Save as Image WordPress Plugin

Overview

The Save as Image plugin lets you add a full-featured screenshot button to your WordPress site in minutes, without custom code or server-side screenshot software. Visitors can save a page, post, or selected content as an image with one click.

Use this plugin when you want native WordPress integration with UI-based configuration. For a JavaScript-configured button, use WebSave as Image. For backend image generation from application code, use the HTML to Image API.

Getting Started

Start by confirming that the button appears and creates a file.

First Screenshot

1. Open one post or page that you can safely test.
2. Click the Save as Image button.
3. Check the generated image.

Next, use Customization to tune the screenshot output. Use Troubleshooting only if the button does not respond or conversion fails.

Testing safely

By default, the button can appear automatically on common content types such as posts and pages. If you are testing on a production site, review Settings > Save as Image first and limit where the button appears before testing with real visitors.

After the button creates a file, use the option reference for detailed button and screenshot settings.

License

The plugin can run in demo mode without a PDFCrowd account or API key. Demo output is functional, but it includes a PDFCrowd watermark and branding.

For production output without demo branding, activate a PDFCrowd license in WordPress under Settings > Save as Image > License.

To get production credentials, choose a PDFCrowd license. Current plan limits and credits are listed on the license page.

The plugin uses PDFCrowd's cloud conversion service. Your plan controls production limits and credits; use the pricing and account pages for current details. A PDFCrowd license can also be used with the PDFCrowd API for direct application integrations.

Advanced Usage

Shortcode

Use a shortcode when you want to place the button manually in post or page content. If automatic placement is also enabled for the same content type, disable it in the Show Button on setting so the button does not appear twice.

You can use either a plain or block shortcode.

• [save_as_image_pdfcrowd] saves the entire webpage as Image.
• [block_save_as_image_pdfcrowd] saves only the enclosed code block as Image. To style the block, include CSS rules within the shortcode.

The examples below demonstrate how to use the shortcodes and override the default settings configured in the plugin.

<h3>Save the print version of the page</h3>

The button is placed in the middle
[save_as_image_pdfcrowd \
    use_print_media=1 \
    output_format='png' \
    output_name='inline.png' \
    button_text='Save print version to PNG']
of this sentence.


<h3>Save the screen version of the page</h3>

[save_as_image_pdfcrowd \
    use_print_media=0 \
    output_name='browser.png' \
    button_text='Save screen version to PNG' ]


<h3>Save only a code block</h3>

[block_save_as_image_pdfcrowd \
    output_name='just_div.png' \
    button_text='Download just this section as PNG' \
    screenshot_width='800' \
    button_background_color='green' \
    button_alignment='left']
<style>
 .invoice {
     font-size: 150%;
 }
</style>
<div class="invoice">
 Save only this div and its descendants.
</div>
[/block_save_as_image_pdfcrowd]


<h3>Convert any web page</h3>

[save_as_image_pdfcrowd \
    url='https://wikipedia.org' \
    output_name='wikipedia.png' \
    button_text='Save Wikipedia as PNG']

PHP button helper

Use this helper when a theme or plugin needs to print the normal Save as Image button from PHP instead of placing a shortcode in page content:

create_save_as_image_pdfcrowd_button($options = array())

The helper returns button HTML. The visitor still clicks the button in the browser, and the button uses the same conversion flow as automatic placement or shortcode placement.

The $options argument overrides the saved plugin settings for this button only. Omit any settings that should keep their values from Settings > Save as Image. For example:

echo create_save_as_image_pdfcrowd_button(array(
         'screenshot_width' => '800',
         'button_text' => 'Save as Image'
));

Server-initiated PHP conversion

Use this function only when PHP code should run a conversion immediately, without showing a visitor-facing button:

pdfcrowd_save_as_image($options = array())

This function does not use the saved plugin settings as defaults. Pass the conversion input and all options the conversion needs, including your PDFCrowd username and API key. The function returns the generated file data on success or WP_Error on failure. For example:

<?php
    $output = pdfcrowd_save_as_image(array(
        'username' => '',
        'api_key' => '',
        'output_format' => 'png',
        'screenshot_width' => '800',
        'url' => 'https://www.example.com/'
    ));
    if(!is_wp_error($output)) {
        echo $output;
    }
?>

Customization

The table below highlights the most common customizations you might find useful. Refer to the Option Reference for a detailed description of all available options. For an interactive experience, explore these options in the API Playground.

For additional customization options and Troubleshooting, please visit the FAQ section of our website where you can find answers and help related to frequent queries and common issues.

Troubleshooting

If the default plugin output does not meet your requirements, consider adjusting the following settings individually. You may need to activate the "Expert Settings" option to access some of these features.

• Image Output > Screenshot Width: Experiment with different widths to see which yields the best result.

Other troubleshooting steps:

• If you are receiving an error, refer to the API Status Codes for more information.
• Use Debug Log to obtain detailed information about the conversion process, including load errors, load times, browser console output, etc.
• Consult the FAQ for answers to common questions.
• The maximum size for any created image is 65 megapixels. Images exceeding this size are cropped vertically to meet this limit.
• Contact us if you need assistance or if there is a feature you are missing.

Option Reference

Refer to the Save as Image WordPress Plugin Reference for a description of all options.