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1Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problems2Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minute3Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsUse Chromium’s Playwright page.pdf() to export a rendered page, and control pagination with print CSS. By default, PDF generation uses print media; use @page for paper size and margins, and apply page-break rules selectively so short elements stay together without forcing long sections into awkward gaps.
Generate a PDF with Playwright
Install Playwright and its supported Chromium browser, then navigate to the page and call page.pdf(). The documented Playwright PDF export path is Chromium-only. Keep the Playwright package and browser binaries aligned using Playwright’s browser-install workflow; the official guidance is at https://playwright.dev/docs/browsers.
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('https://example.com', { waitUntil: 'networkidle' });
// If the app renders asynchronously, wait for its own ready signal here.
await page.pdf({
path: 'page.pdf',
format: 'A4',
printBackground: true,
preferCSSPageSize: true,
margin: { top: '18mm', right: '16mm', bottom: '18mm', left: '16mm' },
});
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();page.pdf() returns a PDF buffer and can also save directly to a path. The example uses path to write page.pdf. The Playwright PDF API reference documents media behavior, paper sizing, margins, scale, backgrounds, headers and footers, and other export options.
Wait for the page your application actually needs
waitUntil: 'networkidle' waits for network activity to settle, but it does not prove that every application has finished rendering. If the page fetches data, builds charts, or loads content after that point, wait for an application-specific signal before exporting, such as a report container becoming visible or a known “ready” state. Use a selector wait or an explicit application signal that corresponds to completed content rather than adding an arbitrary delay as a substitute.
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Choose print media or screen media deliberately
Playwright generates PDFs using print CSS media by default. That is usually the right choice for a document: create an @media print stylesheet with print-specific layout, typography, and visibility rules. To render screen styles instead, call await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' }) before page.pdf(). Switching to screen media is not a fix for missing print styles; it changes which stylesheet rules apply.
Set paper size and margins without conflicting controls
Use CSS @page rules for document-wide paper and margin settings, or set paper dimensions and margins through the PDF options. If CSS should decide the paper size, set preferCSSPageSize: true; otherwise, Playwright’s PDF API paper-size settings take precedence by default. Avoid supplying conflicting CSS and API values without deciding which should win.
@page {
size: A4;
margin: 18mm 16mm;
}
@media print {
.start-new-page {
break-before: page;
}
.keep-together {
break-inside: avoid;
}
h1, h2, h3 {
break-after: avoid-page;
}
}With the CSS above and preferCSSPageSize: true, the @page size is preferred over the API’s format, width, or height. If you instead want the API to control paper size, remove the preference and set the API size and margins intentionally.
Preserve page breaks without creating bad pagination
Let variable-length content flow naturally
For articles and reports whose text or data changes, allow normal pagination and protect only small units that should not split. A figure and its caption, a compact card, or a short table group are good candidates for break-inside: avoid. It is a pagination preference, not a guarantee: if the block is taller than the printable page area, it cannot fit intact.
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Force a new page only for deliberate section starts
For chaptered reports, invoices, or other documents where each major section must begin on its own page, apply break-before: page to the section wrapper. break-after: page can instead end a section with a page break. Forced boundaries make starts more predictable, but can leave conspicuous blank space when preceding content changes. The CSS property applies only when the element generates a box in normal flow.
Keep headings with what follows
A print rule such as break-after: avoid-page on headings discourages a heading from being stranded at the foot of a page. It does not guarantee an exact composition; inspect the generated PDF with the page’s real content and styles.
| Pagination approach | Best for | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|
Natural print pagination with selective break-inside: avoid |
Articles and reports with variable content | Flexible, but exact page starts can vary with content and fonts. |
Explicit break-before: page for major sections |
Chaptered reports, invoices, and documents with required section starts | Predictable boundaries, but may create whitespace and become brittle as content changes. |
Do not put break-inside: avoid on an entire long article or section. If the protected region cannot fit on one page, the browser must still fragment it or produce poor pagination. Narrow the protected wrapper to the specific heading-plus-opening text, figure, card, or compact table unit that needs to stay together.
Control colors, backgrounds, and page furniture
- Backgrounds: set
printBackground: truewhen the PDF needs CSS background colors or images. Chromium modifies colors for print output by default; use-webkit-print-color-adjust: exactin print styles when authored colors should be preserved, then verify the result. - Headers and footers: Playwright’s
headerTemplateandfooterTemplatecan include injected classes for date, title, URL, page number, and total page count. Template scripts are not evaluated, and the page’s styles are not visible inside these templates. - Scale and dimensions: use the API’s scale and paper sizing options when the document requires them, but avoid using scale to conceal a layout that should instead be corrected in CSS.
Review the PDF in the target runtime
CSS break properties express layout preferences; they do not promise that every page will match a mockup under all content, fonts, and browser versions. Open the actual exported PDF and check:
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- Headings left at the bottom of a page without enough following content.
- Figures, cards, or table units split despite a keep-together rule.
- Clipped text, content outside margins, unexpectedly large gaps, or forced breaks creating near-empty pages.
- Page count, paper size, margin consistency, and whether backgrounds and colors appear as intended.
When investigating a layout regression, record both the Playwright and Chromium versions. PDF behavior can vary across browser versions; use Playwright’s browser-install workflow and keep the installed browser aligned with the Playwright version you run.
Troubleshoot common PDF pagination problems
The PDF looks like print styles are missing
This is expected if the page relies only on screen CSS: PDF generation uses print media by default. Add or correct @media print rules. Emulate screen media only if the intended document should actually use screen styles.
A section does not start on a new page
Put break-before: page on the section wrapper and ensure it generates a box in normal flow. A break rule on an element that generates no box has no effect.
A figure or card still splits
Apply break-inside: avoid to the bounded element and verify that it fits within the printable area. The older page-break-inside: avoid is treated as an alias, but new styles should use break-inside.
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The PDF has large blank gaps or odd page starts
Remove broad keep-together rules, reduce the protected unit, or stop forcing a page break where a new page is not required. Let long content paginate naturally; an over-tall block cannot be kept whole on a page.
CSS paper size seems ignored
Check whether preferCSSPageSize is enabled. Its default is false, so API paper-size options take precedence unless you opt into CSS sizing. Also check for conflicting format, width, or height options.
Colors or backgrounds differ from the page
Set printBackground: true for backgrounds and, if authored colors matter, use -webkit-print-color-adjust: exact in print CSS. Inspect the exported file rather than assuming those settings guarantee identical appearance.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can Playwright save a page as a PDF in Firefox or WebKit?
The documented Playwright PDF export path uses Chromium; use Chromium for this workflow.
Does break-inside: avoid guarantee that an element will stay on one page?
No. It is a pagination preference, and a block taller than the printable page area cannot fit intact.
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