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Posted on • Originally published at pagebolt.dev

How to Generate PDFs from HTML in Node.js (No Puppeteer)

#node #api #pdf #webdev

How to Generate PDFs from HTML in Node.js (No Puppeteer)

If you've ever tried generating PDFs from HTML in Node.js, you know the pain: Puppeteer requires installing Chrome, managing processes, handling memory leaks, and dealing with infrastructure overhead. There's a simpler way.

In this tutorial, I'll show you how to generate production-ready PDFs in just 3 lines of code using the PageBolt API — no browser installation, no DevOps headaches.

The Problem: Puppeteer Complexity

Here's what a basic Puppeteer PDF generation looks like:

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

async function generatePDF(htmlContent, filename) {
  const browser = await puppeteer.launch({
    args: ['--no-sandbox', '--disable-setuid-sandbox']
  });

  const page = await browser.newPage();
  await page.setContent(htmlContent);

  // Set PDF options
  await page.pdf({
    path: filename,
    format: 'A4',
    margin: {
      top: '10mm',
      right: '10mm',
      bottom: '10mm',
      left: '10mm'
    }
  });

  await browser.close();
}
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That's 20 lines for a basic PDF. Now add error handling, retry logic, timeout management, and memory cleanup — you're looking at 50+ lines of boilerplate code. And you still need to manage Chrome process lifecycle, handle OOM errors, and maintain your own infrastructure.

The Solution: PageBolt's PDF API

Here's the equivalent using PageBolt:

const response = await fetch('https://api.pagebolt.dev/v1/pdf', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: { 'Authorization': `Bearer YOUR_API_KEY` },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    html: htmlContent,
    format: 'A4',
    margin: { top: 10, right: 10, bottom: 10, left: 10 }
  })
});

const pdfBuffer = await response.arrayBuffer();
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That's it. 3 lines. No browser installation. No process management. No memory leaks.

Real-World Example: Invoice Generation

Let's say you're building an invoicing system. Here's how to generate a PDF invoice from an HTML template:

async function generateInvoice(invoiceData) {
  const htmlTemplate = `
    <html>
      <head>
        <style>
          body { font-family: Arial, sans-serif; margin: 40px; }
          .header { font-size: 24px; font-weight: bold; margin-bottom: 20px; }
          .item { display: flex; justify-content: space-between; padding: 10px 0; }
          .total { font-weight: bold; border-top: 1px solid #000; margin-top: 20px; padding-top: 10px; }
        </style>
      </head>
      <body>
        <div class="header">Invoice #${invoiceData.invoiceId}</div>
        <div>Date: ${invoiceData.date}</div>
        <div>Customer: ${invoiceData.customer}</div>

        <div style="margin-top: 30px;">
          ${invoiceData.items.map(item => `
            <div class="item">
              <span>${item.description}</span>
              <span>$${item.amount.toFixed(2)}</span>
            </div>
          `).join('')}
        </div>

        <div class="total">Total: $${invoiceData.total.toFixed(2)}</div>
      </body>
    </html>
  `;

  const response = await fetch('https://api.pagebolt.dev/v1/pdf', {
    method: 'POST',
    headers: {
      'Authorization': `Bearer YOUR_API_KEY`,
      'Content-Type': 'application/json'
    },
    body: JSON.stringify({
      html: htmlTemplate,
      format: 'A4'
    })
  });

  if (!response.ok) throw new Error(`PDF generation failed: ${response.statusText}`);

  return Buffer.from(await response.arrayBuffer());
}

// Usage
const pdfBuffer = await generateInvoice({
  invoiceId: 'INV-001',
  date: new Date().toLocaleDateString(),
  customer: 'Acme Corp',
  items: [
    { description: 'Web Development', amount: 5000 },
    { description: 'UI Design', amount: 2000 }
  ],
  total: 7000
});

// Save to file
const fs = require('fs');
fs.writeFileSync('invoice.pdf', pdfBuffer);
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Batch PDF Generation

Need to generate 1,000 invoices? PageBolt handles concurrent requests without breaking a sweat:

async function generateBatchInvoices(invoices) {
  const promises = invoices.map(invoice => generateInvoice(invoice));
  const results = await Promise.allSettled(promises);

  return results.map((result, idx) => ({
    invoiceId: invoices[idx].invoiceId,
    status: result.status,
    pdf: result.value,
    error: result.reason?.message
  }));
}
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Cost Comparison

Puppeteer (self-hosted):

  • AWS EC2 t3.medium instance: ~$30/month
  • Chrome memory overhead: ~200MB per process
  • Managing 5 concurrent processes: ~$150/month
  • Total: $150-300/month for modest scale

PageBolt:

  • Starter plan: $29/month for 5,000 PDFs
  • Growth plan: $79/month for 25,000 PDFs
  • Scale plan: $199/month for 100,000 PDFs
  • No infrastructure to manage

For most applications, PageBolt Starter ($29/month) handles your entire PDF generation needs.

Getting Started

  1. Sign up for free at pagebolt.dev/pricing — 100 PDFs/month, no credit card required
  2. Get your API key from the dashboard
  3. Make your first PDF request: 
const response = await fetch('https://api.pagebolt.dev/v1/pdf', {
  method: 'POST',
  headers: {
    'Authorization': `Bearer YOUR_API_KEY`,
    'Content-Type': 'application/json'
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    html: '<h1>Hello World</h1>',
    format: 'A4'
  })
});

const pdf = await response.arrayBuffer();
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That's your first PDF, generated in milliseconds. No Puppeteer, no infrastructure, no complexity.

When to Use PageBolt vs. Puppeteer

Use PageBolt if you:

  • Generate PDFs on-demand (invoices, reports, certificates)
  • Want zero infrastructure overhead
  • Need reliable uptime guarantees
  • Prefer managed services over DIY

Use Puppeteer if you:

  • Need full browser automation (screenshots, testing)
  • Generate PDFs so rarely it doesn't justify a service subscription
  • Have strict data residency requirements

For pure PDF generation, PageBolt wins on simplicity, cost, and reliability every time.

Start free today — pagebolt.dev/pricing. 100 PDFs/month, no credit card required.

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