# #162 Gem Ferrum - Generate PDF and PNG with Headless Chrome API. No Puppeteer, no NodeJS

- URL: https://superails.com/posts/superails-162-gem-ferrum-generate-pdf-and-png-with-headless-chrome-api-no-puppeteer-no-nodejs
- Published: 2024-03-11
- Duration: 24:16
- Access: free
- Topics: pdf, grover, html2pdf, wickedpdf, ferrum, puppeteer
- Playlists: Build an OpenGraph automation tool

Ferrum is Headless Chrome Ruby API.

Ferrum lets you open a headless chrome browser and perform different actions:
- visit web page
- HTTP authenticate
- find element by css/id
- click link
- fill in input field
- take screenshot of a page
- save page as PDF

In this episode we will:
1. open page in new tab in PDF format
2. save page as PDF
3. save page as PNG

Unlike Grover, it does not require Puppeteer and NodeJS dependencies!

PRO MODE: Convert URL to PNG/PDF with UrlBox: https://urlbox.com/screenshot-api?ref=sr
Urlbox also helps to block Ads & Popups, Bypass Captchas, Auto-Accept Cookies

Episode source code: https://github.com/corsego/158-gem-ferrum/commit/34cd066e06955a84b8326348aa8b99efdbfc7e51
Based on this blogpost: https://blog.corsego.com/gem-ferrum-generate-pdf

0:00 Thanks, URLBOX
2:01 why Ferrum
4:48 URL to PNG
6:10 URL to PDF
7:07 open page as PDF
10:28 CSS for media print
12:10 attach invoice as PDF with ActiveStorage
16:45 attach invoice as PNG
22:11 PendingConnectionsError

## Chapters

- 0:00 Thanks, URLBOX
- 2:01 why Ferrum
- 4:48 URL to PNG
- 6:10 URL to PDF
- 7:07 open page as PDF
- 10:28 CSS for media print
- 12:10 attach invoice as PDF with ActiveStorage
- 16:45 attach invoice as PNG
- 22:11 PendingConnectionsError