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For a repeatable developer workflow, render the HTML in a browser with Puppeteer and save the result with page.pdf(). Puppeteer uses print CSS by default, waits for fonts before generating the PDF, and lets you set page size, margins, orientation, backgrounds, and page ranges. If you have raw HTML text rather than a web page, first put it in a local HTML file or serve it from your application, then open that page in Puppeteer.
Convert an HTML page to PDF with Puppeteer
The shortest workflow is to launch a browser, open the HTML page, generate a PDF, and close the browser. Install Puppeteer in a Node.js project first, then save this as make-pdf.js:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
(async () => {
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle0' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Run it with node make-pdf.js. Replace the example URL with the page you want to convert. Puppeteer’s documented basic sequence is launch, navigate, call page.pdf(), and close the browser; the method can save to a file with path and also returns PDF bytes for application-side handling. See the Puppeteer PDF generation guide.
Converting HTML text you already have
If your input is a string such as <h1>Invoice</h1><p>...</p>, place it in a complete HTML document and make that document available as a local file or a page served by your application. Then navigate to that page in the script. Include any CSS and assets the document needs; relative image, font, or stylesheet paths must resolve in the environment running the browser. The official guide’s basic example navigates to a URL; adapt the navigation step to the way your application serves or opens its HTML.
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Use the target page’s URL, not a plain-text string, in page.goto(). A URL is rendered as a page; unmarked text in a browser is not automatically interpreted as HTML markup. For untrusted input, treat HTML and scripts as active content and consider what the browser process can access before rendering it.
Choose print or screen styling
page.pdf() generates a PDF with the print CSS media type by default, as stated in the Puppeteer Page.pdf() API. This means print-specific rules such as @media print can affect the result. If you want the page’s screen styling instead, emulate screen media before calling page.pdf():
await page.emulateMediaType('screen');
await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf' });PDF rendering may alter colors for printing. To request more exact color reproduction, Puppeteer’s API points to the CSS property -webkit-print-color-adjust. For example, apply it to the relevant elements or document in your stylesheet:
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* {
-webkit-print-color-adjust: exact;
}Check the resulting PDF rather than assuming a screen preview and a printed PDF will look identical.
Set page size, margins, and included pages
Use the PDF options that match the document instead of relying on defaults. The current Puppeteer PDFOptions reference documents these controls:
| Need | Option | How it affects output |
|---|---|---|
| Standard paper size | format |
Choose a paper format. When format is set, it takes priority over width and height. |
| Custom page dimensions | width, height |
Set dimensions when a standard format is not appropriate. These dimensions are subordinate to format if it is also supplied. |
| Landscape output | landscape |
Set to true for a horizontal page orientation. |
| Page whitespace | margin |
Set top, right, bottom, and left margins to control the printable area. |
| Honor CSS page size | preferCSSPageSize |
Prioritize an @page size in CSS over API-provided format or dimensions. |
| Background graphics | printBackground |
Enable when the PDF needs background colors or images. Its documented default is false. |
| Selected pages | pageRanges |
Limit the output to specified page ranges. |
| Running page labels | displayHeaderFooter and templates |
Enable and supply optional header or footer templates when the document needs them. |
For example, this configuration requests landscape A4, includes background graphics, and adds margins:
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await page.pdf({
path: 'output.pdf',
format: 'A4',
landscape: true,
printBackground: true,
margin: { top: '12mm', right: '12mm', bottom: '12mm', left: '12mm' }
});Option names, defaults, and experimental status can vary by installed Puppeteer version. Check the reference for the version used by your project before relying on a setting.
Make the PDF reflect the finished page
Wait for the content you need
PDF generation waits for fonts by default, according to the Puppeteer guide. That helps when the page relies on web fonts, but it does not establish that every image, asynchronous widget, or application-specific component has finished loading. If content appears late, wait for a meaningful page condition before calling page.pdf(), and verify that the condition matches your page.
Design the page for print
Use print CSS for page breaks, printable colors, and content that should differ between screen and paper. A long web layout may otherwise split headings from their content or place navigation and interactive controls in the PDF. Preview the generated file at the intended paper size, especially when content length varies.
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Handle the generated bytes
With path, Puppeteer writes the PDF to a file. If your application needs to send or store the document itself, use the returned PDF bytes instead of writing to disk. The API describes a byte result; the exact destination and storage process depend on your application.
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If your HTML is already available as a public page, ScreenshotNeo can capture a URL as an image or PDF. It also supports HTML/CSS-to-image workflows; it is not a substitute for rendering an arbitrary private HTML string unless you first make that content available to the service. Its PDF settings include paper size, margins, landscape orientation, and page ranges. See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for the current request parameters and PDF format selection.
Example one-call URL capture (using the supplied image-output example):
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Troubleshooting HTML-to-PDF output
- Background colors or images are missing: Set
printBackground: true; it is false by default in the documented options. - The PDF looks different from the browser window: Check whether print media rules are active. Puppeteer uses print media by default; emulate screen media before PDF generation if that is the intended appearance.
- Colors look washed out or changed: Print rendering can modify colors. Apply
-webkit-print-color-adjustwhere exact colors are needed and inspect the PDF output. - Fonts are absent or substituted: The guide says PDF generation waits for fonts by default. Confirm that font URLs are reachable from the browser process and that your document references them correctly.
- The page is missing late-loading content: The PDF call’s font wait does not guarantee every dynamic element has rendered. Wait for an application-specific selector or completion signal before capturing.
- The page size ignores your CSS: Check whether
formatis set, since it takes priority over width and height. To prioritize a CSS@pagesize, usepreferCSSPageSize. - Unexpected margins or orientation: Specify the margins and
landscapesetting explicitly, then confirm you are using the options supported by the installed Puppeteer version. - Only some pages should appear: Use
pageRangesand verify the page numbering against the rendered document.
Reliability and cost considerations
Puppeteer automates a browser, so the conversion runs wherever your Node.js application and browser can run. The cited Puppeteer documentation establishes the rendering workflow and options, but does not provide a universal runtime, hosting cost, or performance figure; these depend on your document and deployment. For repeat jobs, close the browser in a finally block as in the example so errors during navigation or PDF generation do not skip cleanup.
For a third-party capture service, consider whether the page can be accessed by that service and review the service’s documentation for request options and data handling. ScreenshotNeo’s published plan prices are Free: 1,000 shots/month; Starter: $5 for 3,000; Growth: $15 for 15,000; Pro: $39 for 60,000; Scale: $99 for 250,000; and Business: $249 for 1,000,000. Yearly billing gives two months free, and every feature is available on every plan. Those are shot allowances and plan prices, not a general per-page conversion benchmark.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Puppeteer create a PDF from HTML or only from a URL?
Its PDF method renders a browser page. A raw HTML string must first be made into a page, such as a local HTML file or a page served by your application.
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Yes. The Page.pdf() API returns PDF bytes; omit file output when you intend to handle the result in application code.
Does Puppeteer use print or screen CSS for PDFs?
Print CSS is the default. Emulate screen media before generating the PDF if you want screen styling.
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