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If JPG files appear in a browser but disappear from a wkhtmltopdf PDF, start by checking the converter’s actual command, the image path, and local-file permissions. wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 loads images by default, so the usual causes are a hidden --no-images option, a path the conversion process cannot resolve, or the local-file-access policy blocking the asset. A conversion can still report “Done” because media-load errors default to being ignored.
Why wkhtmltopdf can omit a JPG without failing
wkhtmltopdf renders HTML through its own process, not through the browser window where you preview the page. That process may have a different working directory, filesystem permissions, URL base, or security policy. A JPG that is visible during browser preview is therefore not proof that wkhtmltopdf can read it.
The documented 0.12.6 manual lists image loading as enabled by default. The --no-images switch disables it, while --images explicitly enables it. The same manual documents a media-load error policy whose default is ignore; conversion can finish while an image is silently left out. The official downloads page identifies 0.12.6 as the stable series and dates that release to June 11, 2020: wkhtmltopdf downloads.
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Use this diagnostic sequence first
- Record the environment. Run
wkhtmltopdf --versionand save the complete output, operating system, architecture, build details if shown, exact command, and whether the input is a local HTML file or a URL. Reports about missing images are tied to particular versions and systems, so the result is not automatically a defect in every installation. - Make a minimal reproduction. Create one HTML file and one JPG in a temporary directory. Remove CSS, JavaScript, frameworks, and other images. A small case distinguishes path and policy errors from layout or application errors.
- Compare browser and converter paths. Check the JPG exists from the account and machine that run wkhtmltopdf. Verify spelling, capitalization, extension, and permissions. Relative URLs resolve from the HTML document’s location, not necessarily from the shell directory where you typed the command.
- Inspect the command and wrapper. Search shell scripts, PHP/Python libraries, job definitions, and container entrypoints for
--no-images,--disable-local-file-access, a different working directory, or an option that replaces your arguments. - Test the local-file policy narrowly. Allow only the directory containing the HTML and image, then retest. Do not grant a broad filesystem path merely to make one asset work.
- Capture diagnostics. Preserve standard error and the exit code. Because failed media can be ignored, a successful process and a PDF file do not establish that every resource loaded.
Fix image loading being disabled
The 0.12.6 usage manual lists --images as the default and --no-images as the disabling switch: wkhtmltopdf usage manual. A direct command should look like this:
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wkhtmltopdf --images input.html output.pdfIf that works, remove the accidental --no-images from the wrapper or configuration rather than relying on a command-line override that may be reordered or discarded. Check both global options and per-page options in your library. Some wrappers expose an “images” boolean that writes the switch for you.
Confirm the converter, not a different binary
On systems with multiple installations, which wkhtmltopdf (or the Windows equivalent) can reveal that your application invokes a different executable than your interactive shell. Print the resolved executable path and version from the same service account used by the job.
Fix local JPG paths and URL resolution
Start with an absolute file URL in the minimal test, using the format appropriate to your platform. On Unix-like systems, for example:
<img src="file:///var/www/app/assets/photo.jpg" alt="Test JPG">On Windows, ensure the drive-letter form is correctly encoded for a file URL. If an absolute reference works but a relative one does not, move the HTML and asset together temporarily and correct the document base or relative path. Avoid assuming that src="images/photo.jpg" is relative to the directory from which you launched the command; it is resolved in relation to the HTML resource.
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Check case, permissions, and confinement
- List the exact file name and compare every character, including case.
- Verify the service account can traverse each parent directory and read the JPG.
- For containers, confirm the asset is mounted inside the container, not only on the host.
- Check that a cleanup job has not removed or renamed the file between HTML generation and conversion.
Allow local files without opening the whole filesystem
The manual documents --disable-local-file-access as the default restriction, plus --allow for explicitly permitted locations and --enable-local-file-access to enable local access generally. Prefer the narrowest directory needed:
wkhtmltopdf --allow /var/www/app/assets input.html output.pdfUse --enable-local-file-access only when the document is trusted and the broader behavior is acceptable:
wkhtmltopdf --enable-local-file-access input.html output.pdfIf your wrapper has its own local-file setting, configure that as well; a library can add a restrictive switch after your code builds the command. Keep the HTML and assets in a dedicated directory and grant only that directory where possible.
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Make silent media failures visible
The manual’s default media-load error handling is ignore. That explains the common symptom: progress reaches completion, no obvious command error appears, and the PDF contains a blank area. Run the smallest test while capturing stderr:
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wkhtmltopdf --images --allow /var/www/app/assets input.html output.pdf 2>wkhtmltopdf.log
cat wkhtmltopdf.logThe manual also documents --load-media-error-handling. Set an explicit policy supported by your installed build when you need failures to stop the conversion rather than be ignored, and verify the accepted values in wkhtmltopdf --help or the usage manual. Do not treat an empty log as proof that every image loaded; retain the minimal PDF and inspect it.
Check print-media behavior separately
One report describes all images disappearing when --print-media-type was used with wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 with patched Qt on macOS 12.6.1. That is a report about that setup, not a universal defect. Run two otherwise identical commands:
wkhtmltopdf input.html without-print-media.pdf
wkhtmltopdf --print-media-type input.html with-print-media.pdfIf only the second output is missing images, inspect print-specific CSS and media queries, then decide whether the option is required. Keep the comparison tied to your version, build, operating system, and HTML; do not generalize the report to every platform.
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- Open the exact file independently to confirm it is a valid, non-zero-length JPG.
- Use a simple
<img>without CSS transforms, lazy-loading attributes, or script-generatedsrcwhile diagnosing. - Give the image an explicit width and height in the minimal test to rule out a zero-size layout.
- Try PNG only as a comparison. If PNG works and the JPG does not, inspect the JPG encoding and re-export it with a conventional baseline or progressive profile; keep the original as a separate reproduction artifact.
- Do not use a browser-only blob URL, object URL, or an application route that requires browser session state unless you provide equivalent access to wkhtmltopdf.
Reliable command patterns
Local HTML and assets
wkhtmltopdf --images --allow /srv/report/assets /srv/report/report.html /srv/report/report.pdfRemote HTML
wkhtmltopdf --images https://example.com/report /srv/report/report.pdfFor remote pages, a local-file allowance does not fix an HTTP authentication, certificate, DNS, or application-session problem. Diagnose the page URL from the same machine and account, and preserve stderr.
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Performance and reliability considerations
A minimal one-image test is faster and more reproducible than repeatedly converting a full application page. Once it works, add assets back in groups. Keep conversion and asset generation in one controlled job so the JPG cannot be deleted midway. For repeated jobs, log the resolved wkhtmltopdf version, command-line arguments, input path, output path, and stderr. A successful exit code should be treated as “the PDF was produced,” not “all media was verified,” when the media policy permits ignored failures.
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cURL
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Troubleshooting by symptom
“Done” appears, but the image area is blank
Assume a missing or blocked media load first. Re-run the one-JPG test, capture stderr, verify the path, and use a narrow --allow directory. The documented default of ignoring media errors makes this symptom expected.
The HTML browser preview works; the PDF does not
Compare the browser’s URL and account with the converter’s file location and account. Replace the relative path with a tested absolute file URL, check permissions, and inspect wrapper-added options.
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Print the executable version and command in that environment. Check container mounts, sandbox policies, working directory, and service-account permissions; do not assume development paths exist in production.
Only --print-media-type fails
Perform the paired comparison, inspect print CSS, and record the exact 0.12.6/build/OS combination before drawing a conclusion.
FAQ
Is --images required?
No. In the documented 0.12.6 defaults, images are enabled; use the switch to make that intent explicit while troubleshooting.
Should I always use --enable-local-file-access?
No. Start with --allow for the specific asset directory and broaden access only for a trusted document when necessary.
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No. With media errors ignored, conversion can succeed while one or more images are omitted. Validate a minimal output and retain diagnostics.
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