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wkhtmltoimage Screenshot Too Small? Set the Capture Width

Use wkhtmltoimage’s --width option to request a wider image; add --viewport-size when the page layout depends on its emulated viewport.
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Set the requested image width with --width: wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 input.html output.png. If the page still lays out at a narrow responsive breakpoint, also try an appropriate --viewport-size; it controls the emulated window or viewport, not the requested capture width. The exact result can vary by installed build and page.

Set the image capture width with --width

Pass the width in pixels as an integer. For example, to request a 1280-pixel-wide capture:

wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 input.html output.png

Replace input.html with your HTML file or supported input and output.png with the desired output path. The official usage documentation lists width among the image options: wkhtmltoimage usage documentation.

When to set the viewport too

--width requests the image capture width. --viewport-size WIDTHxHEIGHT emulates window or viewport dimensions for cases such as custom scrollbars or CSS overflow. If a page’s CSS responds to viewport width, its layout may remain narrow even when you request a wider capture. In that case, test a viewport suited to the intended layout:

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wkhtmltoimage --width 1280 --viewport-size 1280x900 input.html output.png

This is a diagnostic example, not a guarantee that every build will produce a file exactly 1280 pixels wide or that width and viewport must always match. The option descriptions are in the official usage documentation.

Option or approach What it affects When to consider it Qualification
--width <integer> Requested image capture width The generated image is too narrow Listed in official usage documentation; verify behavior in your installed build.
--viewport-size WIDTHxHEIGHT Emulated window or viewport dimensions Layout depends on viewport size, custom scrollbars, or CSS overflow Its purpose differs from capture width; exact behavior may depend on the build.
xvfb with --use-xserver Display or screen resolution in a particular legacy Linux setup Only when that setup depends on real X server screen dimensions Suggested in a 2014 maintainer discussion, not confirmed as a general current fix: historical issue discussion.

Why a wider capture may still look narrow

  • Responsive CSS: The page may choose a narrow layout based on its emulated viewport. Try --viewport-size with dimensions that correspond to the layout you want.
  • Overflow or custom scrollbars: These are among the documented reasons to set viewport dimensions.
  • Build differences: Check the installed binary’s help and version, then verify the output dimensions and page layout. The upstream project is archived and read-only since January 2, 2023, so behavior should not be assumed identical across downstream packages or forks: upstream repository.

Troubleshoot a width that does not change

  1. Confirm the option is available. Run wkhtmltoimage --help and inspect the installed build’s options.
  2. Set --width explicitly. Put the desired integer width in the command, as in the 1280-pixel example above.
  3. Check the page’s responsive layout. If it still appears to use a narrow breakpoint, test --viewport-size with a suitable width and height.
  4. Inspect the output itself. Check the actual image dimensions and content rather than assuming the requested value was honored exactly.
  5. Account for legacy Linux display behavior only when relevant. A maintainer reported in 2014 that Linux headless mode then used a hard-coded 800×600 screen, distinguishing viewport size from screen resolution. The discussion mentioned xvfb and --use-xserver for that setup; it is historical guidance, not a universal requirement for current packages. See the 2014 issue discussion.
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Or skip the browser setup

If you need screenshots through an API rather than configuring a local renderer, ScreenshotNeo takes a URL in one GET request and can return PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. For example, using cURL:

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