How to Generate PDFs with Playwright (JavaScript)

Use Playwright’s page.pdf() method to turn a rendered page into a PDF. It returns a PDF buffer; add path to save directly to a file. Playwright uses print CSS media by default, so choose print or screen styling before exporting, then set paper size, margins, backgrounds, colors, and optional headers or footers.

Prerequisites and a minimal project

Install Node.js and a Playwright project. The following commands create a JavaScript project, install Playwright, and download its browsers:

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1		Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer - Black	$239.99	Buy on Amazon
2		Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format All-in-One Tank Printer	$689.90	Buy on Amazon
3		HP Smart Tank 5000 Wireless All-in-One Ink Tank Printer, Scanner, Copier with 2 Years of Ink...	$189.99	Buy on Amazon
4		NDYIN Portable Printers Wireless for Travel, N80 Bluetooth Thermal Printer	$41.99	Buy on Amazon

1. mkdir playwright-pdf && cd playwright-pdf
2. npm init -y
3. npm install playwright
4. npx playwright install

Playwright supports Chromium, WebKit, and Firefox for browser automation. The page.pdf() Page API is the export method; the separate Playwright PDF Export MCP capability is limited to Chromium.

Generate your first PDF

Create pdf.js with this complete script:

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

(async () => {
  const browser = await chromium.launch();
  const page = await browser.newPage();

  await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
  await page.pdf({ path: 'page.pdf' });

  await browser.close();
})();

Run node pdf.js. The resulting page.pdf is written in the current directory. If you omit path, page.pdf() returns a buffer instead:

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const pdfBuffer = await page.pdf();
require('fs').writeFileSync('page.pdf', pdfBuffer);

Wait for the page state your document actually needs. networkidle helps with pages that fetch data after navigation, but it is not a guarantee that every chart, image, or font is ready. For application pages, wait for a specific selector or an application-ready signal as well.

Choose print CSS or screen CSS

Print media (the default)

By default, page.pdf() renders with print CSS media. Rules inside @media print apply, while screen-only layouts may be hidden or rearranged.

await page.goto('https://example.com/report', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'report-print.pdf', format: 'A4' });

Screen media

To export the screen version, emulate screen media before calling page.pdf():

await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'report-screen.pdf', format: 'A4' });

Media emulation changes CSS evaluation; it does not change the fact that the output is a PDF. Check both versions when your site has separate print and screen layouts.

Control paper size, dimensions, margins, and scale

Use a named format such as A4 or Letter, or provide explicit width and height. Dimensions and margins accept px, in, cm, and mm; a number without a unit is treated as pixels. If both a format and dimensions are supplied, format takes priority.

await page.pdf({
  path: 'invoice.pdf',
  format: 'A4',
  margin: {
    top: '18mm',
    right: '16mm',
    bottom: '20mm',
    left: '16mm'
  },
  scale: 1
});

The default format is Letter, margins default to zero, and scale defaults to 1. Scale must be between 0.1 and 2. Scaling changes the rendered content size; it is not a substitute for fixing an overflowing layout.

Let CSS @page own the size

If your stylesheet defines the paper dimensions, opt into CSS precedence:

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• PRINT FOR LONGER — Up to 2 years of ink in the box² (and with every replacement ink set) for fewer out-of-ink frustrations with this wireless printer
• ZERO CARTRIDGE WASTE — Epson EcoTank printer helps reduce the amount of cartridge waste ending up in landfills; Cartridge-free printer uses high-yield ink bottles; Each replacement ink bottle set is equivalent to about 100 individual ink cartridges⁴

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await page.pdf({
  path: 'booklet.pdf',
  preferCSSPageSize: true,
  printBackground: true
});

With the documented default of false, Playwright scales content to fit the API-selected paper. Set preferCSSPageSize: true when the document’s @page rules should control size instead.

@page {
  size: 210mm 297mm;
  margin: 15mm 12mm;
}

@media print {
  .screen-only { display: none; }
}

Backgrounds and accurate colors

Background graphics are disabled by default. Enable them explicitly:

await page.pdf({
  path: 'branded-report.pdf',
  format: 'A4',
  printBackground: true
});

Browsers may adjust colors for print. If exact brand colors matter, request color accuracy in your print stylesheet:

@media print {
  * {
    -webkit-print-color-adjust: exact;
    print-color-adjust: exact;
  }
}

Inspect the generated file with the browser build and CSS used in production. Color-adjust is a request to preserve colors, not a promise that every PDF viewer will display them identically.

Add headers, footers, and page numbers

Set displayHeaderFooter: true and provide HTML templates. Playwright replaces these classes with print metadata:

• date — print date
• title — document title
• url — page URL
• pageNumber — current page
• totalPages — total page count

await page.pdf({
  path: 'report-with-footer.pdf',
  format: 'A4',
  displayHeaderFooter: true,
  headerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:9px;width:100%;text-align:center;"><span class="title"></span></div>',
  footerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:9px;width:100%;text-align:center;">Page <span class="pageNumber"></span> of <span class="totalPages"></span></div>',
  margin: { top: '20mm', bottom: '20mm' }
});

Templates are isolated from the page: page styles are not visible inside them, and scripts in the templates are not evaluated. Put inline styles in the template and reserve enough top or bottom margin so content does not overlap the header or footer.

Useful options for reports and long documents

Select only certain pages

Use pageRanges for ranges such as 1-5, 8, 11-13:

await page.pdf({ path: 'extract.pdf', pageRanges: '1-5, 8, 11-13' });

Wait for application content

await page.goto('https://example.com/dashboard', { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
await page.waitForSelector('[data-report-ready]');
await page.pdf({ path: 'dashboard.pdf', printBackground: true });

For animations, freeze or disable them in print CSS. For lazy-loaded images, scroll or trigger the application’s loading behavior before export, then wait for image completion.

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Produce a buffer in an HTTP response

const pdf = await page.pdf({ format: 'A4' });
res.setHeader('Content-Type', 'application/pdf');
res.setHeader('Content-Disposition', 'attachment; filename="report.pdf"');
res.send(pdf);

A complete production-oriented example

const { chromium } = require('playwright');

async function exportReport(url, output = 'report.pdf') {
  const browser = await chromium.launch();
  try {
    const page = await browser.newPage({
      viewport: { width: 1440, height: 900 },
      deviceScaleFactor: 1
    });

    await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded', timeout: 60_000 });
    await page.waitForSelector('[data-report-ready]', { timeout: 30_000 });
    await page.evaluate(() => document.fonts.ready);

    await page.pdf({
      path: output,
      format: 'A4',
      printBackground: true,
      preferCSSPageSize: true,
      margin: { top: '22mm', right: '15mm', bottom: '22mm', left: '15mm' },
      displayHeaderFooter: true,
      headerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:8px;width:100%;padding:0 15mm;"><span class="title"></span></div>',
      footerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:8px;width:100%;text-align:right;padding:0 15mm;"><span class="pageNumber"></span>/<span class="totalPages"></span></div>'
    });
  } finally {
    await browser.close();
  }
}

exportReport('https://example.com/report').catch(err => {
  console.error(err);
  process.exitCode = 1;
});

Troubleshooting common failures

The PDF is blank or missing data

• Cause: export ran before client-side rendering finished. Fix: wait for a stable selector, API completion marker, fonts, and images rather than relying only on navigation.
• Cause: content is hidden by print CSS. Fix: inspect @media print rules or call page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' }).

Colors or backgrounds disappear

Set printBackground: true. Add -webkit-print-color-adjust: exact when precise colors are required, and verify that the element is not hidden by print styles.

Content is clipped or overlaps the footer

Check the paper format, CSS @page, and margins. If CSS should control the paper, set preferCSSPageSize: true. Increase header or footer margins and avoid fixed-height containers that cannot expand across pages.

Headers or footers show no values

Confirm displayHeaderFooter: true and use the documented class names exactly. Put styles inline because page styles do not apply inside templates; do not depend on JavaScript in a template.

Navigation or export times out

Increase the relevant timeout only after identifying the slow operation. Wait for a specific readiness condition instead of networkidle when analytics, WebSockets, or long polling keep the network busy. Ensure the target is reachable from the machine running the browser and that required authentication, cookies, or headers are present.

Fonts or images differ from the website

Wait for document.fonts.ready, confirm assets load from the capture environment, and use absolute or accessible URLs. A PDF generated in CI can differ if fonts, browser versions, or network responses differ from development.

The browser will not launch in CI

Install the Playwright browser binaries with npx playwright install during the image build. Keep browser and Playwright package versions aligned, and capture launch logs before changing sandbox settings; disabling security features should be a deliberate infrastructure decision.

Performance, reliability, and cost considerations

• Reuse a browser process for multiple pages or jobs, but isolate unrelated documents in separate pages and close pages when finished.
• Use a readiness selector instead of an unnecessarily long fixed delay. Fixed delays make fast jobs slower and still may fail on slower pages.
• Keep PDFs deterministic: pin the Playwright version, browser build, fonts, locale, timezone, and test data where reproducibility matters.
• Set navigation and selector timeouts, handle failures with try/finally, and record the URL, browser version, and export options with each job.
• Large, image-heavy pages consume memory. Export only needed page ranges, reduce source image dimensions, or split very large documents into jobs.
• PDF generation is local browser work: account for browser CPU, memory, startup time, and the bandwidth needed to load the page and its assets.

Or skip the browser setup

If you need a hosted website capture rather than a Playwright process you maintain, ScreenshotNeo returns a PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF from one request. Its PDF options include paper size, margins, landscape mode, and page ranges.

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• No-ink printing: Only supports US Letter and A4 size thermal paper.(Doesn't support regular paper) The no-ink portable thermal printer uses direct thermal technology, requiring no ink, toner or ribbons, making it environmentally friendly, cost-effective and time-saving. The thermal printer package comes with a roll of US Letter thermal printing paper. Note: When installing the paper, remember to switch the paper size switch on APP
• Clear Print: NDYIN N80 portable thermal printer adopts high-definition printing technology, with a 203DPI resolution to provide you with clear printing results. This mobile printer is compatible with roll paper, folded paper and tattoo transfer paper, supporting printing from your mobile phone PDF, Word, pictures and web pages anytime and anywhere. It is recommended to use our NDYIN thermal paper to achieve good printing quality
• Portable wireless printer for travel: The thermal printer is equipped with a built-in 1500mAh rechargeable battery, which can print 160 sheets of 8.5" x 11" thermal paper after being fully charged. It weighs only 1.5 pounds and is compact in size. This ink-free portable printer can be easily carried in a backpack or briefcase! It is perfect for business travel, cars, small offices, construction sites, schools and homes. You can print documents, contracts, invoices and boarding passes anytime and anywhere
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curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

See the ScreenshotNeo documentation for authentication and PDF parameters. Equivalent examples:

import requests

r = requests.get(
    "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot",
    params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"},
    timeout=90,
)
r.raise_for_status()
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)

const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);
if (!res.ok) throw new Error(`${res.status} ${await res.text()}`);
require('fs').writeFileSync('shot.webp', Buffer.from(await res.arrayBuffer()));

ScreenshotNeo accepts consent banners before capture and removes more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each cleanup step can be disabled. Bot checks or CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits are not billed, and response headers identify the page verdict and billing result. Its MCP server provides take_screenshot, get_page_info, and capture_pdf tools for Claude, Cursor, and other MCP clients. The free plan includes 1,000 screenshots per month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 screenshots. Sign up free for ScreenshotNeo.

FAQ

Does page.pdf() work with Firefox and WebKit?

Playwright supports those automation engines, but the PDF export method and its documented behavior should be checked against the Playwright version and browser engine you deploy. The dedicated PDF Export MCP capability is specifically Chromium-only.

Can I add arbitrary JavaScript to a header template?

No. Scripts in header and footer templates are not evaluated. Render the value in the page itself or pass static HTML and the documented metadata classes.

Why does my CSS @page size seem ignored?

The API defaults to fitting content to its selected paper size. Set preferCSSPageSize: true when the stylesheet’s page size should take precedence.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I generate a PDF without writing it to disk?

Yes. Omit the path option; page.pdf() returns a PDF buffer that you can upload or send in an HTTP response.

What is the simplest way to export only pages 2 and 4?

Pass pageRanges: '2, 4' in the PDF options.

Are PDF backgrounds enabled automatically?

No. Set printBackground: true to include background graphics.

Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1

Epson EcoTank ET-2800 Wireless Color All-in-One Supertank Printer - Black

$239.99

SaleBestseller No. 2

Epson EcoTank Photo ET-8550 Wireless Wide-Format All-in-One Tank Printer

$689.90

Bestseller No. 3

HP Smart Tank 5000 Wireless All-in-One Ink Tank Printer, Scanner, Copier with 2 Years of Ink Included, Best-for-Home, Cartridge-Free, Refillable and AI-Enabled. (5D1B6A)

PREMIUM SUPPORT - Strong technical expertise to solve issues faster; THE LAST PRINTER YOU'LL EVER NEED. Enjoy years of refillable, cartridge-free printing.

$189.99

Bestseller No. 4

NDYIN Portable Printers Wireless for Travel, N80 Bluetooth Thermal Printer

$41.99

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.