Troubleshooting & Export Methods

CatInvoice features advanced client-side processing to render, print, and backup your billing data. Sometimes, browser configurations, page zoom, or specific mobile OS versions can affect page layouts or PDF exports. This guide walks you through resolving rendering alignment challenges and outlines our backup export/import formats.

The Off-Screen PDF Export Engine

Most online editors suffer from printing layout mismatches because they rely on simple screen-to-print conversions. CatInvoice resolves this by implementing a specialized browser-only export pipeline:

1. When you click Download PDF, CatInvoice clones the active live DOM tree.
2. It injects this clone into a hidden off-screen container (`position: absolute; left: -9999px`).
3. It extracts the `@media print` CSS rules and applies them to match the target paper style sheet perfectly.
4. It utilizes `html2canvas` to scan the off-screen tree and `jsPDF` to compile a pixel-perfect, multi-page vector-ready PDF file within your browser.

Resolving Common PDF Export Issues

1. Blurred Logos or Texts in the PDF

Our renderer uses device-pixel-ratio scaling to match high-DPI (Retina) screens. If a logo appears blurry, ensure you uploaded a high-resolution PNG image or, ideally, a vector **SVG file** which scales infinitely without losing sharpness.

2. PDF Content Flowing onto a Second Blank Page

If your invoice items list fits on one screen page but flows onto a second blank page in the downloaded PDF:

• Ensure there are no excessive line breaks or double carriage-returns in the terms or bank notes inputs.
• Reduce item row spacing under More options → Padding & Spacing.
• Double-click the logo and reduce its scale size slightly.

3. PDF Fails to Download on iOS/Safari

Some iOS Safari versions restrict programmatic blob downloads. If the download button fails, click More → Print to open the native iOS printer dialogue, select Save as File, and store the PDF directly on your iPhone or iPad.

Data Backups (JSON & CSV)

Since CatInvoice runs entirely locally, we highly recommend keeping periodic file backups of your business templates or invoice records.

Export/Import JSON templates

You can export your active invoice configuration as a lightweight `.json` file by selecting More → Export as JSON. You can load this JSON backup on any computer (or a different browser) by dragging the `.json` file into the workspace to restore all your sender, client, logo, and line item parameters in one second.

Export Invoice History as CSV

On the Saved Invoices dashboard page, you can click **Export CSV** to download a spreadsheet-friendly backup containing your complete billing history. This CSV tracks invoice numbers, client names, issued dates, subtotals, tax rates, total amounts, and payment statuses (Draft, Sent, Paid), making tax compilation simple.

Email Client Integration

If you click **Email client** under More options, CatInvoice compiles a `mailto:` hyperlink. This opens your device's native mail client (e.g. Mail, Outlook, Thunderbird) with the client's email, a subject line, and a polite pre-written message listing the subtotal and issue date. Since we do not send email from our servers to protect your privacy, you must manually attach your downloaded PDF to the drafted email yourself.