wkhtmltopdf

Convert HTML pages to PDF

TLDR

Convert HTML to PDF

$ wkhtmltopdf [input.html] [output.pdf]

Convert URL to PDF

$ wkhtmltopdf [https://example.com] [output.pdf]

Set page size

$ wkhtmltopdf --page-size [A4] [input.html] [output.pdf]

Set orientation

$ wkhtmltopdf --orientation [Landscape] [input.html] [output.pdf]

Add margins

$ wkhtmltopdf --margin-top [20mm] --margin-bottom [20mm] [input.html] [output.pdf]

Disable JavaScript

$ wkhtmltopdf --disable-javascript [input.html] [output.pdf]

Add header and footer

$ wkhtmltopdf --header-center "[title]" --footer-center "[page]/[topage]" [input.html] [output.pdf]

Multiple pages

$ wkhtmltopdf [page1.html] [page2.html] [output.pdf]

SYNOPSIS

wkhtmltopdf [--page-size size] [--orientation orient] [--margin-* size] [options] input output

wkhtmltopdf converts HTML to PDF using the WebKit rendering engine. It renders pages as a browser would, then outputs to PDF.Multiple input pages combine into a single PDF. Table of contents can be auto-generated from headings. Cover pages and headers/footers frame the content.Headers and footers support variables: [page], [topage], [title], [section], [subsection], [date], [time], [webpage]. These enable automatic page numbers and running headers.Page breaks can be controlled via CSS print media rules. The tool respects page-break-before, page-break-after, and related properties.JavaScript delay handles dynamic content that loads asynchronously. For heavily JS-dependent pages, increasing delay ensures complete rendering.Authentication options handle basic auth, cookies, and custom headers. This enables converting protected pages.

PARAMETERS

--page-size SIZE

Paper size: A4, Letter, Legal, etc.

--orientation ORIENT

Landscape or Portrait.

--margin-top SIZE

Top margin (e.g., 10mm, 1in).

--margin-bottom SIZE

Bottom margin.

--margin-left SIZE

Left margin.

--margin-right SIZE

Right margin.

--dpi DPI

Output resolution.

--zoom FACTOR

Zoom factor.

--grayscale

Generate grayscale PDF.

--disable-javascript

Don't run JavaScript.

--javascript-delay MS

Wait before printing.

--header-html FILE

HTML header file.

--header-center TEXT

Centered header text.

--footer-html FILE

HTML footer file.

--footer-center TEXT

Centered footer text.

--toc

Include table of contents.

--cover FILE

Cover page HTML.

--cookie NAME VALUE

Set cookie.

--username USER

HTTP authentication user.

--password PASS

HTTP authentication password.

--no-images

Don't load images.

--lowquality

Generate lower quality PDF/PS to reduce file size.

--encoding ENCODING

Set the default text encoding.

INSTALL

sudo dnf install wkhtmltopdf

nix profile install nixpkgs#wkhtmltopdf

CAVEATS

Based on old QtWebKit - some modern CSS/JS may not work. Project is no longer maintained. Security concerns with untrusted content. Large pages use significant memory. Some fonts may not embed correctly. Consider WeasyPrint or Chrome headless as alternatives.

HISTORY

wkhtmltopdf was created by Jakob Truelsen around 2008. It provided command-line HTML to PDF conversion before headless browsers existed. Despite being based on an older WebKit version, it became widely used. Development slowed as headless Chrome/Firefox emerged as alternatives.