I often find myself in a situation where I need to transform a beautifully crafted HTML webpage into a polished PDF file. Whether it's for generating reports, creating invoices, or simply archiving web content, converting HTML to PDF is a common yet essential task.
Imagine you're working on a web-based report for a client. You've dedicated hours to designing a stunning HTML layout with dynamic content and interactive elements. But when it's time to share this content in a format that's universally accessible and print-ready, PDF is often the preferred choice since the formatting, spacing, and fonts stay the same when converted to a PDF document, which increases efficiency, with minimal fuss.
IronPDF from IronSoftware is a robust, versatile library that simplifies this conversion process. For those of us who favor Python for its readability and power, IronPDF offers the best of both worlds by providing a Python wrapper for its .NET capabilities. It's like having a trusty toolkit that seamlessly integrates into the Python workflow.
In this comprehensive guide, we'll explore how to seamlessly convert HTML to PDF documents using IronPDF in Python, using a code snippet for each scenario. From installation to execution, we'll cover everything you need to know to get started. Think of it as a step-by-step recipe to transform your web designs into elegant, static documents ready for any purpose.
So, grab your favorite Python editor, and let's dive into the world of HTML-to-PDF conversion with IronPDF.
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Set Up the Project and Create my-pdf-converter.py file
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Install IronPDF python package.
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Verify Installation of IronPDF python package.
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Write the Code to Convert HTML content to a PDF file.
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Write the Code to Convert HTML files to PDF files.
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Write the Code to Convert from the Website URL to a PDF file.
IronPDF is a commercial PDF library for .NET applications, but it also offers a Python wrapper, making it accessible for Python developers. The library provides robust tools for generating PDFs from HTML, modifying existing PDFs, and handling various PDF-related tasks.
Before we begin, ensure you have the following:
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Python installed on your system (Python 3.6 or later recommended). Make sure environment variables are updated with the latest Python EXE.
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An IDE or text editor (e.g., VS Code).
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Internet connection to install the IronPDF package.
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IronPDF Python relies on IronPDF .NET library, specifically .NET 6.0, as its underlying technology. Therefore, it is necessary to have the .NET 6.0 SDK installed on your machine to use IronPDF Python.
How to Convert HTML to PDF Python
Now, let us explore Python code on how to generate PDF using IronPDF for converting HTML content to PDF documents.
First, let's set up a project to store all the program files. Let's create a folder and then open the folder in the Visual Studio Code editor. Then create my-pdf-converter.py to demonstrate how to generate PDFs. Once created, this is how the editor looks like:
The next step is to install IronPDF package from IronSoftware. The package is free pip install
pip install ironpdf
Once the IronPDF package is installed, users can verify using the following command
pip show ironpdf
The Output image from the editor shows the version installed and license and contact.
IronPDF package supports many ways to convert HTML to PDF, now let's see an example where we convert HTML string to PDF. The following code snippet how to convert HTML string to PDF.
from ironpdf import *
import os
# Apply your license key
License.LicenseKey = "Your key"
# HTML content with header and footer placeholders
html_content = """
<!DOCTYPE html>
<html lang="en">
<head>
<meta charset="UTF-8">
<meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1.0">
<title>Demonstrate HTML string Conversion to PDF Document with Header and Footer</title>
</head>
<body>
<h1>Demonstrate HTML string Conversion to PDF</h1>
<p>This is a sample PDF generated from HTML string using IronPDF.</p>
</body>
</html>
"""
# Instantiate the renderer
renderer = ChromePdfRenderer()
# Header and footer HTML
# Build a footer using html to style the text
# mergeable fields are:
# {page} {total-pages} {url} {date} {time} {html-title} & {pdf-title}
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter = HtmlHeaderFooter()
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter.MaxHeight = 15 # millimeters
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter.HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align: center;'>IronSoftware, 205 N. Michigan Ave. Chicago, IL 60611 USA +1 (312) 500-3060</div>"
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlFooter.DrawDividerLine = True
# Use sufficient MarginBottom to ensure that the HtmlFooter does not overlap with the main PDF page content.
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginBottom = 25 # mm
# Build a header using an image asset
# Note the use of BaseUrl to set a relative path to the assets
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader = HtmlHeaderFooter()
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader.MaxHeight = 20 # in millimeters
renderer.RenderingOptions.HtmlHeader.HtmlFragment = "<div style='text-align: center;'>Page {page} of {total-pages}</div>" #header data shows page numbers
# Use sufficient MarginTop to ensure that the HtmlHeader does not overlap with the main PDF page content.
renderer.RenderingOptions.MarginTop = 25 # in mm
# Create a PDF from the HTML string with header and footer
pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlAsPdf(html_content) # html string stored as pdf content
# Save the PDF to a file
pdf.SaveAs("AwesomeIronPDFLibraryOutput.pdf") # output path in same directory
The above code snippet demonstrates how to convert an HTML string to a PDF document using the IronPDF library in Python, while including custom headers and footers in the final output.
Output
Footer
Now you can also convert HTML files stored locally to PDF documents. For this, you need to have an HTML file on your local machine which you can provide as input to IronPDF RenderHtmlFileAsPdf method.
Input HTML file
from ironpdf import *
# Apply your license key
License.LicenseKey = "your key"
# Instantiate Renderer
renderer = ChromePdfRenderer()
# Create a PDF from an existing HTML file using Python
pdf = renderer.RenderHtmlFileAsPdf("ironConversion.html") # above html file
# Export to a file or Stream
pdf.SaveAs("AwesomIronPDF.pdf")# PDF file
This code snippet demonstrates how to convert an existing HTML file into a PDF using the IronPDF library in Python: A `ChromePdfRenderer` object is created to handle the conversion process.
The HTML content from a file named "ironConversion.html" is converted into a PDF using the `RenderHtmlFileAsPdf` method. The resulting PDF is saved to a file named "AwesomIronPDF.pdf" in the current directory. This process allows you to easily convert an HTML file into a PDF and save it with a specified name.
Output
Website URL can directly be converted to PDF file using IronPDF RenderUrlAsPdf method like below
from ironpdf import *
# Apply your license key
License.LicenseKey = "Your key"
# Create Renderer
renderer = ChromePdfRenderer()
# Create a PDF from a URL or local file path
pdf = renderer.RenderUrlAsPdf("https://ironpdf.com/python/")
# Export to a file
pdf.SaveAs("AwesomeIronPDF-Python-package.pdf")
This pure Python code snippet illustrates how to use IronPDF in Python to convert content from a URL into a PDF document. The `RenderUrlAsPdf` method converts HTML content from the specified URL ("https://ironpdf.com/python/") into a PDF document.
Using IronPDF multiple URLs also can be converted and stored in a single PDF file. The generated PDF is saved to a file named "AwesomeIronPDF-Python-package.pdf" in the current directory. This code allows you to directly convert web pages into PDF format and store them locally.
Output
IronPDF package runs on a license. IronPDF offers a free trial license to allow users to check out its extensive features before purchase. Place the License Key here:
from ironpdf import *
# Apply your IronPDF license key
License.LicenseKey = "your key"
IronPDF provides a straightforward and efficient way to convert HTML to PDF in Python. By following this guide, you can quickly set up IronPDF, customize your PDF output, and handle various HTML sources. IronPDF is a versatile library that simplifies the process of converting HTML to PDF in Python.
With its extensive features and ease of use, you can generate professional-quality PDF documents from your HTML content. Whether you’re creating reports, invoices, or any other type of document, IronPDF provides the tools you need to get the job done efficiently.
You are welcome to explore more features and customize your PDF generation process to suit your needs. For more advanced usage and features, consider exploring IronPDF’s documentation and community resources to fully leverage its capabilities.