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On a Mac, open the page in Safari, choose File > Print, then use the dialog’s PDF menu and select Save as PDF. If Safari’s print options include Print backgrounds, turn it on and check the preview before saving. Apple’s current general print instructions confirm how to make the PDF, but do not confirm that this background-color control appears in every current version of Safari.

Save a Safari webpage as a PDF on Mac

  1. Open the webpage in Safari.
  2. Choose File > Print.
  3. Review the preview and any Safari-specific print options. If you see Print backgrounds, enable it, then check whether the page colors appear in the preview.
  4. Open the PDF pop-up menu and choose Save as PDF.
  5. Enter a file name, choose a destination, and save.

Apple documents the print and PDF steps in its Mac print-settings guide. The background checkbox is less certain: an older Safari instruction sheet shows it, but Apple’s current general Mac print help does not establish that it remains available or specify its location in current Safari. Inspect the options in your own print dialog rather than assuming the control is present.

What to do if the background colors are missing

First, check the print preview. A webpage can use its own print styling, which may omit backgrounds or change the layout for printing. If the preview lacks color and the dialog offers Print backgrounds, enable it and inspect the preview again. If no such option appears, the current documentation does not establish a universal Safari setting that forces backgrounds into the PDF.

WebKit has a developer preference called shouldPrintBackgrounds for web views, and Apple documents its default as false. That is an API setting for developers building apps with web views—not evidence that Safari’s standard print dialog exposes the same toggle. See Apple’s WebKit background-printing preference and WKPreferences documentation.

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#1 Best Overall
Canon Canoscan Lide 300 Scanner (PDF, AUTOSCAN, Copy, Send)
  • Scanner type: Document
  • Connectivity technology: USB
  • With Auto Scan Mode, the scanner automatically detects what you're scanning
  • Digitize documents and images

Save a webpage as a PDF on iPhone or iPad

  1. Open the webpage in Safari.
  2. Tap Share, then choose Markup. Depending on your device layout, you may need to find Markup among the available actions.
  3. Finish the Markup step, tap Done, then choose Save File To and select a destination.

Apple documents this as a way to save a webpage PDF in its iPhone and iPad PDF instructions. Its instructions do not promise that every background color or decorative element will be retained, so review the resulting PDF if appearance matters.

Alternatives and limits

Save as a Web Archive on Mac

If you need a saved webpage rather than a PDF, Safari’s File > Save As can create a Web Archive or save Page Source. Apple says a Web Archive saves graphics and links, subject to the target pages remaining available; Page Source saves only the HTML source. Some websites may prevent items from being saved. A Web Archive is not a PDF substitute when you specifically need a portable PDF. See Apple’s Safari page-saving guide.

Rank #2
Sale
Epson Workforce ES-50 Compact & Lightweight Mobile Document Scanner
  • PORTABLE SCANNER FOR USE ON-THE-GO — The fastest and lightest mobile single-sheet-fed compact document scanner in its class¹
  • QUICK DOCUMENT SCANNING ― This Epson ultra-fast scanner scans a single page as quickly as 5.5 seconds²; Windows and Mac compatible
  • VERSATILE PAPER HANDLING ― Portable scanner scans documents up to 8.5 x 72 in; Also easily digitizes receipts and ID cards to make accounting, bookkeeping, and organizing simpler
  • INTUITIVE, HIGH-SPEED SOFTWARE — Epson ScanSmart Software³ is a smart tool allowing you to easily scan, review, and save; Stay organized easily with the help of this Epson scanner
  • EASY SETUP — USB-powered connect to your computer for quick and simple scanning; No batteries or external power supply required to operate portable document scanner; Standard Connectivity: USB 2.0

Reader appearance

For supported articles, Safari Reader can change the background theme, font, and zoom. Apple’s Reader instructions do not say that the selected theme carries over when printing or saving a PDF, so use Reader for on-screen readability rather than as a guaranteed color-preservation method. See Apple’s Reader guide.

Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Support on Ko-Fi

Or skip the browser setup: capture a page with ScreenshotNeo

If you need a screenshot rather than Safari’s print-formatted PDF, ScreenshotNeo can return a webpage capture as PNG, JPEG, WebP, or PDF. Its API accepts a URL in a GET request. For example, this cURL request saves a WebP capture of the target page:

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Quick Recap

Bestseller No. 1
Canon Canoscan Lide 300 Scanner (PDF, AUTOSCAN, Copy, Send)
Canon Canoscan Lide 300 Scanner (PDF, AUTOSCAN, Copy, Send)
Scanner type: Document; Connectivity technology: USB; With Auto Scan Mode, the scanner automatically detects what you're scanning
$75.00
Best Value
Sale
ScanSnap iX1300 Wireless or USB Double-Sided Color Document Scanner, Black
  • FITS SMALL SPACES AND STAYS OUT OF THE WAY. Innovative space-saving design to free up desk space, even when it's being used
  • SCAN DOCUMENTS, PHOTOS, CARDS, AND MORE. Handles most document types, including thick items and plastic cards. Exclusive QUICK MENU lets you quickly scan-drag-drop to your favorite computer apps
  • GREAT IMAGES EVERY TIME, NO EXPERIENCE REQUIRED. A single touch starts fast, up to 30ppm duplex scanning with automatic de-skew, color optimization, and blank page removal for outstanding results without driver setup
  • SCAN WHERE YOU WANT, WHEN YOU WANT. Connect with USB or Wi-Fi. Send to Mac, PC, mobile devices, and cloud services. Scan to Chromebook using the mobile app. Can be used without a computer
  • PHOTO AND DOCUMENT ORGANIZATION MADE EFFORTLESS. ScanSnap Home all-in-one software brings together all your favorite functions. Easily manage, edit, and use scanned data from documents, receipts, business cards, photos, and more
Rank #4
Sale
Epson Workforce ES-400 II High-Speed Color Duplex Desktop Document Scanner
  • FAST DOCUMENT SCANNING — Document scanner with feeder allows you to speed through stacks with a 50-sheet Auto Document Feeder (ADF); Efficient office scanner to help you scan more productively
  • INTUITIVE, HIGH-SPEED SOFTWARE — Quickly scan with this desktop document scanner; Epson ScanSmart Software lets you easily preview scans, email files, upload to the cloud, and more; Plus, automatic file naming saves even more time
  • SEAMLESS INTEGRATION — Easily incorporate your data into most document management software with the included TWAIN driver; Office document scanner integrates seamlessly with business workflows
  • EASY SHARING — Duplex scanner allows you to scan straight to email or popular cloud storage2 services like Dropbox, Evernote, Google Drive, and OneDrive for simple storage and sharing
  • SIMPLE FILE MANAGEMENT — Scanner allows the creation of searchable PDFs with Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and convert scans to editable Word or Excel files effortlessly; Designed for home and office document scanning
Rank #3
Sale
Brother DS-640 Compact Mobile Document Scanner, (Model: DS640)
  • FAST SPEEDS - Scans color and black and white documents a blazing speed up to 16ppm (1). Color scanning won’t slow you down as the color scan speed is the same as the black and white scan speed.
  • ULTRA COMPACT – At less than 1 foot in length and only about 1. 5lbs in weight you can fit this device virtually anywhere (a bag, a purse, even a pocket).
  • READY WHENEVER YOU ARE – The DS-640 mobile scanner is powered via an included micro USB 3. 0 cable allowing you to use it even where there is no outlet available. Plug it into you PC or laptop and you are ready to scan.
  • WORKS YOUR WAY – Use the Brother free iPrint&Scan desktop app for scanning to multiple “Scan-to” destinations like PC, Network, cloud services, Email and OCR. (2) Supports Windows, Mac and Linux and TWAIN/WIA for PC/ICA for Mac/SANE drivers. (3)
  • OPTIMIZE IMAGES AND TEXT – Automatic color detection/adjustment, image rotation (PC only), bleed through prevention/background removal, text enhancement, color drop to enhance scans. Software suite includes document management and OCR software. (4)
curl -G "https://api.screenshotneo.com/v1/shot" -d access_key=YOUR_API_KEY --data-urlencode url=https://stripe.com -o shot.webp

See the ScreenshotNeo API documentation for available options. Before a capture, it can accept cookie or consent banners and remove more than 60 known consent platforms, newsletter popups, and chat widgets; each step can be turned off. Bot checks and CAPTCHAs, blank pages, timeouts, failed loads, and cache hits cost nothing, and responses identify the page verdict and billing status in headers. ScreenshotNeo also offers an MCP server with screenshot, page-info, and PDF-capture tools for AI agents. The free plan includes 1,000 shots per month without a card; paid plans start at $5 for 3,000 shots. A screenshot API capture is not the same as printing a page through Safari, so choose it when a rendered capture meets your needs. Sign up for 1,000 free screenshots a month with no card.

Product prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on Amazon at the time of purchase will apply.