Use Playwright’s page.pdf() to save a web page as a paginated PDF; use page.screenshot() for an image. A full-page screenshot is still an image, not a PDF. Playwright renders PDFs with print CSS by default, so switch to screen media before export if you want the page’s screen layout.
Choose the right Playwright method
| What you need | Use | What it creates |
|---|---|---|
| A printable document | page.pdf() |
A paginated PDF, rendered with print CSS by default |
| A viewport or full-length image | page.screenshot() |
An image such as PNG, JPEG, or WebP; it does not create a PDF |
| A repeatable visual-regression check | Playwright Test’s expect(page).toHaveScreenshot() |
A screenshot assertion against a baseline image, not a PDF export |
The official Page API documents the PDF and screenshot methods separately. The screenshot guide covers saving screenshots to files or buffers.
Save a web page as a PDF
After navigating to the page, call page.pdf(). Pass a file path to save the returned PDF buffer to disk:
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.pdf({ path: 'page.pdf', format: 'A4', printBackground: true });This example requests A4 paper and includes background graphics. If you omit path, the method returns a PDF buffer that your code can handle or store itself.
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Set paper size, margins, and pages
Use format for a paper preset, or set width and height directly. Supported units include pixels, inches, centimeters, and millimeters; unlabeled width and height values are pixels. Other useful PDF options are:
marginto set page margins.pageRangesto export selected pages.printBackgroundto include background graphics.preferCSSPageSize: trueto give the document’s CSS@pagesize priority overwidth,height, orformat.
For example, a project may use await page.pdf({ path: 'report.pdf', format: 'A4', margin: { top: '12mm', right: '12mm', bottom: '12mm', left: '12mm' }, printBackground: true, pageRanges: '1-3' });. Check the resulting file: page breaks and print styles are controlled by the page as well as by your export options.
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Choose print or screen styling in the PDF
PDF export uses print CSS media by default. If the page’s print stylesheet changes the layout or hides elements you want, emulate screen media before calling page.pdf():
await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'page-screen.pdf', printBackground: true });Screen media changes which CSS media rules apply; it does not turn the PDF into a screenshot. Review the output because the site’s styles can still affect its appearance.
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Backgrounds and print colors
printBackground: true controls whether background graphics are printed. It is separate from print color adjustment: Playwright documents -webkit-print-color-adjust for forcing exact colors when print rendering modifies them. If brand colors or shaded sections look different, check both this CSS behavior and the page’s print rules.
Capture a full-page screenshot as an image
To capture the entire scrollable page as an image, set fullPage: true:
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await page.goto('https://example.com');
await page.screenshot({ path: 'full-page.png', fullPage: true });Without fullPage: true, the screenshot is generally limited to the viewport. Screenshot options also include clipping coordinates, output type, lossy-image quality, and scale. scale: 'css' uses one image pixel per CSS pixel; scale: 'device' uses device pixels and can produce a larger image on high-DPI displays. These settings apply to screenshot output, not PDF pagination.
Run a visual screenshot check consistently
For visual regression testing, Playwright Test’s expect(page).toHaveScreenshot() compares against a baseline image. The assertion waits for consecutive screenshots to match before comparing. It is not a way to export a PDF.
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Rendering can vary with the host operating system, browser version, settings, hardware, power source, and headless mode. Keep the baseline-generation and comparison environments consistent; otherwise, environment differences can cause screenshot changes unrelated to the page code. See the official visual comparisons guide.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Troubleshoot common output problems
- The PDF is missing screen-only styling: Call
await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' })beforepage.pdf(). - PDF colors or backgrounds look wrong: Set
printBackground: trueif background graphics are missing. For adjusted print colors, inspect the CSS print rules and consider-webkit-print-color-adjust. - The screenshot only shows the visible area: Add
fullPage: truetopage.screenshot(). This makes a longer image, not a PDF. - Visual tests differ between machines: Align the operating system, browser version, settings, hardware, and headless configuration used for the baseline and comparison where possible.
- The PDF’s size or pagination is unexpected: Check the page’s
@pagerules, your paper dimensions, margins, andpreferCSSPageSize; inspect the generated PDF to verify the result.
Or skip the browser setup
If you need a screenshot or PDF from an API rather than running Playwright, ScreenshotNeo returns one from a GET request. For example, save a web page as a PDF:
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -d format=pdf -o page.pdfSee the ScreenshotNeo documentation for request options. Cookie banners, popups, and chat widgets are removed before the shot; bot checks, blank pages, and failed loads are never billed. An MCP server lets AI agents take screenshots. The Free plan includes 1,000 screenshots a month with no card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000. Sign up for free.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a full-page Playwright screenshot be saved directly as a PDF?
No. Use page.pdf() to create a PDF; page.screenshot({ fullPage: true }) creates a full-length image.
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A free scan shows the junk files, broken settings and background clutter dragging Windows down - then fixes them in one click.Free scan · Windows 10 & 11Does Playwright’s PDF export use print or screen CSS by default?
It uses print CSS media by default. Call page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' }) before export when you want screen media rules.
Quick Recap
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