While PDFs offer advantages like printability and offline viewing, HTML provides benefits like searchability and accessibility. Users may choose to convert HTML to PDF for various reasons, such as creating printable receipts, archiving reports, or sharing content in a standardized format.
This article explores popular JavaScript libraries for HTML to PDF conversion. These libraries allow you to generate PDFs directly from your web pages without relying on server-side processing. We’ll also discuss the advantages and limitations of client-side (JavaScript-based) vs server-side generation approaches to help you choose the best method for your project. Finally, we’ll introduce PDFGeneratorAPI.com, a powerful server-side solution that simplifies the conversion process.
Here are three popular JavaScript libraries used to convert HTML to PDF:
The following table compares these libraries across five key parameters to help you select the best option for your use case:
| Feature | html2pdf | Puppeteer | jsPDF |
| Functionality | Basic conversion, Advanced layout control (with limitations) | High-fidelity rendering, Limited layout control | Good image handling, Supports complex layouts, Supports images |
| Installation & Setup | Easy (npm install) | Moderate (requires Node.js) | Easy (CDN or npm) |
| Performance | Moderate | Slower (server-side) | Fastest (client-side) |
| Complexity | Low (easy-to-use API) | High (requires browser knowledge) | Moderate (learning curve) |
| Security | Mitigated by server-side rendering if used that way | Relies on the browser security model | Data processed on client-side, security depends on implementation |
| Specialty | Client-side conversion, lightweight | Server-side rendering, high fidelity | Client-side conversion, lightweight |
Here, we’ll provide step-by-step code examples to get you started with using each popular JavaScript library for HTML to PDF conversion.
While these libraries have specific requirements, a basic understanding of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript is generally beneficial for working with them. A text editor of your choice (like VS Code, but not mandatory) will help write and edit the code for web-to-PDF conversion.
You can install the HTML2PDF library using either npm (Node Package Manager) or by including it from a CDN (Content Delivery Network).
Installation via npm
If you’re using Node.js, you can install the HTML2PDF library as a dependency in our project using npm:
npm install html2pdf.jsAfter installing the library, you can import it into your JavaScript file:
const html2pdf = require('html2pdf.js');Installation via CDN (Content Delivery Networks)
Alternatively, you can include the HTML2PDF library directly in your HTML file by adding a tag that points to the library’s CDN URL.
HTML2PDF Example Prepare the HTML content that you want to convert to allocate a element with an id of content that contains the content we want to convert.
HTML to PDF Document Test
Add JavaScript code to your HTML using the tag as shown below.
In the VS Code, the Live Server Extension will give a live preview of your page. Upon refreshing the page. Your page will be converted to PDF and downloaded on your Chrome Browser.
First, you need to install Puppeteer in your project. You can run the following command in your project’s directory.
npm install puppeteerIn your JavaScript file, import the Puppeteer library:
const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');Next, create a new browser instance using the Puppeteer.launch() method:
(async () => < const browser = await puppeteer.launch(); // Your code will go here >)();Create a new page instance within the browser instance:
Replace 'https://example.com' with the URL of the HTML content you want to convert. (async () => < const browser = await puppeteer.launch(); const page = await browser.newPage(); await page.goto('https://example.com', < waitUntil: 'networkidle0' >); // Your code will go here >)();Use the page.pdf() method to generate a PDF from the current page:
This will generate a PDF file named output.pdf in the same directory as your JavaScript file. The format option specifies the paper size (in this case, A4).
(async () => < const browser = await puppeteer.launch(); const page = await browser.newPage(); await page.goto('https://example.com', < waitUntil: 'networkidle0' >); await page.pdf(< path: 'output.pdf', format: 'A4' >); await browser.close(); >)();Finally, close the browser instance using the browser.close() method. You’ve now learned the simplest way to convert HTML to PDF using Puppeteer. Here’s the complete code:
(async () => < const browser = await puppeteer.launch(); const page = await browser.newPage(); await page.goto('https://example.com', < waitUntil: 'networkidle0' >); await page.pdf(< path: 'output.pdf', format: 'A4' >); await browser.close(); >)();First, you need to include the jsPDF library in your HTML file. You can download and include the library locally or use a CDN link. Here’s an example using a CDN link:
Prepare the HTML content that you want to convert to a PDF by adding a element with an id of content that contains the HTML content we want to convert to PDF.
PDF Generator Blog
Generate PDF file using jsPDF library
Add JavaScript code to your HTML using the tag below.
Run the HTML in the browser and click the button to download.
Choosing between client-side and server-side PDF generation is a common question for developers. Both approaches offer distinct advantages and limitations, and the best choice depends on your specific project requirements.
Client-side PDF generation creates PDF files directly in the user’s web browser using JavaScript libraries or APIs. No server-side processing is involved.
Server-side PDF generation involves creating PDF files on the server using server-side technologies like Node.js, Python, Ruby, or Java. This approach sends the HTML content from the client (web browser) to the server, which is processed and converted into a PDF file.
PDF Generator API is a server-side PDF generator that simplifies HTML to PDF conversion compared to JavaScript libraries. With its API, there’s no need to manage complex libraries or code. It offers several benefits:
This lets you focus on data and templates instead of conversion logic, potentially improving scalability and performance.
The following table compares PDFGeneratorAPI.com’s API with JavaScript libraries like HTML2PDF and jsPDF.
| Aspect | JavaScript Libraries | PDFGeneratorAPI.com (Server-Side) |
| Rendering Speed | Slower (limited by client-side browser resources) | Faster (utilizes powerful server-side engines) |
| Scalability | Limited (individual devices) | Efficient (cloud infrastructure) |
| Cross-browser Compatibility | Potential issues due to browser differences | Consistent across browsers/platforms |
| HTML/CSS Support | Limited for complex layouts | Comprehensive support for HTML, CSS, JavaScript |
| Advanced Features | Fewer (coding required) | Wide range (headers, footers, watermarks, encryption) |
| Security | Potential risks (client-side handling) | Secure server-side conversion |
| Resource Utilization | Consumes client’s device resources | Offloads processing to the server |
| Maintenance and Updates | Manual updates required | Maintained by the provider |
Here are some best practices for optimizing PDFs when using PDF Generator API:
Before you use PDFGeneratorAPI.com, you must obtain an API key and API secret. Follow these steps:
PDF Generator API provides SDKs and libraries for various programming languages, making integrating their API into your web application easy. Let’s look at an example using their JavaScript SDK to generate PDFs.
import PDFGeneratorAPI from 'pdf-generator-api-client'; let defaultClient = PDFGeneratorAPI.ApiClient.instance; // Configure Bearer (JWT) access token for authorization: JSONWebTokenAuth let JSONWebTokenAuth = defaultClient.authentications['JSONWebTokenAuth']; JSONWebTokenAuth.accessToken = "YOUR ACCESS TOKEN" let apiInstance = new PDFGeneratorAPI.DocumentsApi(); let generate_document_request = new PDFGeneratorAPI.GenerateDocumentRequest(); // GenerateDocumentRequest | Request parameters, including template id, data and formats. apiInstance.generateDocument(generate_document_request, (error, data, response) => < if (error) < console.error(error); >else < console.log('API called successfully. Returned data: ' + data); >>);In the above example, we first import the PDF Generator API SDK and Configure Bearer (JWT) access token to generate a document for authorization.
Next, we call the generatedocument method provided by the SDK, passing in the necessary data. You can find the SDK here.
PDF Generator API has provided a CodePen example to help you get started and test code here. This CodePen demonstrates how to use their JavaScript SDK to convert HTML content to PDF and handle the generated PDF data.
You will need the following to write code in Codepen
Get your workplace identifier by going to your Account dashboard > Workplace > Identifier and Get your template ID through Account dashboard> Template > Template ID.
Fill in the boxes as shown and click Generate PDF to view your PDF.
You can integrate it into your web application using the Open Editor endpoint.
Using Open Editor
Use the Open Editor endpoint to generate a unique URL. You can get your URL by making a Postman request.
Set it as the src parameter to an iframe in Codepen to display the generated PDF. You can find an example here.
After you have your unique URL from the Open Editor endpoint, you can display the PDF in an iframe with simple HTML on your dashboard.
This article has explored various approaches to converting HTML content into PDFs. We’ve discussed popular JavaScript libraries like html2pdf, Puppeteer, and jsPDF, each offering unique functionalities and use cases. We’ve also compared client-side and server-side generation methods, helping you understand their strengths and limitations. Finally, we introduced PDF Generator API as a powerful server-side solution for streamlined PDF generation. If PDF Generator API meets your needs, you can start by signing up here.
PDF Generator API
