wkhtmltopdf with Patched Qt: The Complete Developer's Guide

Ihor (Harry) ChyshkalaAuthor

July 11, 2025|4 min read

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wkhtmltopdf with Patched Qt: The Complete Developer's Guide

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Introduction

PDF generation from HTML remains one of the core challenges in web development. In the PHP world, wkhtmltopdf stands as one of the most popular tools for this task — a command-line utility that uses the WebKit engine to render HTML into PDF. However, not all wkhtmltopdf versions are created equal. In this comprehensive article, we'll explore the critical differences between regular and "patched" versions, why the latter is essential for production applications, and how to properly install and configure it.

What is wkhtmltopdf?

wkhtmltopdf is an open-source command-line utility developed for converting HTML and CSS to PDF and various image formats. Created by Jakob Truelsen in 2008, it has since become the de-facto standard for server-side PDF generation in web applications.

Key advantages of wkhtmltopdf:

Accurate rendering: Uses the WebKit engine, the same as in browsers
CSS support: Full CSS support, including media queries
JavaScript: Ability to execute JavaScript before PDF generation
Headers and footers: Built-in header/footer support
Stability: Time-tested solution
Integration: Easy integration with PHP through libraries like SnappyPDF

The Problem: Regular vs Patched Qt

Regular (Unpatched) Version

When you install wkhtmltopdf through standard package managers (apt, yum, etc.), you get a version compiled against the system Qt library. This version has significant limitations:

bash

1$ sudo apt-get install wkhtmltopdf
2$ wkhtmltopdf --version
3wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6
4
5$ wkhtmltopdf --print-media-type test.html test.pdf
6The switch --print-media-type, is not support using unpatched qt, and will be ignored.

Limitations of the unpatched version:

No print media query support — CSS @media print rules are ignored
Landscape orientation issues — incorrect handling of landscape orientation
Unstable header/footer — positioning and styling problems
Limited CSS3 support — some modern CSS properties don't work
Font issues — incorrect rendering of custom fonts

Patched Qt Version

The "patched" version of wkhtmltopdf comes with a specially modified Qt WebKit that includes numerous print-specific fixes:

bash

1$ wkhtmltopdf --version
2wkhtmltopdf 0.12.6 (with patched qt)
3
4$ wkhtmltopdf --print-media-type test.html test.pdf
5Loading page (1/2)
6Printing pages (2/2)
7Done

Advantages of the patched version:

Full print media query support — correct handling of CSS for print
Stable landscape orientation — flawless landscape orientation handling
Reliable header/footer — proper positioning and repetition on each page
Modern CSS support — support for CSS3, flexbox, grid
Quality typography — correct font and kerning handling
Precise positioning — pixel-perfect element positioning

Technical Differences

Anatomy of the Patches

The patches in Qt WebKit for wkhtmltopdf include hundreds of changes aimed at improving print functionality:

1// Example patch for print media query support
2// Original Qt WebKit
3bool WebPage::shouldApplyPrintMediaType() const
4{
5    return false; // Always returned false
6}
7
8// Patched version
9bool WebPage::shouldApplyPrintMediaType() const
10{
11    return m_printMediaTypeEnabled; // Considers settings
12}

Key improvement areas:

Media Query Engine: Redesigned media query processing mechanism
Page Layout: Improved page layout algorithm
Font Rendering: Optimized font rendering for print
CSS Parser: Extended CSS property support for print
Memory Management: Optimized memory management for large documents

Installing the Patched Version

Ubuntu/Debian

bash

1# Remove old version
2sudo apt-get remove wkhtmltopdf
3
4# Download patched version
5wget https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6.1-3/wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-3.jammy_amd64.deb
6
7# Install dependencies
8sudo apt-get update
9sudo apt-get install -y libfontconfig1 libfreetype6 libx11-6 libxext6 libxrender1
10
11# Install package
12sudo dpkg -i wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-3.jammy_amd64.deb
13sudo apt-get install -f

CentOS/RHEL

bash

1# Remove old version
2sudo yum remove wkhtmltopdf
3
4# Download and install
5wget https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6.1-3/wkhtmltox-0.12.6.1-3.centos8.x86_64.rpm
6sudo yum localinstall wkhtmltox-0.12.6.1-3.centos8.x86_64.rpm

macOS

bash

1# With Homebrew
2brew install --cask wkhtmltopdf
3
4# Or download from official site
5wget https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6.1-3/wkhtmltox-0.12.6.1-3.macos-cocoa.pkg

Docker (Recommended for production)

bash

1FROM ubuntu:20.04
2
3RUN apt-get update && apt-get install -y \
4    wget fontconfig libfontconfig1 libfreetype6 \
5    libx11-6 libxext6 libxrender1 xvfb
6
7RUN wget -O wkhtmltox.deb \
8    https://github.com/wkhtmltopdf/packaging/releases/download/0.12.6.1-3/wkhtmltox_0.12.6.1-3.focal_amd64.deb && \
9    dpkg -i wkhtmltox.deb && \
10    rm wkhtmltox.deb
11
12# Headless wrapper
13RUN echo '#!/bin/bash\nxvfb-run -a wkhtmltopdf "$@"' > /usr/local/bin/wkhtmltopdf-headless && \
14    chmod +x /usr/local/bin/wkhtmltopdf-headless

Practical Examples

CSS for print with patched version

css(69 lines)

1/* Basic print styles */
2@page {
3    size: A4 portrait;
4    margin: 2cm 1.5cm;
5}
6
7@page:first {
8    margin-top: 5cm; /* More space for header */

Advanced capabilities

html(89 lines)

1<!DOCTYPE html>
2<html>
3<head>
4    <meta charset="utf-8">
5    <title>Advanced PDF Report</title>
6    <style>
7        @page {
8            size: A4 landscape;

PHP Integration

SnappyPDF

php(31 lines)

1// composer require knplabs/knp-snappy
2
3use Knp\Snappy\Pdf;
4
5$snappy = new Pdf('/usr/local/bin/wkhtmltopdf');
6
7// Settings for patched version
8$snappy->setOptions([

Laravel DomPDF vs SnappyPDF

php

1// Performance and quality comparison
2
3// DomPDF - pure PHP, limited CSS
4$pdf = PDF::loadView('report', $data);
5// ❌ No CSS Grid/Flexbox support
6// ❌ Limited CSS3 support
7// ❌ Complex layout issues
8
9// SnappyPDF with patched wkhtmltopdf
10$pdf = SnappyPdf::loadHTML($html)
11    ->setOption('print-media-type', true)
12    ->setOrientation('landscape');
13// ✅ Full modern CSS support
14// ✅ Accurate browser-like rendering
15// ✅ Excellent performance

Installation Automation

Ansible Playbook

yaml(65 lines)

1---
2- name: Install wkhtmltopdf with patched Qt
3  hosts: webservers
4  become: yes
5  
6  vars:
7    wkhtmltopdf_version: "0.12.6.1-3"
8    wkhtmltopdf_package: "wkhtmltox_{{ wkhtmltopdf_version }}.focal_amd64.deb"

Monitoring and Diagnostics

Runtime version checking

php(43 lines)

1class WkhtmltopdfChecker
2{
3    public static function checkVersion()
4    {
5        $version = shell_exec('wkhtmltopdf --version 2>&1');
6        
7        return [
8            'version' => trim($version),

Logging and debugging

php(34 lines)

1class PdfGenerator
2{
3    private function generatePdf($html, $options = [])
4    {
5        $start = microtime(true);
6        
7        Log::info('PDF generation started', [
8            'options' => $options,

Performance Optimization

Caching

php(22 lines)

1class CachedPdfGenerator
2{
3    private $cache;
4    private $snappy;
5    
6    public function __construct(Cache $cache, Pdf $snappy)
7    {
8        $this->cache = $cache;

Queue jobs

php(21 lines)

1// Job for asynchronous PDF generation
2class GeneratePdfJob implements ShouldQueue
3{
4    private $reportId;
5    private $template;
6    private $data;
7    
8    public function handle(PdfGenerator $generator)

Alternatives and Comparison

Modern alternatives

Puppeteer/Chrome Headless

javascript

1const puppeteer = require('puppeteer');
2
3const browser = await puppeteer.launch();
4const page = await browser.newPage();
5await page.setContent(html);
6const pdf = await page.pdf({
7    format: 'A4',
8    landscape: true,
9    printBackground: true
10});

Playwright

php

1use Nesk\Puphpeteer\Puppeteer;
2
3$puppeteer = new Puppeteer;
4$browser = $puppeteer->launch();
5$page = $browser->newPage();
6$page->setContent($html);
7$pdf = $page->pdf(['format' => 'A4']);

WeasyPrint (Python-based, probably micro service or docker)

python

1import weasyprint
2
3html = weasyprint.HTML(string=html_string)
4pdf = html.write_pdf()

Comparison table

Solution	CSS Support	Performance	Memory Usage	Maintenance
wkhtmltopdf (patched)	★★★★☆	★★★★★	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆
Puppeteer	★★★★★	★★★☆☆	★★☆☆☆	★★★★☆
DomPDF	★★☆☆☆	★★★★★	★★★★★	★★★★★
WeasyPrint	★★★★☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆	★★★☆☆

Conclusion

wkhtmltopdf with patched Qt remains one of the best solutions for server-side PDF generation, especially in PHP applications. Despite the emergence of modern alternatives like Puppeteer, the patched version of wkhtmltopdf provides:

Stability: Years-tested solution
Performance: Optimized resource consumption
Compatibility: Excellent integration with existing PHP applications
Functionality: Full support for modern web standards

Key takeaways:

Always use the patched version for production applications
Plan installation in advance — the patched version requires manual installation
Test print media queries — this is the main indicator of correct functionality
Monitor version at runtime — add checks to your CI/CD pipeline
Consider Docker for consistency across environments

A properly configured wkhtmltopdf with patched Qt will provide your application with high-quality PDF document generation with minimal overhead and maximum stability.

🎁 Bonus Script: One-Command wkhtmltopdf Installation

Made it this far? Here's your reward - a universal installer that handles everything automatically:

bash(848 lines)

1#!/bin/bash
2
3# =============================================================================
4# wkhtmltopdf Patched Qt Universal Installer
5# =============================================================================
6# 
7# Universal script for installing wkhtmltopdf with patched Qt
8# Supports: Ubuntu 18.04+, Debian 9+, CentOS 7+, Amazon Linux 2

wkhtmltopdf with Patched Qt: The Complete Developer's Guide

Audio Narration

Introduction

What is wkhtmltopdf?

Key advantages of wkhtmltopdf:

The Problem: Regular vs Patched Qt

Regular (Unpatched) Version

Patched Qt Version

Technical Differences

Anatomy of the Patches

Key improvement areas:

Installing the Patched Version

Ubuntu/Debian

CentOS/RHEL

macOS

Docker (Recommended for production)

Practical Examples

CSS for print with patched version

Advanced capabilities

PHP Integration

SnappyPDF

Laravel DomPDF vs SnappyPDF

Installation Automation

Ansible Playbook

Monitoring and Diagnostics

Runtime version checking

Logging and debugging

Performance Optimization

Caching

Queue jobs

Alternatives and Comparison

Modern alternatives

Comparison table

Conclusion

🎁 Bonus Script: One-Command wkhtmltopdf Installation

About the Author

Ihor (Harry) Chyshkala

Fixing Midnight Commander (MC) Performance Issues with Zsh, Oh My Zsh, and Powerlevel10k