text at 100% to distinguish rerendered text from enlarged bitmaps.
- Check responsive breakpoints, line wraps and fixed-position elements.
- Confirm that the crop contains the intended page region.
- Repeat the check after upgrading or replacing the wkhtmltoimage binary.
Complete command examples
Large fixed canvas
wkhtmltoimage --width 1920 --height 1200 https://example.com desktop-1920.pngFull-page image with an explicit viewport width
wkhtmltoimage --width 1440 --height 900 --enable-smart-shrinking https://example.com full.pngFull-page behavior and switch names differ by build. If your package supports a height or full-page mode, confirm it with --help; otherwise use an explicit height and crop or stitch pages in your own pipeline.
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wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 --height 1600 --zoom 2 https://example.com @2x.pngThe “@2x” name is only a naming convention. It does not prove that the file is a device-scale render or that the CSS layout stayed unchanged.
Element-oriented crop
When using the library API instead of the CLI, image settings expose crop left, top, width and height, along with screenWidth and smartWidth. Configure these in pixels, then verify the resulting bitmap. The page-loading settings also include a load.zoomFactor; that is a loading/rendering control, not a PDF DPI setting.
Why --dpi and --image-dpi are usually the wrong answer
The upstream manual places --dpi and --image-dpi in PDF options. They describe PDF generation and image handling when images are embedded in a PDF, not the raster controls for wkhtmltoimage. Copying a PDF recipe into an image command can result in an unknown-option error or no meaningful change.
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Likewise, a PDF library setting called resolution is documented separately and may have no effect on image output. For wkhtmltoimage, start with screen dimensions, then evaluate zoom and shrinking behavior.
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| Approach | Likely benefit | Risk | Best use |
|---|---|---|---|
Increase --width/--height |
More output pixels and a larger render surface | Width is advisory; responsive layout may change | Desktop captures where a wider viewport is acceptable |
Increase --zoom |
Larger page content | CSS viewport and wrapping can change | Deliberately enlarged screenshots |
| Disable smart shrinking | Can prevent unexpected fit-to-width reduction | Content may overflow or be clipped | Controlled layouts after comparison |
| Device-scale style rendering | Can preserve logical layout while increasing physical pixels in engines that support it | wkhtmltoimage’s legacy builds do not expose one consistent switch | Only when your specific Qt/WebKit build documents and honors it |
WebKit terminology distinguishes device scale from page zoom: device scale does not change viewport or layout, while page zoom does. Qt documentation similarly distinguishes device-independent geometry from raw image-buffer pixels. These concepts explain why a larger file is not automatically a sharper, layout-equivalent capture. Older Qt WebKit APIs describe density relationships and test viewport environment variables, but those historical variables are not a guarantee that every wkhtmltoimage binary honors them.
Performance and reliability considerations
- Memory: doubling both width and height creates roughly four times as many pixels before encoding. Large full-page captures can exhaust memory even when the page itself is modest.
- Load timing: external fonts, images and scripts must finish before capture. Use the wait and load controls your build provides, and make the page deterministic where possible.
- Repeatability: pin the wkhtmltoimage package and record its version, Qt/WebKit build and command-line options. Different distributions can behave differently.
- Bitmap assets: CSS scaling cannot create detail absent from a low-resolution source image. Supplying larger source assets is necessary when photographs or canvas content look soft.
- Output format: PNG is useful for lossless text and UI edges; JPEG can be smaller for photographs but introduces compression artifacts. WebP support depends on the binary.
- Validation: automate checks for file existence, pixel dimensions and non-empty content. A successful process exit alone does not prove that the page rendered correctly.
Troubleshooting common failures
The file has fewer pixels than requested
Cause: width is advisory, smart shrinking applied, or the build interprets options differently. Run wkhtmltoimage --help, compare with smart shrinking disabled, and inspect actual dimensions. Do not infer DPI from the command line alone.
The layout changes when zoom is increased
Cause: page zoom changes the effective CSS viewport. Preserve the original viewport width and avoid zoom when breakpoint stability matters; otherwise adjust CSS and crop for the zoomed layout.
Text is still blurry
Cause: the source font is rasterized at a small scale, a bitmap is being enlarged, or output compression is obscuring detail. Test PNG, confirm the font loaded, and compare at 100% viewing size. More pixels cannot restore detail from a low-resolution source.
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Content is clipped after disabling shrinking
Cause: the page is wider than the requested canvas. Increase --width, set an appropriate crop, or re-enable shrinking. Check horizontal overflow before committing the setting.
--dpi is rejected or has no effect
Cause: it is a PDF option, not a wkhtmltoimage raster control. Remove it and configure screen dimensions, zoom and crop instead.
Two machines produce different images
Cause: different wkhtmltoimage versions, bundled Qt/WebKit engines, fonts, libraries or command-line defaults. Capture --help output and version information, install the same package, and compare loaded fonts and assets.
The page is blank or incomplete
Cause: network failures, JavaScript timing, blocked resources or an early capture. Test the URL from the rendering host, add an appropriate delay or wait condition, and verify that required resources are reachable without interactive authentication.
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The API supports full-page captures with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element captures, dark mode, device presets or custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and margin controls, custom CSS and JavaScript, clicks, selector waits, delays, network-idle waits, request and resource blocking, headers, cookies, user agents, authorization, timezone, geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, selectable-TTL caching, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, usage reporting and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs also work, which can simplify migration.
Best Value
- Improved ComfortView Plus: Reduces harmful blue light emissions to ≤35%, for all-day comfort without sacrificing color accuracy.
- Refresh rate: A smooth, tear-free experience with AMD FreeSync Premium (refresh rate up to 120Hz) and an ultra-low 0.03ms response time create a captivating experience for work and play.
- Vivid colors: Immerse yourself in 4K visuals with a VA panel. Enjoy true-to-life colors with 99% sRGB and 95% DCI-P3 coverage. The 1500:1 contrast ratio and HDR readiness deliver excellent depth and detail.
- Re-engineered sound quality: Enjoy more detailed sound with spacious audio featuring greater output power, deeper frequency response and more decibel range than the previous generation.
- Ultra-thin bezel: Designed with a sleek, modern aesthetic and an ash white finish, this display features ultra-thin bezels for a refined, minimalist design.
cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for request options. The Free plan includes 1,000 shots each month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots, and every feature is included on every plan. Create a free ScreenshotNeo account to start.
When to choose each method
- Choose wkhtmltoimage when you control the rendering host, need an offline or self-managed pipeline, and can pin the legacy engine and validate its output.
- Choose ScreenshotNeo when consent cleanup, failure-aware billing, MCP access, modern capture options or avoiding browser infrastructure matters.
- For either method, define the required CSS layout, output pixel dimensions, crop and acceptable treatment of external assets before automating.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does wkhtmltoimage support a true device-pixel-ratio flag?
The documented CLI controls do not provide one consistent, native device-pixel-ratio switch across builds. Use screen dimensions and test the specific Qt/WebKit binary you deploy.
Should I use PNG or JPEG for a high-resolution screenshot?
PNG preserves text and interface edges without lossy compression; JPEG can reduce file size for photographic pages but may soften sharp details.
How can I confirm that a capture is really high resolution?
Inspect the saved file’s pixel width and height, then review text, vectors, bitmap assets and layout at 100% rather than relying on the requested command-line values.
Quick Recap
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