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If wkhtmltopdf splits text, rows, or images across PDF pages, start by treating it as a pagination problem: WebKit lays out a long page and then cuts it into paper-sized pages. If content disappears at the right edge, investigate width and overflow instead. There is no universal page-break switch; the reliable approach is to reproduce the issue with the exact binary, then adjust break points, paper geometry, media, scaling, or render timing one variable at a time.
First identify what is being cut off
Two symptoms are often described as “cut off,” but they need different fixes:
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- Vertical split: a line, table row, or image is divided at a page boundary, or content at the bottom of one page continues on the next. This is a pagination issue.
- Right-edge truncation: text or other content is missing on the right side of the page. This is more likely a width, wrapping, margin, overflow, or scaling issue.
wkhtmltopdf’s usage documentation explains that WebKit renders content as one long page and then cuts it into pages. Its documentation warns that lines and images may be split, and calls CSS page-break controls only a partial remedy. See the project’s Page Breaking documentation. A split at a boundary therefore does not, by itself, mean the HTML is missing content.
Before changing options, save the exact HTML and assets that reproduce the problem, and record the wkhtmltopdf version, operating system, package or build source, paper size, margins, and whether the build uses patched Qt. Run the same binary directly on that input if an application wrapper is involved; this helps separate a renderer issue from wrapper configuration.
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Keep content together at page breaks
Give the renderer natural places to break: organize content into meaningful blocks, and avoid layouts made from separately positioned pieces that must align across a page. For a block that should remain intact, try page-break-inside: avoid in the actual patched-Qt build:
.keep-together {
page-break-inside: avoid;
}
Apply the rule selectively to items such as a short table row group or compact card, rather than wrapping a large section that cannot fit in the remaining printable area. A block may need to move to the next page or still split if it is too large. The project describes this CSS rule as something that can remedy the issue “somewhat,” not as a guarantee; its documentation identifies patched Qt as a requirement for this remedy.
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Check paper size, orientation, and margins
The printable area determines where text wraps and where content lands. Confirm the requested paper size and orientation, then check all four margins, especially if content is close to an edge or a header or footer. The wkhtmltopdf manual documents A4 as the default page size and provides options to choose a named size or set custom page width and height.
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| What to check | Relevant options | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Paper size | --page-size |
A different paper size changes the available width and height. |
| Custom dimensions | --page-width, --page-height |
Use these when the output is not a standard named paper size. |
| Printable area | --margin-top, --margin-bottom, --margin-left, --margin-right |
Margins affect wrapping and page placement. Check top and bottom space together with header/footer spacing. |
For example, compare the output using the same paper dimensions and explicit margins as the intended deployment. Do not assume that a browser preview uses the same page geometry as the PDF command.
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Test smart shrinking as a controlled comparison
The manual says smart shrinking is enabled by default. --disable-smart-shrinking disables WebKit’s strategy for changing the pixel-to-DPI ratio; the option is not documented as a page-break fix. Compare the PDF with and without the flag while holding the HTML, paper size, margins, and other options constant. Check both the font scale and the pagination, because changing scale can change line wrapping and page count.
Issue reports show clipping configurations that included disabled smart shrinking, but they do not establish that the flag caused the symptoms or that toggling it fixes them. One report describes bottom content split across pages with wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 on CentOS 7; another describes text truncated at the right edge. They are examples, not controlled tests across builds: issue #5139 and issue #4080.
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Make print styles and generated content available
Print versus screen CSS
--print-media-type makes wkhtmltopdf use print media styles instead of screen styles. If your page-break rules are in @media print, confirm the option is active and that print-only styles, fonts, and other required assets load in the conversion environment. A browser screen view does not verify the print stylesheet.
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JavaScript is enabled by default in the documented command-line options, and the documented default JavaScript delay is 200 milliseconds. For content that is created asynchronously, test a deliberate --javascript-delay, a --window-status wait for a specified status value, or --run-script to run a script after page load. These options can address content that is not ready when conversion starts; they do not repair WebKit’s pagination algorithm.
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Headers and footers
If clipping or collision appears near a header or footer, review header/footer spacing alongside the top and bottom margins. An issue report includes headers and footers in its configuration but does not confirm them as the cause or provide a verified fix. Treat their spacing as a variable to test, not an established diagnosis.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Use a reproducible troubleshooting sequence
- Classify the symptom. Decide whether content is split vertically at a page boundary or truncated at the right edge; do not apply a page-break rule to a horizontal overflow problem without checking width.
- Record the environment. Run
wkhtmltopdf --versionand note the OS, package/build source, page settings, and patched-Qt status. The project manual describes wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 with patched Qt; verify that your installed binary matches before relying on build-specific behavior. - Reproduce outside the wrapper. Use the same binary against the saved HTML and assets. If direct conversion works but the application output does not, inspect the wrapper’s arguments and input preparation.
- Test one change at a time. Start with natural break locations and selective
page-break-inside: avoidfor vertical splits. For edge clipping, check page width, margins, wrapping, overflow, and scale. - Compare paper and media settings. Verify page size, orientation, margins, and whether the output should use print or screen styles.
- Check readiness and spacing. If content is missing rather than merely split, test an appropriate JavaScript wait. If only the page top or bottom is affected, inspect header/footer spacing with the related margin.
- Keep the working case. Save the minimal HTML, exact command, binary details, and output for the successful configuration so the result can be repeated in deployment.
Common mistakes and what to try instead
- Assuming every cut is a page-break failure: right-edge truncation needs width and overflow checks, while a line divided between pages points to pagination.
- Expecting
page-break-inside: avoidto keep any size block intact: use it selectively, and test on the patched-Qt build because the project documents only a partial remedy. - Changing smart shrinking as a magic fix: compare both settings under identical conditions and assess scale and wrapping as well as page boundaries.
- Increasing JavaScript delay to fix a split line: wait options address content that has not rendered yet, not how rendered content is divided across pages.
- Assuming browser appearance proves PDF geometry: validate the PDF paper size, margins, and print media mode used by the actual command.
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Sources and scope
The project documentation describes the page-breaking limitation and command-line options for the documented wkhtmltopdf build. The cited GitHub issues are individual reports, not confirmation of a universal cause or fix. Your installed binary, operating system, package source, and input can affect results; verify behavior on the exact build you deploy.
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