The shortest reliable workflow is: launch Puppeteer, create a page with await browser.newPage(), load a URL or inject HTML, then call await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf' }). Puppeteer renders with print CSS by default, waits for fonts, and lets you control paper size, margins, backgrounds, orientation, page ranges, and more. The complete examples below show both file-based and in-memory output, plus the settings that most often change the result.
Minimal example: navigate a new page and save a PDF
Install Puppeteer in your project, then use an async function (or an environment that supports top-level await):
import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle2' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf' });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}browser.newPage() creates a Page in the browser’s default context. page.goto() loads the target document, and page.pdf() writes the rendered PDF when a path is supplied. The finally block closes Chromium even if navigation or PDF generation fails.
Generate a PDF from HTML created in the script
When the document does not live at a URL, replace goto() with setContent(). Wait for the resources your page needs before creating the PDF.
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import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';
const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.setContent(`
<!doctype html>
<html>
<head>
<meta charset="utf-8">
<style>
@page { size: A4; margin: 18mm; }
body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; }
h1 { color: #174ea6; }
</style>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Invoice 1007</h1>
<p>Generated from HTML in Puppeteer.</p>
</body>
</html>
`, { waitUntil: 'networkidle0' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'invoice.pdf', format: 'A4', printBackground: true });
} finally {
await browser.close();
}For remote images, web fonts, or JavaScript-generated content, ensure those assets have finished loading. A network-idle condition is useful, but an application-specific selector or explicit wait can be more precise when a page keeps long-lived connections open.
What page.pdf() returns and where output goes
- Write a file: pass
path: 'output.pdf'. The path is resolved by your Node.js process, so use an absolute path when a worker’s current directory is uncertain. - Receive bytes: omit
path. The method returns aPromise<Uint8Array>, which you can send in an HTTP response, upload, or write with Node’s filesystem APIs. - Stream: use
page.createPDFStream(options)when the consumer needs incremental data. It returns aReadableStream<Uint8Array>.
const pdfBytes = await page.pdf({ format: 'Letter', printBackground: true });
// Example: return pdfBytes from an API handler with Content-Type application/pdf.Control paper size, CSS sizing, and orientation
| Setting | Use it when | Important behavior |
|---|---|---|
format |
You want a named paper size such as Letter or A4. |
Letter is the documented default. If set, it takes priority over width and height. |
width and height |
You need an exact custom paper dimension. | Use CSS units such as mm, in, or px; do not rely on these when format is also set. |
preferCSSPageSize |
Your stylesheet’s @page rule defines the authoritative size. |
It defaults to false. Set it to true to give CSS page size priority instead of scaling the content into the selected paper. |
landscape |
Tables, dashboards, or wide screenshots need horizontal pages. | Defaults to false (portrait). |
await page.pdf({
path: 'wide-report.pdf',
format: 'A4',
landscape: true,
margin: { top: '12mm', right: '10mm', bottom: '12mm', left: '10mm' }
});Make screen styling, colors, and backgrounds appear correctly
Print media versus screen media
PDF generation uses print CSS media by default. If the page looks different from what users see in a browser, switch media before calling pdf():
await page.emulateMediaType('screen');
await page.pdf({ path: 'screen-style.pdf', printBackground: true });Use print media when you maintain a dedicated print stylesheet; use screen media when the on-screen layout is the intended document.
Background graphics and exact colors
printBackground defaults to false. Set it to true for colored sections, background images, and dashboard panels. Browsers may modify colors for printing. Add this CSS when color fidelity matters:
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-webkit-print-color-adjust: exact;
print-color-adjust: exact;
}Color output can still vary with Chromium, CSS, and embedded assets, so inspect a representative PDF in the viewer used by your recipients.
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Wait for content that is not ready at navigation time
- Fonts: Puppeteer’s PDF method waits for fonts by default; the options reference calls this
waitForFonts, whose default istrue. - Lazy images: scroll or trigger the application to load them before generating the PDF.
- Async application data: wait for a stable selector rather than guessing a delay.
- Animations: disable them in print CSS or wait until the final state to avoid capturing an intermediate frame.
await page.goto(url, { waitUntil: 'domcontentloaded' });
await page.waitForSelector('#report-ready');
await page.evaluate(() => document.fonts.ready);
await page.pdf({ path: 'report.pdf', printBackground: true });If a page never reaches network idle because of analytics or a WebSocket, do not wait forever for that event. Use a readiness element and a bounded timeout appropriate to your application.
Select pages, add finishing details, and tune scale
Page ranges
Restrict output with a comma-separated range such as 1-5, 8, 11-13:
await page.pdf({ path: 'extract.pdf', pageRanges: '1-5, 8, 11-13' });Headers, footers, and scale
Margins, header and footer templates, and scale can finish a report. Header/footer templates use Chromium’s print-template markup (for example, page-number and date classes). Keep enough top and bottom margin for those templates; otherwise content can overlap them.
await page.pdf({
path: 'numbered.pdf',
format: 'Letter',
displayHeaderFooter: true,
headerTemplate: '<span style="font-size:8px;margin-left:20px">Quarterly report</span>',
footerTemplate: '<span style="font-size:8px;margin:auto">Page <span class="pageNumber"></span> of <span class="totalPages"></span></span>',
margin: { top: '20mm', bottom: '20mm' },
scale: 0.95
});Experimental accessibility options
The current options reference marks tagged and outline as experimental. It lists tagged: true and outline: false as defaults. Treat these as version-sensitive capabilities, not a guarantee of identical accessibility or outline quality in every PDF viewer.
Version and protocol considerations
The official guide and API references used for this workflow describe Puppeteer 25.12.0, while the Browser.newPage() reference shows 25.10.0. Those labels describe the documentation state, not necessarily the version installed in your project; check your lockfile and installed package before relying on a newly added option.
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If you automate through WebDriver BiDi, Puppeteer documents a narrower PDF option set: format, height, landscape, margin, pageRanges, printBackground, scale, and width. Verify protocol support before using CSS page-size preference, templates, or other options over BiDi.
Troubleshooting common PDF failures
“Cannot find module ‘puppeteer’”
Install the dependency in the same project and runtime that executes the script, then run it from that project’s directory. If you use a browserless package, ensure a compatible Chrome/Chromium executable is configured.
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Navigation completion does not prove that client-side rendering is complete. Wait for a page-specific ready selector, check console and network errors, and generate the PDF only after the data appears in the DOM.
Images or fonts are missing
Confirm the process can reach each asset URL, avoid expiring authenticated links, wait for document.fonts.ready, and ensure lazy images have been loaded. For private assets, set the page’s authentication state before navigation.
Colors or backgrounds disappear
Set printBackground: true. If print CSS is hiding the component, use emulateMediaType('screen') or revise the print stylesheet. Add the print-color-adjust declarations when exact colors are required.
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Content is clipped or unexpectedly scaled
Check for a conflicting format and @page rule, then choose one sizing authority. Use preferCSSPageSize: true for CSS-defined paper, adjust margins, and reserve space for headers and footers. Reduce scale only after fixing the paper and margin model.
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The script hangs
Long-lived requests can prevent networkidle0. Prefer domcontentloaded plus a readiness selector, set explicit navigation and selector timeouts, and always close the browser in finally.
Or skip the browser setup
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Practical checklist before shipping a PDF
- Use
newPage()and close the browser in all code paths. - Choose
goto()for a URL orsetContent()for generated HTML. - Wait for a real ready condition, fonts, images, and data.
- Decide between print and screen media.
- Set paper size, margins, orientation, backgrounds, and page ranges explicitly.
- Test long tables, page breaks, private assets, and representative fonts.
- Check the installed Puppeteer version and, for BiDi, the supported option subset.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Puppeteer create a PDF from a blank new page?
Yes. Call await browser.newPage(), then use setContent() to place HTML in that page before calling page.pdf().
Can I return the PDF without writing a file?
Yes. Omit path and use the returned Uint8Array, or use page.createPDFStream() for a readable stream.
Why does my PDF differ from the browser tab?
PDFs use print media by default. Call page.emulateMediaType('screen') when the screen stylesheet is the intended appearance.
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