The latest articles on DEV Community by Hisa Araki (@maskedridersystem). https://dev.to/maskedridersystem https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3870770%2F75af346f-4c2f-4ed0-a24c-a6609ae7a0d3.png https://dev.to/maskedridersystem en Hisa Araki Fri, 10 Apr 2026 02:23:19 +0000 https://dev.to/maskedridersystem/why-i-built-a-pixel-perfect-report-engine-with-rust-and-skia-4g76 https://dev.to/maskedridersystem/why-i-built-a-pixel-perfect-report-engine-with-rust-and-skia-4g76 <h2> Introduction </h2> <p>For many years, I have been working on business systems where report generation is a critical component.</p> <p>However, I repeatedly encountered the same problems:</p> <ul> <li>Layout differences depending on printer drivers</li> <li>OS-specific rendering inconsistencies</li> <li>Difficulty achieving true WYSIWYG output</li> </ul> <p>These issues are not new, but they are still not fully solved.</p> <h2> The Problem </h2> <p>In traditional report systems, rendering often depends on external components such as printer drivers or OS-level graphics APIs.</p> <p>This leads to:</p> <ul> <li>Slight layout shifts</li> <li>Inconsistent text measurement</li> <li>Different output between environments</li> </ul> <p>For business reports, even small differences can be unacceptable.</p> <h2> The Approach </h2> <p>To solve this, I designed a report engine with the following principles:</p> <ul> <li>Fully deterministic layout</li> <li>Pixel-perfect rendering</li> <li>No dependency on printer drivers</li> <li>Cross-platform consistency</li> </ul> <p>The engine directly controls rendering using Skia.</p> <h2> Why Rust </h2> <p>I chose Rust for:</p> <ul> <li>Memory safety</li> <li>Predictable performance</li> <li>Strong control over low-level behavior</li> </ul> <p>This is important for a rendering engine where consistency is critical.</p> <h2> Technical Highlights </h2> <ul> <li>Layout engine with pre-calculated positioning</li> <li>Pagination control</li> <li>Consistent font measurement</li> <li>Rendering abstraction over Skia</li> </ul> <h2> Result </h2> <p>The engine produces identical output (PDF / PNG) across environments.</p> <h2> Repository </h2> <p><a href="https://github.com/acrossreport" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://github.com/acrossreport</a></p> <h2> Closing </h2> <p>If you are interested in rendering engines, Skia, or cross-platform layout systems, I would appreciate your feedback.</p> rust skia opensource webdev