PDF generation for developers

Add PDF exports without running Chromium

Build reports, invoices, and downloads with the HTML and CSS you already use. The API manages the browser, rendering, file storage, and delivery.

Start free Read the PDF docs

HTML, CSS, and JavaScript
Page and print controls
Hosted browser rendering

Already have a public webpage? Try URL to PDF.

PDF

Generated with HTML/CSS to Image 1 / 1

Live demo

Try the HTML to PDF API

Edit the HTML and CSS, choose PDF settings, and generate the PDF.

Content

Adjust how content is rendered by adjusting these settings.

Url?

Pass a publicly available URL and the API will screenshot it. This overrides any HTML.

Google Fonts?

Google fonts to be loaded. Example: Roboto. Multiple fonts can be loaded like this: Roboto|Open Sans. You must also set the font-family in your CSS to use the loaded font.

Selector?

A CSS selector for an element in the HTML. We’ll crop the image to this specific element.

Image size & Cropping

Images are automatically cropped by default. We crop to the outermost HTML element. For extra tweaking, use these settings.

Full Screen?

Take a screenshot of the entire screen

Device Scale?

Adjusts the pixel ratio for the screenshot. The default is 2 which is equivalent to a 4K monitor.

Viewport Width?

Set the width of Chrome's viewport. This will disable automatic cropping.

Viewport Height?

Set the height of Chrome's viewport. This will disable automatic cropping.

Landscape Viewport

Set the viewport to landscape orientation.

Timing

By default the API generates a screenshot once everything is loaded. If the page executes JavaScript, you may want extra time before the image is rendered.

Ms Delay?

Adds extra time for JavaScript to execute. Use this if you're seeing a blank image and are using JavaScript.
Default: 0. Start with 500 if needed.

Max Wait Ms?

Sets a limit on time to wait until the screenshot is taken. Use this if your page loads a lot of extra irrelevant content, and you want to reduce the render time.

Render When Ready??

Check to control when the image is generated.
Call ScreenshotReady() from JavaScript in your code to trigger the image generation.

Browser Context

These settings will impact how Chrome is started, giving you more control when taking screenshots.

Mobile Viewport

Instructs the viewport to behave as if it's being viewed from a mobile device.

Touch Viewport

Instructs the viewport to behave as if it is being viewed on a device supporting touch events.

Color Scheme?

Set Chrome to render assuming the user has explicitly set their browser to Light or Dark mode.

Media Type

Set Chrome to render as if it's being set to print or screen mode.

Timezone?

Render your image with Chrome set to a specified timezone.

Block Consent Banners?

Attempt to block cookie/consent banners from displaying

Identify as HCTI

Send X-HCTI-SCREENSHOT: 1 with the top-level page navigation

Transparent Background?

Remove the background of the rendered image.

Use cases

Add PDF generation to your application

Read the PDF docs

Application exports

Convert views and report data into downloadable PDFs without maintaining a second rendering system.

Background document jobs

Generate personalized files from queues, scheduled tasks, and data-processing jobs.

Shared web components

Reuse HTML, CSS, web fonts, and charting code across browser views and generated PDFs.

Permanent records

Create PDF records for completed actions, approvals, transactions, and other important events.

Document controls

Control the PDF page, margins, and print styles

Set the document layout in the request instead of maintaining a separate PDF renderer.

Page size

Set exact dimensions

Use custom PDF dimensions in pixels, inches, centimeters, millimeters, or points.

"page_width": "8.5in"

Margins

Set each margin independently

Set the top, right, bottom, and left margins separately.

["0.4in", "0.4in", "0.4in", "0.4in"]

Print styles

Render print CSS and backgrounds

Include CSS background colors and images, and render the page with print media rules.

"print_background": true

One API request

Convert HTML and CSS to PDF

Send HTML, CSS, and PDF options together. The API renders the content in Chromium and returns the generated PDF URL.

Chromium rendering

Render modern HTML, CSS, JavaScript, web fonts, and charts without running a browser.
PDF layout controls

Set page width, height, scale, and all four margins in the request.
Page environment

Choose light or dark mode, timezone, and screen or print media.
Timing controls

Add a delay, set a timeout, or trigger capture with ScreenshotReady().

POST /v1/image

POST https://hcti.io/v1/image

{

"html": "<main>...</main>",

"pdf_options": { "page_width": "8.5in", "page_height": "11in", "margins": [ "0.4in", "0.4in", "0.4in", "0.4in" ], "print_background": true }

}

How it works

From HTML and CSS to downloadable PDF

Send the content

Send the HTML and CSS that define the PDF content.
Apply PDF settings

Choose page dimensions, scale, margins, print backgrounds, and browser settings.
Receive the PDF URL

Download, store, attach, or deliver the generated PDF from the URL in the API response.

Example conversation

You

Use the HCTI MCP to turn this HTML report into a letter-size PDF with print backgrounds.
HTML/CSS to Image

I’ll render the HTML and CSS in Chromium, use an 8.5 × 11-inch page, and include CSS background colors and images.
You

Use half-inch margins and return a download URL.
HTML/CSS to Image

The PDF settings now use 0.5-inch margins on every side. I’ll return the hosted PDF URL when rendering finishes.
You

Can the same tool generate a personalized certificate from this markup?
HTML/CSS to Image

Yes. Provide the recipient values with the HTML and CSS, and I’ll generate the finished certificate as a PDF.

MCP connected with OAuth

MCP integration

Use the HCTI API from your AI tools

Connect an MCP-compatible AI client to HCTI through OAuth.

Generate images and PDFs, capture webpages, and work with templates without putting an API key in the prompt.

PDF generation API

Add PDF generation without running a browser

Convert HTML and CSS to PDF while the API handles Chromium, rendering, storage, and delivery.

Start free Read the PDF docs

More PDF generation workflows

See where automated PDFs fit

Explore practical document workflows for different teams and industries.

Generate Images

Generate PDFs

Add PDF exports without running Chromium

Try the HTML to PDF API

Content

Image size & Cropping

Timing

Browser Context

PDF document

Margins

Verification unavailable

Add PDF generation to your application

Application exports

Background document jobs

Shared web components

Permanent records

Control the PDF page, margins, and print styles

Set exact dimensions

Set each margin independently

Render print CSS and backgrounds

Convert HTML and CSS to PDF

Chromium rendering

PDF layout controls

Page environment

Timing controls

From HTML and CSS to downloadable PDF

Send the content

Apply PDF settings

Receive the PDF URL

Use the HCTI API from your AI tools

Add PDF generation without running a browser

See where automated PDFs fit

Finance

Education

Marketing