html2canvas will not automatically copy the moving picture shown by a <video> element. Capture the required frame yourself with the Canvas API, wait until the video has decoded it (and, when seeking, until seeked fires), then pass the resulting image to jsPDF’s addImage(). You can either place that image in the DOM before html2canvas renders the page or insert it directly into the PDF.
Why the video is blank
html2canvas reconstructs a rendering from DOM and style information; it is not a native screenshot of the browser’s compositor. The project documentation warns that the result can differ from the pixels visibly painted by the browser. A video’s current decoded frame therefore needs to be converted into ordinary canvas pixels before export.
The Canvas 2D API accepts an HTMLVideoElement as a drawImage() source. The canvas must be readable under the same-origin policy, and the video must have usable frame data. Playing successfully on screen does not by itself guarantee that a canvas export will be allowed.
Choose the frame to export
Capture the current playback position
Wait until video.readyState > 1 (the video has data for the current position), then draw it. If the player is still buffering, wait for a readiness event such as loadeddata or canplay.
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Capture a specific timestamp
Assign video.currentTime, then wait for the seeked event before drawing. Seeking is asynchronous; drawing immediately after setting the property can reproduce the previous frame or an empty canvas.
Synchronize with a presented compositor frame
Where available, requestVideoFrameCallback() schedules work when a new video frame is presented. MDN marks this API Baseline 2024 (available across current browsers since October 2024), but older browsers and devices may not implement it, so retain an event-based fallback.
Complete browser example: frame in the DOM, then html2canvas and jsPDF
This example seeks to 12 seconds, creates a canvas at the video’s decoded dimensions, replaces an image placeholder in the printable section, and renders that section with html2canvas. It assumes the libraries are already loaded in the page.
async function waitForSeek(video, time) {
if (video.readyState < 2) {
await new Promise(resolve => video.addEventListener('loadeddata', resolve, { once: true }));
}
if (Math.abs(video.currentTime - time) > 0.01) {
await new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
const onSeeked = () => { cleanup(); resolve(); };
const onError = () => { cleanup(); reject(new Error('Video seek failed')); };
const cleanup = () => {
video.removeEventListener('seeked', onSeeked);
video.removeEventListener('error', onError);
};
video.addEventListener('seeked', onSeeked, { once: true });
video.addEventListener('error', onError, { once: true });
video.currentTime = time;
});
}
}
function frameCanvas(video) {
if (!video.videoWidth || !video.videoHeight || video.readyState <= 1) {
throw new Error('Video has no decoded frame yet');
}
const canvas = document.createElement('canvas');
canvas.width = video.videoWidth;
canvas.height = video.videoHeight;
canvas.getContext('2d').drawImage(video, 0, 0, canvas.width, canvas.height);
return canvas;
}
async function exportPdf() {
const video = document.querySelector('#sourceVideo');
await waitForSeek(video, 12);
const still = frameCanvas(video);
const image = document.querySelector('#videoStill');
image.src = still.toDataURL('image/jpeg', 0.92);
image.width = still.width;
image.height = still.height;
const page = document.querySelector('#printArea');
const rendered = await html2canvas(page, {
backgroundColor: '#ffffff',
scale: window.devicePixelRatio || 1
});
const { jsPDF } = window.jspdf;
const pdf = new jsPDF({ orientation: 'landscape', unit: 'mm', format: 'a4' });
const margin = 10;
const pageWidth = 297 - margin * 2;
const pageHeight = pageWidth * rendered.height / rendered.width;
pdf.addImage(rendered.toDataURL('image/png'), 'PNG', margin, margin, pageWidth, pageHeight);
pdf.save('video-frame.pdf');
}
Use markup like this:
<video id="sourceVideo" controls crossorigin="anonymous" src="/media/demo.mp4"></video>
<section id="printArea">
<h1>Playback report</h1>
<img id="videoStill" alt="Selected video frame">
</section>
<button type="button" onclick="exportPdf()">Export PDF</button>
The intrinsic canvas size uses video.videoWidth and video.videoHeight, preserving the source aspect ratio. The PDF image is scaled to fit the selected A4 landscape geometry; adjust the margin and orientation for your document.
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Insert the frame directly with jsPDF
If the surrounding page does not need html2canvas, skip DOM rendering for the still. Convert the prepared canvas to a data URL and place it with PDF coordinates:
const stillUrl = still.toDataURL('image/jpeg', 0.92);
const { jsPDF } = window.jspdf;
const pdf = new jsPDF({ unit: 'mm', format: 'letter' });
const x = 15, y = 20, width = 180;
const height = width * still.height / still.width;
pdf.addImage(stillUrl, 'JPEG', x, y, width, height);
pdf.save('still-only.pdf');
This approach gives direct control over placement and avoids rendering unrelated DOM. The DOM-placeholder approach keeps the frame aligned with headings, captions and other content; choose based on your layout.
Using requestVideoFrameCallback safely
For a frame that corresponds to the next compositor presentation, use the callback when implemented:
function nextPresentedFrame(video) {
return new Promise(resolve => {
if ('requestVideoFrameCallback' in video) {
video.requestVideoFrameCallback(() => resolve());
} else {
requestAnimationFrame(() => resolve());
}
});
}
await waitForSeek(video, 12);
await nextPresentedFrame(video);
const still = frameCanvas(video);
This is useful when exact presentation timing matters. It is not a replacement for waiting for seeked after a seek.
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Cross-origin and security requirements
Video served from another origin
A cross-origin resource can taint the canvas. Set crossorigin="anonymous" before loading the source and configure the media server to return a compatible Access-Control-Allow-Origin header. The header must come from the server that serves the video; a client-side option cannot manufacture it.
Cross-origin iframes
html2canvas cannot inspect the document inside a cross-origin iframe. If the player is embedded from another site, capture a frame in the iframe’s own origin (with that site’s cooperation) or use an allowed media URL instead of trying to read the iframe DOM.
Previously tainted canvases
Once foreign pixels have been drawn without permission, calls such as toDataURL() can throw a security error. Create a fresh canvas after correcting CORS; a tainted canvas cannot be “untainted” by later code.
Canvas size, quality and PDF limits
- Very large full-page renders can exceed browser canvas limits and become blank or partial. Rough evergreen guidance cited by the html2canvas FAQ is about 32,767 pixels per dimension on Chrome/Chromium, Firefox and desktop Safari, with approximate maximum areas of 268 megapixels for Chrome/Chromium and 472 megapixels for Firefox. These are platform-, GPU-, RAM- and version-dependent, not guarantees; iOS Safari is generally lower.
- Keep the video canvas at decoded dimensions, then scale for the PDF. Enlarging a small source cannot restore detail.
- Use JPEG for photographic video frames when a smaller file is preferable; use PNG when text overlays or transparency require lossless output. Match the format argument in
addImage()to the data URL. - For long pages, render sections separately and add PDF pages rather than creating one enormous canvas.
Common failures and fixes
| Symptom | Likely cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Video area is blank in the PDF | No decoded frame was drawn; html2canvas cannot capture moving video directly. | Wait for readiness, draw with drawImage(), and use the resulting image or canvas. |
| Wrong frame after seeking | Drawing occurred before the seek completed. | Await the seeked event, then optionally await requestVideoFrameCallback(). |
SecurityError from toDataURL() |
Cross-origin media tainted the canvas. | Configure CORS, set crossorigin before loading, use same-origin media, or process the frame in an authorized server context. |
| html2canvas omits an embedded player | The player is inside a cross-origin iframe. | Capture an accessible media URL or obtain cooperation from the iframe origin; the parent page cannot read its document. |
| Export is blank or truncated | Canvas dimensions exceed a browser or device limit. | Lower html2canvas scale, split content across pages, reduce video resolution, and test on the target browser. |
| Works locally but not in production | Production headers, URL scheme or media permissions differ. | Inspect response headers, ensure HTTPS and CORS are correct, and test with the deployed media URL. |
Client-side versus server-side generation
html2canvas depends on browser APIs and is client-side. It is not a server-side PDF renderer. For automated server jobs, the html2canvas FAQ points to headless browser drivers such as Puppeteer or Playwright; those can load the page, wait for media readiness, draw or capture the frame, and then create the PDF in a controlled browser environment. Cross-origin policy and authentication still apply.
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Frequently Asked Questions
Can html2canvas capture a playing video without extra code?
No. Draw the desired frame from the HTMLVideoElement onto a canvas first, then render that canvas or its image.
Should I pause the video before drawing?
Pausing is optional. For a deterministic timestamp, seek and await seeked; for presentation timing, use requestVideoFrameCallback when available.
Why does useCORS sometimes fail?
It only works when the remote server sends suitable Access-Control-Allow-Origin headers. The browser cannot override a server’s missing CORS permission.
Is requestVideoFrameCallback available everywhere?
It is Baseline 2024 for current browsers, but older browsers may lack it; provide an event or animation-frame fallback.
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