PDF Generation in JavaScript (Node.js): Libraries and…

PDF Generation in JavaScript (Node.js): A Complete Guide to Libraries and Tools

Generating PDF documents is one of the most in-demand tasks in web development. From creating invoices and reports to generating complex multi-page documents, Node.js offers powerful tools for working with PDFs. In this article, we will review the main libraries and approaches for creating PDF files on the server-side of JavaScript.

Why Generate PDF on the Server?

Server-side PDF generation allows you to:

Create documents dynamically based on data from a database
Ensure formatting consistency
Work with large volumes of data without client-side load
Integrate with existing reporting systems

Main Libraries for PDF Generation in Node.js

1. pdfkit — Classic Solution

pdfkit is one of the most popular libraries for creating PDFs from scratch. It provides full control over the document content: text, images, tables, vector graphics.

const PDFDocument = require('pdfkit');const fs = require('fs');

const doc = new PDFDocument();doc.pipe(fs.createWriteStream('output.pdf'));

// Add textdoc.fontSize(25).text('Hello, World!', 100, 100);

// Draw a linedoc.moveTo(100, 150).lineTo(400, 150).stroke();

// Insert an imagedoc.image('logo.png', 100, 200, { width: 100 });

doc.end();

Pros: lightweight, fast, supports Unicode and Cyrillic, many fonts.

Cons: requires manual layout setup, no built-in HTML support.

2. Puppeteer — Generation from HTML

Puppeteer is a library for controlling a headless Chrome browser. It allows you to convert HTML pages to PDF while preserving all styles and scripts.

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

async function generatePDF() {  const browser = await puppeteer.launch();  const page = await browser.newPage();    await page.setContent('<h1 style="color: red;">PDF Title</h1><p>Document text</p>');  await page.pdf({    path: 'output.pdf',    format: 'A4',    margin: { top: '20px', bottom: '20px' }  });    await browser.close();}

generatePDF();

Pros: ideal for complex HTML layouts, supports CSS, JavaScript, fonts.

Cons: heavy (requires Chromium), slower than other libraries.

3. pdf-lib — Modifying Existing PDFs

pdf-lib specializes in editing existing PDF documents. It allows you to add text, images, and fill forms.

const { PDFDocument } = require('pdf-lib');const fs = require('fs');

async function editPDF() {  const existingPdfBytes = fs.readFileSync('template.pdf');  const pdfDoc = await PDFDocument.load(existingPdfBytes);    const pages = pdfDoc.getPages();  const firstPage = pages[0];    firstPage.drawText('New text', {    x: 50,    y: 50,    size: 20,    color: rgb(0, 0, 0)  });    const pdfBytes = await pdfDoc.save();  fs.writeFileSync('modified.pdf', pdfBytes);}

editPDF();

Pros: lightweight, no external dependencies, works great with forms.

Cons: limited capabilities for creating complex layouts from scratch.

4. jsPDF — Client-Server Solution

jsPDF was originally created for the browser but also works in Node.js. Suitable for simple documents.

const { jsPDF } = require("jspdf");

const doc = new jsPDF();doc.text("Hello world!", 10, 10);doc.save("output.pdf");

Pros: simple API, works on client and server.

Cons:

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