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The best Linux method depends on what you are converting. Use headless Chrome or Chromium for a one-off URL, Playwright when you need repeatable automation and precise screenshot settings, and wkhtmltoimage for a short command that converts a local HTML file. All three render HTML rather than merely renaming a file, so JavaScript, stylesheets, fonts, images, viewport size and local-file permissions affect the result.
This guide gives working patterns for each route, explains the options that materially change output, and shows how to diagnose blank, incomplete or unexpectedly scaled PNGs.
Choose a conversion route
| Need | Use | Why |
|---|---|---|
| One direct URL from a shell | Chrome/Chromium headless | The headless command-line interface has a --screenshot option and a window-size setting. |
| Repeatable scripts, waits and browser automation | Playwright | The Page API navigates to a page and saves a PNG, with CSS-pixel and device-pixel scale choices. |
| A simple local HTML-to-image command | wkhtmltoimage |
Ubuntu’s Jammy manual documents a direct input-file/output-file invocation and local-file controls. |
These tools are not guaranteed to render every page identically. If pixel fidelity matters, compare the result with the browser and page behavior you actually need to reproduce.
Method 1: Playwright for a scripted PNG
Playwright is the most flexible local option when a conversion is part of a build, test, report or batch job. Its screenshot API infers PNG from a .png path. The example below runs headlessly, waits for navigation to finish, and writes the image.
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Install the browser and dependencies
Install the Playwright package using your JavaScript package manager, then install the browser binaries required by your Linux environment. Playwright’s browser documentation also describes a headless-only installation using:
npx playwright install --with-deps --only-shellBrowser downloads occupy hundreds of megabytes in the operating-system cache by default. Check available disk space and the current Playwright installation requirements for your distribution before provisioning a build agent.
Capture a URL
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'page.png' });
await browser.close();
})();Save this as capture.js and run it with Node.js. Replace the URL and output path as needed. A relative path is resolved from the directory in which you start Node.
Control dimensions and scale
Set the viewport when the page must match a known layout:
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});Playwright offers two scale behaviors. scale: 'css' produces one output pixel per CSS pixel. scale: 'device' uses device pixels and can create a larger image on a high-density display. Choose CSS scale for predictable pixel dimensions in pipelines; choose device scale when you need a retina-like asset.
await page.screenshot({
path: 'page.png',
fullPage: true,
scale: 'css'
});fullPage: true captures the complete scrollable page instead of only the viewport. It can create a very tall PNG, so check memory and downstream image limits for long documents.
Wait for content before capturing
A navigation response does not necessarily mean that client-side content, fonts or lazy images are ready. In a script, wait for a selector that proves the page is ready, or add a deliberate delay only when the page has no better readiness signal:
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await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
await page.screenshot({ path: 'page.png' });For application pages, a selector-based wait is usually more meaningful than a fixed sleep. If the page never reaches the selected state, Playwright will fail rather than silently producing an incomplete image; raise or lower the timeout to match the site.
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Navigate to an absolute file URL when the HTML is on disk. Keep the document, CSS, images and fonts in locations the browser process can read, and use absolute paths when relative references are ambiguous:
const path = require('path');
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
const page = await browser.newPage({ viewport: { width: 1280, height: 800 } });
await page.goto('file://' + path.resolve('index.html'));
await page.screenshot({ path: 'index.png', fullPage: true, scale: 'css' });
await browser.close();
})();Local pages that fetch network resources can still be affected by connectivity, CORS policy and the timing of those requests. A missing image or stylesheet is a page dependency problem, not a PNG-format problem.
Method 2: Chrome or Chromium headless from the command line
For a direct URL and no scripting, use the installed Chrome/Chromium executable’s headless interface. Chrome documents that the --screenshot flag saves screenshot.png in the current working directory.
google-chrome --headless --disable-gpu --screenshot https://example.comThe executable may instead be named chromium, chromium-browser or another distribution-specific name. Confirm the name and supported flags with the build installed on your Linux system. Set the viewport explicitly when layout depends on width:
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Local files with Chrome
Pass a file URL, for example:
google-chrome --headless --disable-gpu --screenshot=local.png file:///home/user/site/index.htmlLocal resource loading can be restricted by browser security settings. Keep related assets accessible to the browser process and investigate the browser’s error output if CSS or images disappear.
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Method 3: wkhtmltoimage for a concise local conversion
Ubuntu’s Jammy manual describes the command as:
wkhtmltoimage [OPTIONS]... <input file> <output file>For a local document, the basic conversion is:
wkhtmltoimage index.html page.pngThe cited Jammy package is version 0.12.6-2; package availability and behavior can differ on another distribution or release. Check your distribution’s current package documentation before installing or standardizing this tool.
Allow dependent local files
The Jammy manual warns that access to other local files is not allowed unless explicitly permitted. If your HTML references a local stylesheet, image or font, allow the directory containing those assets:
wkhtmltoimage --allow /home/user/site /home/user/site/index.html /home/user/site/page.pngUse the narrowest directory that contains the required resources. Do not broadly expose unrelated parts of the filesystem just to make a conversion succeed.
Make the PNG match the page you intend
Viewport and responsive breakpoints
Responsive CSS changes at viewport breakpoints. Set --window-size in Chrome or viewport in Playwright, and record that choice with the output so a later run is reproducible.
Full page versus visible viewport
A viewport screenshot is bounded by the browser window. A full-page Playwright capture includes the document’s scrollable height and can be substantially larger. Choose the form your consumer expects: a social-card-sized image, a screen-equivalent capture, or a long document.
Fonts, images and lazy content
Fonts may change line wrapping after they load, and lazy images may not exist until they enter an intersection threshold. Wait for a page-specific ready marker, scroll or otherwise trigger the content in your automation, then capture. A fixed delay is only a fallback because network speed varies.
Local security and permissions
When a local stylesheet or image is missing, verify the path from the renderer’s point of view and its permissions first. With wkhtmltoimage, remember the explicit --allow requirement. With browser automation, inspect console and network errors instead of assuming the PNG encoder failed.
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Reliability, performance and cost considerations
- Startup cost: Playwright launches a browser process, so reuse one browser for many pages instead of launching a new process for every image.
- Disk: Playwright browser binaries take hundreds of megabytes in the default cache; include that space in containers and CI runners.
- Memory: Full-page and device-scale screenshots consume more memory than viewport-sized CSS-scale images.
- Repeatability: Pin the browser/tool version used by a build where possible, set viewport and scale explicitly, and wait for a deterministic readiness condition.
- Failure accounting: A command can exit successfully while the page itself is incomplete. Check that the output exists, has a nonzero size, and visually contains expected content.
Common failures and fixes
“Command not found”
The executable is not installed or has a different name. Locate the installed Chrome/Chromium or wkhtmltoimage binary and use the distribution’s package instructions; do not assume Ubuntu’s name applies everywhere.
Playwright cannot launch a browser
Browser binaries or Linux dependencies are missing. Run the documented browser installation, including the headless-only --with-deps --only-shell option where appropriate, then check disk space and permissions.
The PNG is blank or shows a bot-check page
The target may require interaction, authentication or a browser environment that the simple command does not provide. Use Playwright to supply the required state and wait for the real page; a renderer cannot manufacture access that the site denies.
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CSS or images are missing from a local file
Check relative paths, file permissions and local-file restrictions. For wkhtmltoimage, add a narrowly scoped --allow directory. For Playwright or Chrome, inspect the resolved file URL and browser errors.
The capture is the wrong size
Set the viewport or window size explicitly and decide whether CSS or device scale is appropriate. Remember that device scale can produce more output pixels than the CSS dimensions.
The page is cut off or content is absent
Use Playwright’s fullPage option for a complete document and wait for the selector, network state or application event that signals content readiness. A screenshot taken immediately after navigation may precede lazy loading.
Or skip the browser setup
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cURL
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webpPython
import requests
r = requests.get("https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot", params={"access_key": "YOUR_API_KEY", "url": "https://stripe.com"}, timeout=90)
open("shot.webp", "wb").write(r.content)Node.js
const q = new URLSearchParams({ access_key: 'YOUR_API_KEY', url: 'https://stripe.com' });
const res = await fetch(`https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot?${q}`);The API supports full-page captures with lazy images loaded, CSS-selector element captures, dark mode, 12 device presets plus custom viewports, retina scale, PDF paper and page controls, HTML/CSS-to-image, custom JavaScript and CSS, clicks, selector waits, delays, network-idle waits, ad/tracker/request blocking, custom headers and cookies, user agents and authorization, timezone and geolocation, transparent backgrounds, resizing, configurable-TTL caching, signed image links, asynchronous jobs with signed webhooks, bulk capture of up to 100 URLs per call, a usage API and an OpenAPI specification. Parameter names used by other screenshot APIs are accepted to ease migration.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Which method should I use for a CI pipeline?
Use Playwright when the pipeline needs waits, viewport control, full-page output or other browser actions. Reuse a browser process across captures and make the readiness condition explicit.
Can these tools convert an HTML string that is not saved as a file?
The documented examples take a URL or an input file. Save the string as an HTML file, serve it from a local HTTP endpoint, or use a renderer/API that explicitly accepts HTML input.
Why does a high-density screenshot have different dimensions than my CSS layout?
Device-pixel scale multiplies output pixels for high-density rendering. Select CSS scale when the PNG should retain one pixel per CSS pixel.
Is wkhtmltoimage’s Jammy package version current for every Linux distribution?
No. The cited Ubuntu Jammy manual records version 0.12.6-2; other distributions may package a different version or omit it.
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