PDF Generation with Puppeteer

Puppeteer is a Node.js library that provides a high-level API to control Chrome or Chromium browsers, making it perfect for PDF generation.

Why Puppeteer?

High-Quality Output

• Renders HTML/CSS exactly as a browser would
• Supports modern CSS features
• Handles JavaScript execution

Flexibility

• Convert any HTML to PDF
• Support for images, fonts, and complex layouts
• Customizable page sizes and margins

Implementation

Basic Usage

import puppeteer from 'puppeteer';

const browser = await puppeteer.launch({ headless: true });
const page = await browser.newPage();
await page.setContent(htmlContent);
const pdf = await page.pdf({
  format: 'A4',
  margin: { top: '12mm', right: '12mm', bottom: '12mm', left: '12mm' },
});
await browser.close();

In The Workbench

Our PDF converter uses Puppeteer to:

1. Render HTML: Convert HTML strings to PDF
2. Process Markdown: First convert Markdown to HTML, then to PDF
3. Handle Images: Embed images directly in PDFs
4. Apply Metadata: Use pdf-lib to add title, author, and subject

Performance Considerations

• Headless Mode: Run without UI for better performance
• Connection Pooling: Reuse browser instances when possible
• Resource Limits: Set memory and timeout limits
• Error Handling: Always close browsers in finally blocks

Challenges Solved

1. Font Rendering: Ensure fonts are loaded before PDF generation
2. Async Content: Wait for network idle before generating PDF
3. Memory Management: Properly close browsers to prevent leaks
4. Error Recovery: Handle browser crashes gracefully