HTML-to-PDF output becomes predictable when you treat it as paginated print rather than a long browser page: set the paper size and margins with @page, define deliberate break rules, and check the exact renderer and version that creates the PDF. Features such as page numbers and running headers depend on renderer support, so a stylesheet that works in one engine may not work the same way in another.
Why a good-looking web page can break in a PDF
A browser page is usually laid out as a continuous viewport. A PDF is divided into pages. In the paged-media model, each page has a page box with a content area and margins; the document’s content is fragmented across as many pages as necessary. That change affects where text and images split, how much space remains for headers and footers, and whether page-specific content can appear. Chrome’s explanation of printed page margins describes this model and its named margin boxes.
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The practical consequence is that screen CSS alone is not a print layout plan. Set page geometry explicitly, add print-specific rules, decide where content may break, and use only pagination features documented for your chosen output engine.
Set page size and margins with @page
The @page rule controls the printed page’s size and margins. Those margins are not merely blank space around the document: they also determine how much room is available for content such as page numbers and running headers or footers.
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@media print {
@page {
size: A4;
margin: 20mm 18mm 22mm;
}
body {
margin: 0;
}
}This example specifies A4 paper and top, side, and bottom margins; adjust the dimensions to the paper and layout you need. Resetting the body margin prevents an ordinary screen-layout margin from being added inside the page area. It does not replace the page margins set in @page.
Chrome and Firefox support @page for page size and margins, but that does not mean they support every feature in the paged-media specifications. Confirm support for each feature in the engine and version that will create your PDF.
Coordinate CSS margins with the print dialog
Browser print settings can add their own headers and footers. Chrome’s documentation notes that these browser-generated items may appear when there is room, even when CSS supplies margin content. The print dialog can turn them off; zero or insufficient margins can also leave no room for them. Chrome’s default page-layout behavior may mean that if the first page has no room for automatic content, later pages do not get it either.
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If the output has duplicate headers, unexpected page numbers, or inconsistent blank space, check both sides of the configuration: the CSS @page margins and the print dialog’s header-and-footer setting. Decide which system owns the page furniture, then leave enough margin for it—or disable the browser-generated items.
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Add page numbers and other margin content in Chrome 131+
Chrome for Developers says CSS-generated page-margin content is available from Chrome 131. Its documentation demonstrates margin at-rules such as @top-left, @bottom-center, and @bottom-right, as well as the page counter for the current page and the pages counter for the total. The Chrome article also shows different layouts for left and right pages.
@page {
margin: 20mm;
@bottom-right {
content: "Page " counter(page) " of " counter(pages);
}
}Margin-box rules need room to render, so reserve space with the page margins and avoid leaving browser-generated headers or footers enabled if they would compete with your CSS. This is a Chrome 131-and-later capability described by Chrome for Developers, not a guarantee that all browsers or PDF engines implement the same margin features.
Choose the renderer by the pagination features you need
The renderer is part of the stylesheet’s contract. Chrome and WeasyPrint document different feature sets; neither source establishes that the same CSS will produce identical PDFs in both. Choose the engine based on the required output and runtime, then pin and verify its version.
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| Consideration | Chrome print pipeline | WeasyPrint 70.0 |
|---|---|---|
| Page size and margins | Chrome for Developers documents @page support for page size and margins. |
Its version 70.0 API reference documents @page, page size, and related page features. |
| Margin content and counters | Chrome for Developers documents generated page-margin content from Chrome 131, including page counters. | The version 70.0 documentation lists page-margin boxes and counters, with known limitations. |
| Book-like pagination | The cited Chrome article documents left and right page styling; it does not establish support for every paged-media feature. | The version 70.0 documentation lists named pages, running elements, footnotes, named strings, cross-references, and PDF bookmarks. It notes that the start parameter of element() is unsupported. |
| Integration | Fits a browser-based print flow. | Offers a Python API using HTML(...).write_pdf(...). |
Feature lists are version-specific. For detailed support and limitations, consult the Chrome documentation and the WeasyPrint 70.0 API reference. Do not assume a feature documented for one engine is available in the other.
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Use WeasyPrint’s API carefully when rendering from Python
The WeasyPrint first-steps guide shows the basic Python pattern: create an HTML object and call write_pdf(). CSS can be supplied as a stylesheet. When using @font-face, the guide requires a shared FontConfiguration for the CSS object and PDF generation.
from weasyprint import CSS, HTML
from weasyprint.text.fonts import FontConfiguration
font_config = FontConfiguration()
css = CSS(string="""
@font-face {
font-family: Example;
src: url("/path/to/example.woff2");
}
body { font-family: Example, sans-serif; }
""", font_config=font_config)
HTML(string="<h1>PDF title</h1>").write_pdf(
"output.pdf",
stylesheets=[css],
font_config=font_config,
)The paths and sample content here are illustrative; use the actual font URL or file location available to your application. The API reference also describes rendering pages individually and exposing information such as page size, links, and bookmarks.
Font behavior deserves a check in the generated PDF. WeasyPrint’s documentation says @font-face is supported, but family resolution goes through Pango and may differ from the CSS recommendation’s matching algorithm. Missing glyphs can fall back to a notdef glyph and produce a warning. A browser preview is therefore not proof that the PDF has the expected font or glyphs.
Make page breaks deliberate
Page fragmentation is inherent to PDF output, so decide which elements should stay together and which sections should begin on a new page. Print-specific break properties let you express those intentions; inspect the result at the actual target engine because support and layout can differ.
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@media print {
h1, h2 {
break-after: avoid-page;
}
figure, table {
break-inside: avoid-page;
}
.chapter {
break-before: page;
}
}- Use
break-before: pagewhen a section genuinely needs a fresh page, such as a new chapter or report section. - Use
break-inside: avoid-pagefor compact units that should not split, such as a small table or figure. A block taller than the available page area cannot always be kept intact. - Use
break-after: avoid-pageto reduce the chance of a heading being stranded at the bottom of a page. Check nearby content, since avoiding a break can move more material than the heading alone.
Protect a PDF service that accepts user content
WeasyPrint warns that untrusted HTML or CSS can create security and resource-use problems. Its first-steps guide describes risks including resource access, very long or infinite rendering, high CPU and memory use, and problems caused by huge CSS values. These are operational concerns for services processing user-provided markup or templates, not a claim that ordinary trusted documents have those properties.
For a service that accepts untrusted input, follow the guide’s recommendations: sanitize input and restrict the rendering process’s filesystem, network, time, and memory access. See the WeasyPrint security guidance for details.
Check the PDF from the production path
A browser preview cannot confirm how the final renderer paginates, handles margin boxes, resolves fonts, or applies print-dialog settings. Inspect PDFs generated through the same path—and with the same engine version—that users or production jobs will run.
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- Confirm the page size, orientation, and margins on the generated pages.
- Look for clipped content, unexpected blank space, awkward splits, and headings separated from their sections.
- Check page numbers, running content, and whether browser-generated headers or footers are duplicated or missing.
- Verify fonts and important glyphs in the PDF, not only in the browser preview.
- Record the renderer and version alongside the CSS so an engine update does not silently change a required feature or layout.
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