Print an image
Written byPhuoc Nguyen
Category
Level 2 — Intermediate
Created
08 Apr, 2020
You can print a web page by clicking the Print menu of browser or pressing the shortcut
`Ctrl+P` (or `command+P` on macOS). Calling the `window.print()` function provides the same result which prints the entire page.In order to print an image, we can insert the image element to a fake
`iframe` element, and call the `print()` function on the iframe's window. Assume that the page has an image element and a print button as below:<img id="image" src="/path/to/image.jpg" /> <button id="print">Print</button>The printing image could be handled inside the button's
`click` event:// Query the element
const printBtn = document.getElementById('print');
printBtn.addEventListener('click', function() {
...
});#Create a fake iframe
// Create a fake iframe
const iframe = document.createElement('iframe');
// Make it hidden
iframe.style.height = 0;
iframe.style.visibility = 'hidden';
iframe.style.width = 0;
// Set the iframe's source
iframe.setAttribute('srcdoc', '<html><body></body></html>');
document.body.appendChild(iframe);#Insert the image when the iframe is ready
Despite the fact that the iframe source is a simple HTML, not a remote path as defined by the
`src` attribute, we have to wait for the iframe to be loaded completely:iframe.addEventListener('load', function () {
// Clone the image
const image = document.getElementById('image').cloneNode();
image.style.maxWidth = '100%';
// Append the image to the iframe's body
const body = iframe.contentDocument.body;
body.style.textAlign = 'center';
body.appendChild(image);
});Invoke the
`print()` function on the iframe's window as soon as the image is loaded:iframe.addEventListener('load', function() {
...
image.addEventListener('load', function() {
// Invoke the print when the image is ready
iframe.contentWindow.print();
});
});TipThis post uses the Attach event handlers inside other handlers tip
#Remove the iframe
The dynamic iframe will be removed when user starts printing the image or closes the print window:
iframe.contentWindow.addEventListener('afterprint', function () {
iframe.parentNode.removeChild(iframe);
});Pressing the Print button below to see it in action!
#Demo
#See also
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Phước Nguyễn