htmldoc1

Usage

Overview

Htmldoc(1) converts HTML and Markdown source files into indexed HTML, PostScript, or Portable Document Format (PDF) files that can be viewed online or printed. With no options a HTML document is produced on stdout.

The second form of htmldoc reads HTML source from stdin, which allows you to use htmldoc as a filter.

The third form of htmldoc launches a graphical interface that allows you to change options and generate documents interactively.

Common mistakes

There are two types of HTML files - structured documents using headings (H1, H2, etc.) which htmldoc calls "books", and unstructured documents that do not use headings which htmldoc calls "web pages".

A very common mistake is to try converting a web page using:

    htmldoc -f filename.pdf filename.html

which will likely produce a PDF file with no pages. 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.

Options

The following command-line options are supported by htmldoc:

--batch filename.book

Generates the specified book file without opening the GUI.

--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.

--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. Note: UTF-8 support is limited to the first 128 Unicode characters that are found in the input.

--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.

--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).

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

--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.

Header/footer formats

The header and footer of each page can contain up to three preformatted values. These values are specified using a single character for the left, middle, and right of the page, resulting in the fff notation shown previously.

Each character can be one of the following:

Exit status

Htmldoc exits with the number of errors that have occurred.

Environment

Htmldoc looks for several environment variables which can override the default directories, display additional debugging information, and disable CGI mode:

HTMLDOC_DATA

This environment variable specifies the location of htmldoc's data and fonts directories, normally /usr/share/htmldoc or C:/Program Files/HTMLDOC.

HTMLDOC_DEBUG

This environment variable enables debugging information that is sent to stderr. The value is a list of any of the following keywords separated by spaces: "all", "links", "memory", "remotebytes", "table", "tempfiles", and/or "timing".

HTMLDOC_HELP

This environment variable specifies the location of htmldoc's documentation directory, normally /usr/share/doc/htmldoc or C:/Program Files/HTMLDOC/doc.

HTMLDOC_NOCGI

This environment variable, when set (the value doesn't matter), disables CGI mode. It is most useful for using htmldoc on a web server from a scripting language or invocation from a program.

Examples

Create a PDF file from a web site:

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

Create a PostScript book from a directory of HTML files

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

Legal stuff

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.