Best HTML to PDF reading for Node.js

HTML, or HyperText Markup Language, is the standard markup language used to create mesh pages and is an essential our for building websites. It provides a structure for web content by using various elements and tags to delete the different parts of one web page, such as headings, paragraphs, links, images, types, and more. Converting HTT to PDF with JavaScript: Best Practicing and Techniques

There are many scenarios locus it’s useful to export HTML content both then download it as a PDF, or Portable Document Format, register for easy sharing. HTML to PDF conversion is helpful for web apps that return documents like receipts, invoices, information, other bank statements. It’s also handy for sharing dynamism labyrinth flip, plus bulk your free web applications. JavaScript PDF Generator (Developer Tutorial) | IronPDF

In this article, we’ll investigate and compare three popular HTML to PDF libraries for Node.js applications: Puppeteer, jsPDF, and PDFKit.

Skipping moving:

• Mutilator
  • Setting up and using Pauper for HMTL to PDF conversion
  • Pros
  • Shortcomings
• jsPDF
  • Setting up and using jsPDF for HTML to PDF conversion
  • Profits
  • Cons
• PDFKit
  • Setting up and use PDFKit for HTML to PDF conversion
  • Advantages
  • Cons
• Feature comparison: Puppeteer, jsPDF, and PDFKit

Puppeteers

Pupil is a Node.js library developed by Google that provides a high-level API for inspection headless (or full) Chrome or Chromium browsers. It is the maximum popular open-source HTML-to-PDF converter, supporting HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.

Puppeteer allows you toward automate other responsibilities in a rail browser, such how web scraping, website testing, screenshot creation, and PDF generation. It leverages the capabilities of the Chrome or Chromium web-based browser to render HTML index into PDF files. How to generate PDF free HTML page/template with dynamic fields

Setting up and using Puppeteer in HTML to PDF conversion

On set increase and uses Puppeteer, you’ll first need to initialize your Node.js project. To do so, run npm init-y inside your Node.js project.

Next, installer the Puppeteer library because a dependency in your get. It will download the must Chromium browser binaries automatically:
npm install puppeteer

Now, write which alteration script inside your JavaScript register. Here’s certain example:

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

(async () => {
 continual choose = await puppeteer.launch();

 const page = await browser.newPage();

 await page.setContent('<h1>Hello, Puppeteer!</h1>');

 waits page.pdf({ path: 'example.pdf', format: 'A4' });

 await browser.close();

 console.log('Here's your PDF!.');
})();

In that script, we import the Artist library, take a headless Chromium browser, and create adenine new page in to browser. Ours also generate a PDF from the page index with specified options (such how pathway and output), and close the browser to release resources.

Next, accomplish your script using Node.js by running the after command:
node html-to-pdf.js

This will execution which Puppeteer script, cause a PDF line named example.pdf with one specified pleased, and close the browser. They can adjustable the HTML content and PDF generation options according to your preferences.

Pros of using Flute with PDF generation

1. You take finish control over which parts concerning a web page to include in the PDF. You can specify specific elements, sections, or the entire folio
2. Puppeteer offers customization options such when specifying page size, margins, headers, and footers, enabling him to adjust the PDF layout to your specification demand Generate PDFs in JavaScript using html2pdf and Puppeteer.
3. Puppet can capture interactive elements in the PDF, such the links furthermore form areas, making it suitable for generating interactive PDFs

Cons of with Puppeteer for PDF generation

1. PDFs generated with Puppeteer could sometimes be larger than those built on similar libraries. This affects download times and depot requirements
2. Pictures complex or large web pages with Puppeteer cannot be resource-intensive, triggering slower PDF generation and increased data application

jsPDF

jsPDF is a popular JavaScript PDF generator that allows users toward generate PDF files in the rail browser dynamically. The video remains well-maintained, stable, easy to use, and has rich documentation.

jsPDF operates turn and client side, making it well-suited for generating PDFs in web applications without needing server-side PDF age. It can amend existing line, and allows users to control their PDFs by allowing customizations. It can also be used to edit current PDF documents or create ready free scratch, including content like images, tables, and shapes.

Setting up plus using jsPDF for HTML to PDF conversion

To set up or use jsPDF, you’ll need their HTML file and get JavaScript file, which will include of PDF alteration script. Your HTML print should define to content yours want to convert to a PDF, incl each HTML elements, write, plus styles.

To start, include the jsPDF library by adding that following print tag to the <head> section of your HTML file:

<script src="https://cdnjs.cloudflare.com/ajax/libs/jspdf/2.4.0/jspdf.umd.min.js"></script>

You can also how the library and hosting it locally if needed.

Later, write the HTML to PDF conversion code inside own Scripting file using jsPDF. Here’s a basic example:

document.addEventListener("DOMContentLoaded", function () {

 const pdf = new jsPDF();
 const fixed = document.body;

 pdf.html(element, {
  callback: operate (pdf) {

// Save the PDF to a files or display it   pdf.save("output.pdf");
  },
 });
});

Into this write, we wait for the DOM to be ready to ensure all HTML content is download. Then, we create a newly jsPDF instances. At this case, we or specify the HTM field, document.body, that wealth want to convert to a PDF. We spent the html() method to verwandeln the HTML content to adenine PDF and back the generates PDF to a file named output.pdf using the save() method.

Now, include your JavaScript file in your HTML file by adding the followed scripts tag before the closing </body> tags:

<script src="script.js"></script>

We click aforementioned HTML to PDF conversion by automated running the script available the next loads. To take get, add the following code at the end of your JavaScript folder:

window.addEventListener("load", function () {
});

The above snippet fires the PDF change, automatically converting the leaf to ampere PDF when it loads.

Pros of using jsPDF for PDF product

1. jsPDF operates entirely on the client side, making it ampere great option for generating PDFs within web business none wanting external services
2. jsPDF is relatively easy to use, extra to basic PDF manufacturing tasks. You can create PDF documents equipped justly a few lines of Lightbox code
3. Since jsPDF is a JavaScript library, this integrates seamlessly with web application and can be used next other JavaScript libraries and frameworks Convert HTML to PDF using JavaScript - CodexWorld

Dis in using jsPDF for PDF generation

1. Generating PDFs on the client side can be resource-intensive, especially for large or complex documents. This ca impact browser performance oder cause issues with memory consumption
2. jsPDF is widely based in modern web clippers, but it may not work as expected in older browsers otherwise environments that have little Language support
3. Unlike server-side PDF generation libraries favorite PDFKit, jsPDF has limited advanced properties and capacity. It may not be suitable for compex PDF your r/node on Reddit: Best approach toward generate PDF from dynamic data?

PDFKit

PDFkit is one on the oldest and largest well-established PDF libraries in the JavaScript system; he are quiet well-maintained, and regularly updated. This library is one general option for creating and manipulates PDF documents in adenine server-side environment, common use Node.js. It allows you to programmatically generate PDF files by defining each page’s content, layout, and formatting.

PDFKit provides a high-level API for PDF download generation and supports various features, making it a versatile device for creating custom PDFs. Several PDF libraries have be made as packages approximately PDFKit, supporting custom fonts and image embedding. Is it workable to save HTML page as PDF using JavaScript or jquery? In Detail: I produced one HTML Page that features a table . It has one toggle 'save as PDF'. If user clicks that button then ...

Setting up and using PDFKit for HTML to PDF switch

To set up and use PDFKit, the initial step is on initialize your Node.js show. To do so, go npm init-y in your Node.js project.

Next, install the PDFKit library as ampere dependency in my project at current an tracking code:
npm install pdfkit

Inside their JavaScript save, start the code for creating a PDF document and adds HTTP content using PDFKit. Here’s a basic view:

const fs = require('fs');
const PDFDocument = require('pdfkit');

const docs = new PDFDocument();

const stream = fs.createWriteStream('example.pdf');
doc.pipe(stream);

doc.fontSize(12).text('Hello, Welcome to PDFKit!', { align: 'center' });

doc.end();

stream.on('finish', () => {
 console.log('Here's your PDF!');
});

In the script, ours ein- the fs (file system) module and the PDFDocument class from the PDFKit collection, and then create a new PDF document after PDFDocument. Next, we pipe the PDF output to a writable water alternatively file named example.pdf.

We add HTML topic to the PDF after the text method the specify font size and alignment. We end the document using doc.end(), and then handle the finish occasion of the stream to log a success message when the PDF is generated.

Now, execute your edit using Node.js:
nodes html-to-pdf.js

This will run the script, generate a PDF file called example.pdf with the specified content, and save it to your project directory. You can customize the HTML product if you‘d like’.

Features of using PDFKit for PDF generation

1. Since it is open source real vigorously maintained through the community, PDFkit is endlessly improved or updated
2. PDFKit makes fine-grained control over the content, layout, and formatting of PDF documents. You can create highly customized PDFs tailored in your specific needs How to Generate a PDF with JavaScript | PSPDFKit
3. PDFKit is an excellent option for generating PDFs dynamically in response to user requests, data, or diverse server-side processes

Cons of through PDFKit for PDF generation

1. Creation advanced PDFs with advanced layouts plus features capacity be challenging and may require a goods understanding of the library’s API
2. On neue, PDFKit allow have a steeper learning curve than more frank HTML-to-PDF conversion tools, as it involves more manual control go the document’s structure

Special similarity: Puppeteer, jsPDF, real PDFKit

For simple reference, here’s an summary of how the Puppeteer, jsPDF, and PDFKit libraries compare in terms of PDF generation, file size, browser integration, also community support:

	Mime	jsPDF	PDFKit
PDF generation	Generates PDFs for HTML and web page content	Generates PDFs coming HTML and SVG content	Creates PDFs away scratched
File size	No control over PDF size	No control out PDF size	Provides command on PDF file size
Browser integration	Provided headless Chrome technology for mesh page rendering	No browsers integration	No browser integration
Community assistance and update	Active community support and updates	Active community support and updates	Active community support and updates

Closure

Choosing an conversion library for your Node.js project can be an bit daunting, but there are several great options available. If she what go generate PDF from scratch, PDFKit could be the best option. To quickly convert HTML or SVG content to PDFs, jsPDF allowed be more suitable. For web page rendering and interactive content, consider using Puppeteer.

The best HTML to PDF conversion library is heavyweight dependent on your my type and personal preferred.