---
title: "Python"
canonical_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/python/"
md_url: "https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/python.md"
last_updated: "2026-05-26T12:37:25.415Z"
description: "Learn how to create PDFs from HTML using .NET, Java, Python, PHP, and JavaScript with comprehensive guides and sample code for each language."
---
# Python
###.NET
[.NET](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/sample-code.md)
### Java
[Java](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/java.md)
### Python
[Python](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/python.md)
### JavaScript
[JavaScript](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/javascript.md)
### PHP
[PHP](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/php.md)
Using a templating language such as [Mustache](http://mustache.github.io/) allows you to inject your data at runtime. In regard to PDF Generation, this means it gives you the possibility to customize HTML before sending it along for generation. Injecting data can be useful in situations such as name and date replacement, or when generating dynamic lists in invoices.
In this guide, you’ll implement name and date replacement with the use of Mustache in Python. Note `{{name}}` and `{{date}}` in the following HTML:
```html
John Smith
123 Smith Street
90568 TA
{{date}}
Subject: PDF Generation FTW!
{{name}}
```
First, you need to replace your template data with something real. Define the data to replace the template arguments in code, though in practice, this data may come from an external source or database.
To perform the replacement, you’ll use the [Chevron](https://github.com/noahmorrison/chevron) package, which is an implementation of the [Mustache](http://mustache.github.io/) templating system.
The following will stream the `page.mustache` file (the HTML seen above) into Chevron to perform the replacement of `{{name}}` and `{{date}}`:
```python
with open('page.mustache', 'r') as f:
final_html = chevron.render(f, {'name': 'John Smith Jr.', "date": "29 February, 2020"})
```
Once you’ve created your HTML in Python, send a request to the [`/api/documents`](https://www.nutrient.io/api/reference/document-engine/upstream/#tag/Documents/operation/upload-document) endpoint, sending the [PDF Generation schema](https://www.nutrient.io/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/schema.md) with the HTML file you just created:
### SHELL
```shell
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/documents \
-H "Authorization: Token token=" \
-F page.html=@/path/to/page.html \
-F generation='{
"html": "page.html"
}'
```
### HTTP
```http
POST /api/documents HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=customboundary
Authorization: Token token=
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="page.html"; filename="page.html"
Content-Type: text/html
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="generation"
Content-Type: application/json
{
"html": "page.html"
}
--customboundary--
```
## Adding watermarks
Once you have the basics of PDF generation down, you might want to watermark your PDF. You can do this by including some additional HTML:
```html
My Watermark
John Smith
123 Smith Street
90568 TA
{{date}}
Subject: PDF Generation FTW!
{{name}}
```
This element will be rendered on all pages on top of all other content. The HTML above uses some text, but you could also use an image. The watermark can also be positioned any way you want.
## Adding a cover page
There are two ways to add a cover page to a PDF you generated: You can generate the cover page as part of the HTML, or you can use a PDF you already have.
### Using HTML
If you want to add a cover page to your generated PDF, you can do so by adding additional HTML:
```html
My Cover Page
John Smith
123 Smith Street
90568 TA
{{date}}
Subject: PDF Generation FTW!
{{name}}
```
This will add another page before the rest of the content, and you can use the new page as your cover page.
### Using a PDF
Instead of adding some HTML as a cover page, you can add a PDF. This can be done by applying an `importDocument` operation on upload:
### SHELL
```shell
curl -X POST http://localhost:5000/api/documents \
-H "Authorization: Token token=" \
-F page.html=@/path/to/page.html \
-F cover.pdf=@/path/to/cover.pdf \
-F generation='{
"html": "page.html"
}' \
-F operations='{
"operations": [
{
"type": "importDocument",
"beforePageIndex": 0,
"document": "cover.pdf"
}
]
}'
```
### HTTP
```http
POST /api/documents HTTP/1.1
Content-Type: multipart/form-data; boundary=customboundary
Authorization: Token token=
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="page.html"; filename="page.html"
Content-Type: text/html
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="cover.pdf"; filename="cover.pdf"
Content-Type: application/pdf
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="generation"
Content-Type: application/json
{
"html": "page.html"
}
--customboundary
Content-Disposition: form-data; name="operations"
Content-Type: application/json
{
"operations": [
{
"type": "importDocument",
"beforePageIndex": 0,
"document": "cover.pdf"
}
]
}
--customboundary--
```
The provided PDF will be appended before the first page of the HTML, and it’ll serve as your cover page.
---
## Related pages
- [Java](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/java.md)
- [Edit a generated PDF](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/edit-a-generated-pdf.md)
- [Generate a blank PDF](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/blank-pdf.md)
- [JavaScript](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/javascript.md)
- [Create PDFs from scratch](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/from-scratch.md)
- [Customize the page header and footer](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/page-header-footer.md)
- [PHP](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/php.md)
- [HTML-to-PDF conversion server sample code](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/sample-code.md)
- [HTML template design for generating PDFs](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/template-design.md)
- [HTML-to-PDF generation schema](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/schema.md)
- [Generate fillable PDF forms from HTML](/guides/document-engine/pdf-generation/from-html/fillable-pdf-forms.md)