Generating PDF Reports in JavaScript (Node.js): Libraries and Examples

Generating PDF Reports in JavaScript (Node.js)

Creating PDF documents is one of the most in-demand tasks in web development. Reports, invoices, certificates, documentation — all of this requires a reliable tool for server-side generation. In the Node.js ecosystem, there are several powerful libraries that allow you to flexibly generate PDF files. In this article, we will thoroughly examine three main approaches: PDFKit (direct programming), Puppeteer (HTML rendering), and jsPDF (lightweight option).

Why generate PDF on the server?

• Dynamic content — data from databases, calculations, charts.
• Security — access control and versioning.
• Automation — mass distribution of reports on a schedule.
• Unified format — correct display on all devices.

1. PDFKit — Full Control Over the Document

PDFKit is the most popular library for creating PDFs "from scratch". It does not require a browser and works exclusively with JavaScript objects. You control every element: text, images, vector graphics, fonts.

Installation

npm install pdfkit

Example: Simple Report with a Table

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

const doc = new PDFDocument();

doc.pipe(fs.createWriteStream('report.pdf'));

// Titledoc.fontSize(24).text('Monthly Report', { align: 'center' });doc.moveDown();

// Subtitledoc.fontSize(14).text('Period: January 2025', { align: 'center' });doc.moveDown(2);

// Table (simulation)doc.fontSize(12).font('Helvetica-Bold');doc.text('Product', 50, 150);doc.text('Quantity', 250, 150);doc.text('Price', 400, 150);

doc.font('Helvetica');const data = [    { item: 'Laptops', qty: 15, price: 75000 },    { item: 'Monitors', qty: 30, price: 25000 },    { item: 'Keyboards', qty: 100, price: 1500 }];

let y = 170;data.forEach(row => {    doc.text(row.item, 50, y);    doc.text(String(row.qty), 250, y);    doc.text(String(row.price), 400, y);    y += 20;});

// Totaldoc.moveDown();doc.font('Helvetica-Bold');doc.text(`Total: ${data.reduce((sum, r) => sum + r.qty * r.price, 0)} RUB`, 50, y + 20);

doc.end();

PDFKit Capabilities:

• Vector graphics (lines, rectangles, circles).
• Font embedding (TrueType, OpenType).
• Unicode and Cyrillic support.
• Creating links and annotations.

2. Puppeteer — Rendering HTML to PDF

If you already have an HTML report template (e.g., using Bootstrap), Puppeteer is the ideal choice. It launches a headless Chrome browser and converts the page to PDF, preserving all styles, fonts, and JavaScript animations.

Installation

npm install puppeteer

Example: Converting an HTML Template

const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');

async function generatePDF() {    const browser = await puppeteer.launch();    const page = await browser.newPage();

    // HTML with CSS    const html = `        <!DOCTYPE html>        <html>        <head>            <style>                body { font-family: Arial; padding: 40px; }                h1 { color: #2c3e50; }                table { width: 100%; border-collapse: collapse; }                th, td { border: 1px solid #ccc; padding: 8px; }            </style>        </head>        <body>            <h1>Sales Report</h1>            <table>                <tr><th>Month</th><th>Amount</th></tr>                <tr><td>January</td><td>450,000 RUB</td>