Image Capture Libraries Comparison
html2canvas vs html-to-image vs dom-to-image vs screenshot-desktop
1 Year
html2canvashtml-to-imagedom-to-imagescreenshot-desktopSimilar Packages:
What's Image Capture Libraries?

Image capture libraries are tools that enable developers to convert HTML elements or entire web pages into images. These libraries provide various functionalities and methods to facilitate the process of rendering visual content as images, which can be useful for generating screenshots, creating downloadable content, or sharing visual representations of web applications. Each library has its unique approach and capabilities, making them suitable for different use cases in web development.

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html2canvas2,349,15130,7353.38 MB1,015-MIT
html-to-image572,8525,902299 kB1462 years agoMIT
dom-to-image180,51710,428-3277 years agoMIT
screenshot-desktop86,15244739.8 kB20a year agoMIT
Feature Comparison: html2canvas vs html-to-image vs dom-to-image vs screenshot-desktop

Rendering Method

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas takes a screenshot of the web page or specific elements by rendering the visual representation of the DOM into a canvas. It captures styles, images, and other visual elements, allowing for a more accurate representation of the page.

  • html-to-image:

    html-to-image leverages the HTML5 canvas API to render HTML elements into images. It provides a simple API for converting HTML to images, making it easy to use for developers who want quick results without deep customization.

  • dom-to-image:

    dom-to-image uses the browser's native capabilities to render DOM nodes into images. It converts the specified DOM elements into a canvas and then exports that canvas as an image, supporting SVG and CSS styles effectively.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop captures the screen or specific application windows directly using native desktop capabilities. It provides a way to take screenshots outside of the browser context, making it suitable for desktop applications.

Complexity and Configuration

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas can be more complex due to its comprehensive feature set. It may require additional configuration to handle specific CSS properties or cross-origin images, which can add to the learning curve for new users.

  • html-to-image:

    html-to-image offers a straightforward API that requires little setup. It allows for basic configuration options, such as image format and quality, making it user-friendly for developers looking for simplicity.

  • dom-to-image:

    dom-to-image is relatively simple to use with minimal configuration required. It allows developers to specify the target DOM node and provides options for image format and quality, making it accessible for quick implementations.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop is straightforward to use, but it requires native permissions to capture the screen, which can complicate its integration into web applications. This package is more suited for desktop environments.

Output Formats

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas outputs images as canvas elements, which can then be converted to various formats like PNG or JPEG. This flexibility allows for different use cases depending on the desired output format.

  • html-to-image:

    html-to-image primarily outputs images in PNG format, providing a simple and effective way to generate images from HTML content without extensive configuration.

  • dom-to-image:

    dom-to-image supports multiple output formats, including PNG and JPEG, allowing developers to choose the best format for their needs. It also allows for customization of image quality and dimensions.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop captures images in PNG format, providing a standard output that is widely used for screenshots. This makes it easy to integrate with other tools and applications.

Browser Compatibility

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas supports a wide range of browsers but may have issues with older versions or specific CSS properties. Developers should test compatibility to ensure consistent results across different environments.

  • html-to-image:

    html-to-image is designed to work with modern browsers, ensuring compatibility with the latest web standards. It may have limitations with older browsers, particularly regarding certain CSS features.

  • dom-to-image:

    dom-to-image is compatible with modern browsers and provides fallbacks for older versions, ensuring a broader reach for web applications. It handles various CSS properties effectively, making it reliable for diverse use cases.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop is primarily designed for desktop applications and may not be applicable for web environments. It requires native application permissions, which limits its use to desktop platforms.

Use Cases

  • html2canvas:

    html2canvas is best for capturing entire web pages or specific sections, making it useful for creating screenshots, visual documentation, or sharing content in image format. It is particularly effective for applications with complex layouts.

  • html-to-image:

    html-to-image is well-suited for creating images from HTML content, making it perfect for generating previews, downloadable content, or sharing visual representations of web applications.

  • dom-to-image:

    dom-to-image is ideal for generating images from specific DOM elements, such as charts, graphs, or custom components. It is particularly useful in applications that require user-generated content or downloadable assets.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    screenshot-desktop is tailored for capturing the entire screen or specific application windows, making it ideal for desktop applications, user support, or creating tutorials that require visual demonstrations.

How to Choose: html2canvas vs html-to-image vs dom-to-image vs screenshot-desktop
  • html2canvas:

    Select html2canvas if you need a comprehensive solution that captures the visual representation of a web page or specific elements as a canvas image. It supports a wide range of CSS properties and can handle complex layouts, making it suitable for more intricate designs.

  • html-to-image:

    Opt for html-to-image if you require a straightforward API that supports both SVG and canvas elements. It is particularly useful for generating images from HTML content and offers a promise-based approach for better handling of asynchronous operations.

  • dom-to-image:

    Choose dom-to-image if you need a lightweight solution that can convert DOM nodes to images with minimal configuration. It supports SVG and can handle complex styles, making it ideal for generating images from specific elements.

  • screenshot-desktop:

    Use screenshot-desktop if you want to capture the entire screen or specific application windows. This package is ideal for desktop applications or scenarios where you need to capture the user's screen rather than just web content.

README for html2canvas

html2canvas

Homepage | Downloads | Questions

Gitter CI NPM Downloads NPM Version

JavaScript HTML renderer

The script allows you to take "screenshots" of webpages or parts of it, directly on the users browser. The screenshot is based on the DOM and as such may not be 100% accurate to the real representation as it does not make an actual screenshot, but builds the screenshot based on the information available on the page.

How does it work?

The script renders the current page as a canvas image, by reading the DOM and the different styles applied to the elements.

It does not require any rendering from the server, as the whole image is created on the client's browser. However, as it is heavily dependent on the browser, this library is not suitable to be used in nodejs. It doesn't magically circumvent any browser content policy restrictions either, so rendering cross-origin content will require a proxy to get the content to the same origin.

The script is still in a very experimental state, so I don't recommend using it in a production environment nor start building applications with it yet, as there will be still major changes made.

Browser compatibility

The library should work fine on the following browsers (with Promise polyfill):

  • Firefox 3.5+
  • Google Chrome
  • Opera 12+
  • IE9+
  • Safari 6+

As each CSS property needs to be manually built to be supported, there are a number of properties that are not yet supported.

Usage

The html2canvas library utilizes Promises and expects them to be available in the global context. If you wish to support older browsers that do not natively support Promises, please include a polyfill such as es6-promise before including html2canvas.

To render an element with html2canvas, simply call: html2canvas(element[, options]);

The function returns a Promise containing the <canvas> element. Simply add a promise fulfillment handler to the promise using then:

html2canvas(document.body).then(function(canvas) {
    document.body.appendChild(canvas);
});

Building

You can download ready builds here.

Clone git repository:

$ git clone git://github.com/niklasvh/html2canvas.git

Install dependencies:

$ npm install

Build browser bundle

$ npm run build

Examples

For more information and examples, please visit the homepage or try the test console.

Contributing

If you wish to contribute to the project, please send the pull requests to the develop branch. Before submitting any changes, try and test that the changes work with all the support browsers. If some CSS property isn't supported or is incomplete, please create appropriate tests for it as well before submitting any code changes.