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Short answer: iText pdfHTML has only partial support for the CSS transform property. You should not assume that transform: scale() will behave exactly as it does in a browser. The current iText feature overview describes transforms as unsupported by the PDF specification while noting partial support for CSS transform in pdfHTML. Test your exact HTML, CSS, target elements and library version in iText’s current HTML Converter demo before relying on the result in production.
What iText officially supports
The maintained iText feature overview is based on pdfHTML 6.3.3 with iText Core 9.7.0. It classifies the CSS transform property as partially supported, not fully supported. That distinction matters: the documentation does not promise every transform function, argument form, element type, transform origin, or interaction with pagination and overflow. Therefore, the accurate answer to “Does pdfHTML support transform: scale()?” is “possibly in your case, but only as part of partial transform support.”
pdfHTML 6.3.3 was released on July 8, 2026, and is an iText Core add-on for Java and .NET that converts HTML/XML and associated CSS to PDF. Check the version actually deployed by your application; an online demo or a different dependency version is not proof that your production build will render identically.
See the current support matrix at iText’s feature-support page. The older conversion tutorial explains the renderer-tree approach, but iText warns that tutorial feature information may not include newer capabilities, so use the maintained feature page for current support claims.
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How to test a scaled element
Begin with the smallest document that demonstrates the visual result you need. A minimal test makes it easier to distinguish unsupported CSS from unrelated layout, font, image or pagination problems.
1. Create a controlled HTML fixture
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<style>
@page { size: A4; margin: 24mm; }
.stage { width: 240px; height: 120px; border: 1px solid #333; }
.scaled {
width: 160px;
height: 80px;
background: #dbeafe;
transform: scale(0.75);
/* Keep this declaration in the test so you can compare versions. */
}
</style>
</head>
<body>
<div class="stage">
<div class="scaled">Scale test</div>
</div>
</body>
</html>Use a visible border, fixed dimensions and a short label. Compare the generated PDF with the intended rendered size and position, rather than judging only whether the PDF opens successfully.
2. Convert with Java
With pdfHTML on the classpath, a basic Java conversion is:
import com.itextpdf.html2pdf.HtmlConverter;
import java.io.File;
public class Convert {
public static void main(String[] args) throws Exception {
HtmlConverter.convertToPdf(
new File("input.html"),
new File("output.pdf"));
}
}Pin the pdfHTML and iText Core versions in your build, record them with the test fixture, and compare output after every upgrade. The official release page for pdfHTML 6.3.3 is available here.
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3. Convert with .NET
A corresponding .NET conversion uses the pdfHTML converter API:
using System.IO;
using iText.Html2pdf;
using (var input = File.OpenRead("input.html"))
using (var output = File.Create("output.pdf"))
{
HtmlConverter.ConvertToPdf(input, output);
}Use the package versions your application supports and keep the input, output and dependency metadata together when reporting a rendering discrepancy.
4. Validate in the current HTML Converter demo
iText recommends its HTML Converter Demo Lab when support for a particular HTML or CSS feature is uncertain. The demo uses the latest pdfHTML release. Paste the same fixture, inspect the PDF, and note the demo’s release alongside your local result. A successful demo conversion is useful evidence for that version and input; it is not a guarantee for every document or older deployment.
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Partial support leaves several practical questions open. The reviewed iText documentation does not specify a guaranteed scale() syntax subset, a universal transform-origin behavior, or consistent treatment for every HTML element. It also does not establish how scaling will interact with line wrapping, clipping, fixed and absolutely positioned elements, tables, flex or grid layouts, or page breaks.
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Evaluate the cases that matter to your document:
- Rendered size: does the visible content have the intended width and height?
- Position: does the element move around its expected origin, or does it overlap neighboring content?
- Pagination: does scaling change a page break, produce clipping, or leave unexpected whitespace?
- Element types: does the result match for block elements, inline content, images and nested containers?
- Repeated content: do headers, footers and repeated table rows remain aligned?
- Version consistency: does the same fixture render the same way in your pinned library and the current demo?
Keep the test narrow. Change one property at a time, remove unrelated JavaScript and external resources, and use local assets where possible. This does not make unsupported behavior supported; it makes the observed behavior explainable.
When scaling appears not to work
The PDF looks unchanged
First confirm that the CSS rule is loaded and that the selector matches the intended element. Then remove the transform and change an ordinary property such as width or background to prove that the stylesheet is being applied. If ordinary CSS works but the transform has no visible effect, treat that input as unsupported for your version and element rather than assuming a browser-equivalent implementation.
The element moves or overlaps unexpectedly
A transform can alter painting without giving surrounding layout the same dimensions you expect from a browser. Test with generous margins, a visible containing box and one scaled child. If the placement is unacceptable, redesign the layout around explicit dimensions and spacing, or test an alternative in the actual document. The available documentation does not establish a universal substitute for scale(), so describe any workaround as version- and case-specific.
Only some elements scale
That is consistent with a partial feature. Reduce the example to the failing element, remove nesting, and test a simple numeric scale. Record whether the issue is tied to an inline element, a replaced element such as an image, a table cell or a positioned box. Do not generalize one successful element to all HTML content.
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Different output after an upgrade
Compare the dependency graph, input fixture, fonts, resource URLs and PDF metadata. Keep a small regression suite containing the scaled cases your application depends on. A version change can alter renderer behavior even when the HTML is unchanged, which is why the version basis belongs in every test report.
Blank pages, missing fonts or missing images distract from the test
Fix resource and encoding errors before judging transforms. Use absolute or correctly resolved resource paths, embed or install the required fonts, and check converter logs. A missing image or fallback font can make a correctly applied transform appear wrong.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Designing a reliable fallback
If exact scaling is business-critical, make the conversion contract explicit. Render a representative fixture in CI, compare dimensions and placement against an approved result, and reject a library upgrade that changes those measurements without review. Include long text, a page boundary, an image and the production container hierarchy in that fixture.
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Where a transform remains unreliable, test a layout that expresses the desired result through ordinary dimensions, padding and positioning. For example, if a card must appear at 75 percent of a known size, try defining its width, height, typography and internal spacing at those target values instead of relying on a paint-time transform. This is a strategy to test, not an iText guarantee.
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Do not claim that a browser screenshot, a different PDF engine or an earlier pdfHTML release proves compatibility. The conversion tutorial describes how pdfHTML maps HTML/CSS into iText objects, but the maintained feature page is the appropriate source for current support status.
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cURL (see the ScreenshotNeo API documentation):
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Practical decision checklist
- Identify the pdfHTML and iText Core versions in production.
- Reduce the transform to a minimal, self-contained fixture.
- Test the exact target element, nesting and page context.
- Compare rendered dimensions, position, overflow and pagination.
- Run the same fixture in iText’s latest HTML Converter demo.
- Keep a regression PDF or measurement check before upgrading.
- Use an explicit-layout alternative only after testing it with production content.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is transform: scale(0.5) guaranteed to work in pdfHTML?
No. iText documents partial support for the CSS transform property, not a guarantee for every scale() form or element. Validate the exact input with your pinned version.
Which pdfHTML version underlies the current support statement?
The feature overview identifies pdfHTML 6.3.3 with iText Core 9.7.0 as its basis; pdfHTML 6.3.3 is dated July 8, 2026.
Where should I report a reproducible rendering discrepancy?
Provide a minimal HTML/CSS fixture, the generated PDF, dependency versions, runtime details and the result from the current HTML Converter demo so the behavior can be compared precisely.
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