How-To Recipe

Capture HTML before creating a PDF

Flatten a complex browser component into a predictable image for a single-page PDF or PDF-generation pipeline.

TL;DR

Capture the component to PNG or Blob, then pass that image to your PDF library.

Copy-paste example

Install @zumer/snapdom, select the rendered element, and capture it:

const component = document.querySelector('#certificate')
const blob = await snapdom.toBlob(component, {
  type: 'png',
  dpr: 2,
  embedFonts: true,
  backgroundColor: '#ffffff',
})

// Pass blob to the PDF library used by your application.

Why this pattern works

Image capture is useful for certificates, receipts or complex visual components where exact browser styling matters more than selectable PDF text.

Create an image ready for PDF

Generate a PNG Blob from this bounded certificate—the artifact a PDF library would receive.

CERTIFICATE OF COMPLETION

DOM Capture Fundamentals

Awarded to SnapDOM Developer

Browser-rendered artifact
The captured result will appear here.

Limits and common mistakes

The captured content becomes pixels. Accessibility, text selection, pagination and semantic document structure must come from a real HTML-to-PDF workflow instead.

Frequently asked questions

Does SnapDOM convert arbitrary HTML into a paginated PDF?

No. SnapDOM captures an element as an image; its PDF plugin creates an image-based single-page PDF.

When is image-based PDF appropriate?

For bounded visual artifacts such as certificates, tickets, receipts and shareable cards.

Capture it in the browser

Install SnapDOM and turn the DOM your users already see into a portable image.

Open the demoInstall from npm