htmldoc(1)

📦
version 1.9.25 · 4 versions
, in alpine 3.24, arch rolling, nixos 26.05, nixpkgs unstable, opensuse-leap 16.0, ubuntu resolute, ubuntu stonking

💖 htmldoc 💖

okay bestie, gather round, because this is the manual page for htmldoc (that's htmldoc(1) if you're being fancy, written by Michael R Sweet) and it is lowkey a whole personality. it converts your HTML into pretty much whatever you want. no cap. 🦋

✨ NAME ✨

htmldoc — convert html source files into html, postscript, or pdf.

🌸 SYNOPSIS 🌸

htmldoc [options] filename1.{html,md} [ ... filenameN.{html,md} ]

htmldoc [options] -

htmldoc [filename.book]

🎀 DESCRIPTION 🎀

Htmldoc(1) takes your HTML and Markdown source files and turns them into indexed HTML, PostScript, or Portable Document Format (PDF) files — the kind you can either vibe with online or print out and hold in your hands like it's 2004. and here's the thing: if you give it no options at all, it just produces an HTML document straight onto stdout. no drama, no fuss. 💅

The second form of htmldoc reads HTML source from stdin, which is the whole reason you can use htmldoc as a filter. pipe it, bestie. 🫶

The third form of htmldoc launches a graphical interface, so you can click around, change options, and generate documents interactively like the main character you are. 👑

😭 COMMON MISTAKES 😭

so there are two types of HTML files and honestly this trips everyone up:

  • structured documents that use headings (H1, H2, etc.) — htmldoc calls these "books" 📚
  • unstructured documents that do not use headings — htmldoc calls these "web pages" 🌐

A very common mistake is trying to convert a web page using:

htmldoc -f filename.pdf filename.html

which will likely produce a PDF file with no pages. 💀 not me doing this the first time. To convert web page files you must use the --webpage or --continuous options at the command-line, or choose Web Page or Continuous in the input tab of the GUI. periodt.

💅 OPTIONS 💅

The following command-line options are supported by htmldoc:

  • --batch filename.book — generates the specified book file without opening the GUI. set it and forget it, no windows popping up on you. ✨
  • --bodycolor color — specifies the background color for all pages.
  • --bodyfont {courier,helvetica,monospace,sans,serif,times}
  • --textfont {courier,helvetica,monospace,sans,serif,times} — specifies the default typeface for all normal text.
  • --bodyimage filename — specifies the background image that is tiled on all pages. tiled, as in repeated everywhere. wallpaper energy. 🖼️
  • --book — specifies that the HTML sources are structured (headings, chapters, etc.)
  • --bottom margin — specifies the bottom margin in points (no suffix or ##pt), inches (##in), centimeters (##cm), or millimeters (##mm).
  • --charset {cp-nnnn,iso-8859-1,...,iso-8859-15,utf-8} — specifies the character set to use for the output. > heads up: UTF-8 support is limited to the first 128 Unicode characters that are found in the input. so like, keep it simple bestie. 🙈
  • --color — specifies that PostScript or PDF output should be in color. 🌈
  • --continuous — specifies that the HTML sources are unstructured (plain web pages.) No page breaks are inserted between each file or URL in the output.
  • --datadir directory — specifies the location of the htmldoc data files, usually /usr/share/htmldoc or C:/Program Files/HTMLDOC.
  • --duplex — specifies that the output should be formatted for double-sided printing.
  • --effectduration {0.1...10.0} — specifies the duration in seconds of PDF page transition effects.
  • --embedfonts — specifies that fonts should be embedded in PDF and PostScript output.
  • --encryption — enables encryption of PDF files. 🔒
  • --fontsize size — specifies the default font size for body text.
  • --fontspacing spacing — specifies the default line spacing for body text. The line spacing is a multiplier for the font size, so a value of 1.2 will provide an additional 20% of space between the lines. math queen. 🧮
  • --footer fff — sets the page footer to use on body pages. See the HEADERS/FOOTERS FORMATS section below.
  • --format format
  • -t format — specifies the output format: epub, html, htmlsep (separate HTML files for each heading in the table-of-contents), ps or ps2 (PostScript Level 2), ps1 (PostScript Level 1), ps3 (PostScript Level 3), pdf11 (PDF 1.1/Acrobat 2.0), pdf12 (PDF 1.2/Acrobat 3.0), pdf or pdf13 (PDF 1.3/Acrobat 4.0), or pdf14 (PDF 1.4/Acrobat 5.0). so many flavors, pick your fighter. 🥊
  • --gray — specifies that PostScript or PDF output should be grayscale.
  • --header fff — sets the page header to use on body pages. See the HEADERS/FOOTERS FORMATS section below.
  • --header1 fff — sets the page header to use on the first body/chapter page. See the HEADERS/FOOTERS FORMATS section below.
  • --headfootfont font — sets the font to use on headers and footers.
  • --headfootsize size — sets the size of the font to use on headers and footers.
  • --headingfont typeface — sets the typeface to use for headings.
  • --help — displays a summary of command-line options. your bestie when you're lost. 🫶
  • --helpdir directory — specifies the location of the htmldoc online help files, usually /usr/share/doc/htmldoc or C:/Program Files/HTMLDOC/DOC.
  • --hfimageN filename — specifies an image (numbered from 1 to 10) to be used in the header or footer in a PostScript or PDF document.
  • --jpeg[=quality] — sets the JPEG compression level to use for large images. A value of 0 disables JPEG compression.
  • --left margin — specifies the left margin in points (no suffix or ##pt), inches (##in), centimeters (##cm), or millimeters (##mm).
  • --letterhead filename — specifies an image to be used as a letterhead in the header or footer in a PostScript or PDF document. > note that you need to use the --header, --header1, and/or --footer options with the L parameter, or use the corresponding HTML page comments, to display the letterhead image in the header or footer. (capital L, lowercase l is a different thing entirely, keep reading 👀)
  • --linkcolor color — sets the color of links.
  • --links — enables generation of links in PDF files (default).
  • --linkstyle {plain,underline} — sets the style of links.
  • --logoimage filename — specifies an image to be used as a logo in the header or footer in a PostScript or PDF document, and in the navigation bar of a HTML document. > note that you need to use the --header, --header1, and/or --footer options with the l parameter, or use the corresponding HTML page comments, to display the logo image in the header or footer. (lowercase l this time, bestie — it's giving very "case-sensitive" 💀)
  • --no-compression — disables compression of PostScript or PDF files.
  • --no-duplex — disables double-sided printing.
  • --no-embedfonts — specifies that fonts should not be embedded in PDF and PostScript output.
  • --no-encryption — disables document encryption.
  • --no-jpeg — disables JPEG compression of large images.
  • --no-links — disables generation of links in a PDF document.
  • --no-numbered — disables automatic heading numbering.
  • --no-pscommands — disables generation of PostScript setpagedevice commands.
  • --no-strict — disables strict HTML input checking.
  • --no-title — disables generation of a title page.
  • --no-toc — disables generation of a table of contents.
  • --numbered — numbers all headings in a document.
  • --nup pages — sets the number of pages that are placed on each output page. Valid values are 1, 2, 4, 6, 9, and 16.
  • --outdir directory
  • -d directory — specifies that output should be sent to a directory in multiple files. (Not compatible with PDF output) 🚫
  • --outfile filename
  • -f filename — specifies that output should be sent to a single file.
  • --owner-password password — sets the owner password for encrypted PDF files.
  • --pageduration I{1.0...60.0} — sets the view duration of a page in a PDF document.
  • --pageeffect effect — specifies the page transition effect for all pages; > this attribute is ignored by all Adobe PDF viewers. so cute, so pointless. 💀
  • --pagelayout {single,one,twoleft,tworight} — specifies the initial layout of pages for a PDF file.
  • --pagemode {document,outlines,fullscreen} — specifies the initial viewing mode for a PDF file.
  • --path — specifies a search path for files in a document.
  • --permissions permission[,permission,...] — specifies document permissions for encrypted PDF files. The following permissions are understood: all, none, annotate, no-annotate, copy, no-copy, modify, no-modify, print, and no-print. Separate multiple permissions with commas.
  • --pre-indent distance — specifies the indentation of pre-formatted text in points (no suffix or ##pt), inches (##in), centimeters (##cm), or millimeters (##mm).
  • --pscommands — specifies that PostScript setpagedevice commands should be included in the output.
  • --quiet — suppresses all messages, even error messages. 🤫 silence is golden.
  • --referer url — specifies the URL that is passed in the Referer: field of HTTP requests.
  • --right margin — specifies the right margin in points (no suffix or ##pt), inches (##in), centimeters (##cm), or millimeters (##mm).
  • --size pagesize — specifies the page size using a standard name or in points (no suffix or ##x##pt), inches (##x##in), centimeters (##x##cm), or millimeters (##x##mm). The standard sizes that are currently recognized are "letter" (8.5x11in), "legal" (8.5x14in), "a4" (210x297mm), and "universal" (8.27x11in). 📄
  • --strict — enables strict HTML input checking. no sloppy markup on your watch.
  • --textcolor color — specifies the default color of all text.
  • --title — enables the generation of a title page.
  • --titlefile filename
  • --titleimage filename — specifies the file to use for the title page. If the file is an image then the title page is automatically generated using the document meta data and title image. ✨
  • --tocfooter fff — sets the page footer to use on table-of-contents pages. See the HEADERS/FOOTERS FORMATS section below.
  • --tocheader fff — sets the page header to use on table-of-contents pages. See the HEADERS/FOOTERS FORMATS section below.
  • --toclevels levels — sets the number of levels in the table-of-contents.
  • --toctitle string — sets the title for the table-of-contents.
  • --top margin — specifies the top margin in points (no suffix or ##pt), inches (##in), centimeters (##cm), or millimeters (##mm).
  • --user-password password — specifies the user password for encryption of PDF files.
  • --verbose
  • -v — provides verbose messages. it will not stop talking. 🗣️
  • --version — displays the current version number.
  • --webpage — specifies that the HTML sources are unstructured (plain web pages.) A page break is inserted between each file or URL in the output.

👑 EXIT STATUS 👑

Htmldoc returns a non-zero exit status if any errors are seen, zero otherwise. simple as. ✨

okay that's the first half, bestie — the rest is loading… 💖

okay so this is the glow-up part, bestie — you get to be the art director of your own document 💅 The header and the footer of each page can each hold up to three preformatted values. You pick them with a single character for the left, the middle, and the right of the page — that's the fff notation we were talking about earlier (iykyk).

Every one of those characters can be one of these, no cap:

  • . — blank 🫥 (yes bestie, just nothing)
  • / — n/N arabic page numbers (1/3, 2/3, 3/3)
  • : — c/C arabic chapter page numbers (1/2, 2/2, 1/4, 2/4, ...)
  • 1 — arabic numbers (1, 2, 3, ...)
  • a — lowercase letters
  • A — uppercase letters
  • c — current chapter heading
  • C — current chapter page number (arabic)
  • d — current date
  • D — current date and time
  • h — current heading
  • i — lowercase roman numerals
  • I — uppercase roman numerals
  • l — logo image
  • L — logo image as letterhead — the image is inserted at its maximum size
  • t — title text
  • T — current time
  • u — current filename or URL

💀 EXIT STATUS 💀

htmldoc exits with the number of errors that have occurred. That's it, that's the whole vibe check — zero errors, zero drama 🫶

🌈 ENVIRONMENT 🌈

htmldoc goes looking for a few environment variables, and those bad boys can override the default directories, spill extra debugging tea, and even disable CGI mode. Iconic behaviour, honestly:

  • HTMLDOC_DATA — tells htmldoc where its data and fonts directories live. Normally that's /usr/share/htmldoc or C:/Program Files/HTMLDOC.
  • HTMLDOC_DEBUG — turns on debugging info that gets sent to stderr 👀 The value is a list of any of these keywords, separated by spaces: "all", "links", "memory", "remotebytes", "table", "tempfiles", and/or "timing".
  • HTMLDOC_HELP — points at the location of htmldoc's documentation directory, normally /usr/share/doc/htmldoc or C:/Program Files/HTMLDOC/doc.
  • HTMLDOC_NOCGI — when this one is set (the value doesn't matter, bestie, literally any value), it disables CGI mode. It's most useful when you're running htmldoc on a web server from a scripting language, or calling it from inside another program.

✨ EXAMPLES ✨

Wanna make a PDF out of a whole website? Say less:

htmldoc --webpage -f example.pdf http://www.example.com/

Wanna make a PostScript book out of a directory full of HTML files? Periodt:

htmldoc --book -f example.pdf *.html

👑 SEE ALSO 👑

🦋 AUTHOR 🦋

Michael R Sweet — the actual main character 🫡

HTMLDOC is copyright © 1997-2025 by Michael R Sweet.

This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License version 2 as published by the Free Software Foundation.

This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful, but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE. See the GNU General Public License for more details.

You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software Foundation, Inc., 59 Temple Place, Suite 330, Boston, MA 02111-1307 USA.

and that's the whole page, bestie 💜 this one's from HTMLDOC 1.9.22, dated 2025-12-23, and it lives in section htmldoc(1) — go forth and make gorgeous PDFs, you absolute icon 🎀✨

📦 where this page comes from