Export Canvas to HTML and PDF in Obsidian

POST

Several documents have been created using Canvas in Obsidian to organize and visualize ideas. Although Obsidian includes a built-in feature that allows exporting a Canvas as an image, the default output has not always met expectations in terms of clarity and flexibility.

image

Exploration of Alternative Solutions

Various plugins and approaches have been tested in an attempt to achieve a more customizable export method. However, most of these plugins did not provide satisfactory results, either due to limited layout preservation or lack of compatibility with specific use cases.

Discovery of a Forum-Based Method

A practical solution was eventually discovered through a discussion on the official Obsidian community forum titled Exporting Canvas to HTML and PDF.

Within this thread, a code snippet was shared that enables direct export of a Canvas to HTML, which can subsequently be converted into a PDF. This method proved to be both lightweight and effective.

Enable Obsidian’s Developer Console for Using code

To execute the export script, Obsidian’s Developer Console must first be enabled. The following steps can be used to open it:

  1. Open Obsidian. The vault containing the desired Canvas should be loaded.

  2. Press the Developer Shortcut. On Windows or Linux, press Ctrl + Shift + I. On macOS, press Cmd + Option + I.

  3. Switch to the Console Tab. Once the Developer Tools panel appears, select the Console tab. This area allows custom JavaScript to be executed within Obsidian.

  4. Paste and Run the Script. The provided code snippet from the forum can then be pasted into the Console and executed by pressing Enter.

Once completed, an HTML file will be generated based on the active Canvas document, containing all elements, positions, and links.

Implementation and Result

After execution, the script automatically processes the open Canvas and produces an HTML file that preserves node positions, connections, and embedded media. The resulting HTML file can be easily converted into a PDF or opened in a browser for further use.

Code Preservation for Future Reference

To ensure easy access and reusability, the export script has been extracted and saved as a GitHub Gist. This makes it convenient to reference the code in future projects or share it with other Obsidian users seeking a reliable and high-quality export workflow.