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Use Playwright’s Chromium browser and page.pdf() to turn a local HTML page into a PDF. The method works with a local file:// URL or a local web server; choose print or screen media deliberately, set paper size and margins, and wait for any application-specific assets before generating the file.
Convert a local HTML file to PDF with Playwright
Playwright’s page.pdf() generates a PDF using print CSS media by default. PDF generation is documented for Chromium, so launch Chromium rather than assuming the same behavior across browser engines. The example below saves the PDF to disk and enables background graphics.
1. Install Playwright and its browser
In a new Node.js project, install the package and its Chromium browser binary:
npm init -y
npm install playwright
npx playwright install chromiumPlaywright requires browser binaries in addition to the package. See the browser installation guide for browser setup details, including headless-shell options for CI.
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2. Create the PDF
Save this as html-to-pdf.js. Change the file URL to the absolute path of your HTML file. On Windows, use a valid file URL, for example file:///C:/work/document.html.
const { chromium } = require('playwright');
(async () => {
const browser = await chromium.launch();
try {
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.goto('file:///absolute/path/to/document.html', {
waitUntil: 'load'
});
await page.pdf({
path: 'output.pdf',
format: 'A4',
printBackground: true,
preferCSSPageSize: true
});
} finally {
await browser.close();
}
})();Run it with node html-to-pdf.js. Playwright writes output.pdf and also returns the generated PDF as a buffer. The Page API documentation describes the available PDF options.
Choose a local file or local HTTP server
A file:// URL is convenient for a self-contained static document. Use a local HTTP server instead when the page relies on relative URLs, JavaScript modules, application routes, or server-side behavior. For example, run your project’s development server and navigate to its local URL:
await page.goto('http://127.0.0.1:3000/document', {
waitUntil: 'load'
});Neither navigation mode guarantees that every application-specific asynchronous task, web font, or external image is ready when PDF generation starts. Wait for the page state your application needs before calling page.pdf(); there is no universal Playwright wait that can infer when every document is finished.
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Control print and screen styling
By default, page.pdf() renders using print CSS media. This means @media print rules apply and screen-only styling may not appear. If you need the PDF to follow screen styles, explicitly switch media before generating it:
await page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' });
await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf', printBackground: true });To use print styles, leave the media mode at its default or explicitly select print. Choose the mode that matches the document you intend to deliver; changing it can affect layout, visibility, and page breaks.
Set paper size, margins, scale, and page ranges
Use format for a standard paper size such as A4 or Letter. Alternatively, specify width and height with units such as px, in, cm, or mm. When both are provided, format takes priority over width and height.
If the document’s CSS defines an @page size and that definition should control the PDF, set preferCSSPageSize: true. This tells Chromium to prefer the CSS page size over scaling the content to the paper size selected in the PDF options.
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await page.pdf({
path: 'selected-pages.pdf',
format: 'Letter',
margin: {
top: '20mm',
right: '15mm',
bottom: '20mm',
left: '15mm'
},
pageRanges: '1-3',
scale: 1,
printBackground: true
});Margins reserve space around the printable content. pageRanges limits output to selected pages. The default scale is 1; supported values run from 0.1 through 2. Check the generated file after changing scale, since scaling can alter the fit and readability of content.
Let CSS define the page
For a document whose page dimensions belong in its stylesheet, use an @page rule and enable CSS page sizing:
/* document.css */
@page {
size: A4;
margin: 18mm;
}await page.pdf({
path: 'output.pdf',
preferCSSPageSize: true,
printBackground: true
});A CSS page size is useful when the same print stylesheet should govern browser printing and Playwright output. If you specify a PDF format as well, remember that CSS sizing is only preferred when preferCSSPageSize is enabled.
Keep background graphics and colors
Background graphics are disabled by default. Set printBackground: true to include them, such as colored panels or background images. Chromium also applies print-oriented color adjustments. If exact colors matter, the Page API notes that CSS -webkit-print-color-adjust can be used to request more faithful color rendering:
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html {
-webkit-print-color-adjust: exact;
}Use this alongside printBackground: true when appropriate, then inspect the resulting PDF. A CSS color-adjustment rule does not replace the PDF option that enables backgrounds.
Add headers and footers
Set displayHeaderFooter: true to print a header, footer, or both. Templates can include documented classes for injected values such as the date, title, URL, page number, and total page count.
await page.pdf({
path: 'output.pdf',
displayHeaderFooter: true,
headerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:9px;width:100%;text-align:center">Document</div>',
footerTemplate: '<div style="font-size:9px;width:100%;text-align:center"><span class="pageNumber"></span> / <span class="totalPages"></span></div>',
margin: { top: '20mm', bottom: '20mm' }
});Header and footer templates have important limits: scripts inside them are not evaluated, and the page’s styles are not visible inside the templates. Include the styling the template needs directly in its markup, and reserve enough margin for the header or footer to fit.
Wait for dynamic content before printing
Navigation reaching the load state is not proof that every application task or remote asset is complete. Add an explicit readiness check that reflects your page. For example, if your application marks the document ready with a known element, wait for that selector:
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await page.goto('http://127.0.0.1:3000/document', {
waitUntil: 'load'
});
await page.locator('[data-pdf-ready="true"]').waitFor();
await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf', format: 'A4', printBackground: true });For a page that depends on web fonts, you can also wait for the browser’s font-loading promise before printing:
await page.evaluate(() => document.fonts.ready);
await page.pdf({ path: 'output.pdf', format: 'A4' });Use a readiness signal owned by the application for data or rendering that has no reliable browser-wide completion event. For external images and other assets, check that the page can access them and verify the final PDF rather than treating a generic navigation state as a guarantee.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Save the file or consume the PDF buffer
When you pass path, Playwright saves the PDF to that path. The call also returns a buffer, which is useful when the PDF should be uploaded, returned from a service, or processed without first writing a local file:
const pdfBuffer = await page.pdf({
format: 'A4',
printBackground: true
});
// Example: write the returned buffer yourself.
const fs = require('node:fs/promises');
await fs.writeFile('output.pdf', pdfBuffer);Choose one output flow based on what the rest of your program needs. A path is straightforward for a command-line conversion; the buffer gives your application direct access to the generated PDF bytes.
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- Chromium will not launch: install the browser binary for the installed Playwright package with
npx playwright install chromium. In CI, consult Playwright’s browser guide for the supported setup rather than relying on an arbitrary system browser. - Relative images or scripts are missing: check whether the document expects a web server or a different working directory. Serve the page locally and navigate to its HTTP URL if file-relative loading is unsuitable.
- The PDF has no background colors or images: set
printBackground: true. Background graphics are off by default. - The PDF looks like print layout instead of the browser: this is the default. Call
page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' })beforepage.pdf()if screen styles are intended. - The page size does not match CSS
@page: setpreferCSSPageSize: true. If you also setformat, it takes priority overwidthandheight; review which sizing mechanism should control the output. - Fonts, images, or application content are missing: wait for the relevant application readiness signal or asset before printing. A successful navigation does not establish that every asynchronous dependency has finished.
- Header or footer content is blank or unstyled: template scripts are not evaluated, and page styles are not inherited by the templates. Put needed markup and styling in the template itself and allow space with PDF margins.
- Colors differ from the screen: PDF output uses print media by default and Chromium applies print color adjustments. Confirm the intended media mode, enable backgrounds, and consider
-webkit-print-color-adjustfor exact color requests.
Or skip the browser setup
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Here is the one-call request for an image capture:
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can I generate a PDF from a local HTML file without hosting it?
Yes. Navigate Chromium to a valid absolute file:// URL. A local HTTP server is often more suitable when the page depends on routes, modules, or relative assets.
Does Playwright use screen or print CSS for PDFs?
It uses print CSS media by default. Call page.emulateMedia({ media: 'screen' }) first if the PDF should use screen styles.
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Can I make the PDF follow a CSS @page size?
Yes. Set preferCSSPageSize: true in page.pdf().
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