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PDF Generation Setup Guide

Simple 2-Step Setup (All Platforms)

FairCareAI uses Playwright for PDF generation. Setup is identical on macOS, Windows, and Linux!

Step 1: Install Python Package

pip install playwright

Step 2: Install Browser

python -m playwright install chromium

That's it! ✅ Works everywhere without system dependencies!

Usage

Generate PDFs from your audit results:

from faircareai import FairCareAudit

# Run audit
audit = FairCareAudit(data=df, pred_col="prob", target_col="outcome")
audit.add_sensitive_attribute(name="race", column="race", reference="White")
results = audit.run()

# Generate PDF reports
results.to_governance_pdf("governance_report.pdf")  # Streamlined 3-5 page report
results.to_pdf("technical_report.pdf")              # Comprehensive technical report
results.to_html("interactive_report.html")           # Interactive web report

What You Get

Governance PDF (3-5 pages)

  • File Size: ~460 KB (with interactive charts)
  • Charts: 12 high-quality visualizations (4 overall + 8 subgroup)
  • Content: Executive summary, key metrics, plain language findings
  • Audience: Healthcare leadership, governance committees

Technical PDF (Comprehensive)

  • File Size: ~210 KB
  • Charts: Full suite of performance and fairness visualizations
  • Content: Detailed statistical analysis, confidence intervals, metrics
  • Audience: Data scientists, statisticians, technical teams

HTML Report (Interactive)

  • File Size: ~56 KB
  • Charts: 12 interactive Plotly charts with zoom/pan/hover
  • Features: No PDF conversion - pure web interface
  • Use Case: Interactive exploration, presentations, web dashboards

Platform-Specific Notes

macOS ✅

pip install playwright
python -m playwright install chromium

Works on both Apple Silicon and Intel Macs!

Windows ✅

pip install playwright
python -m playwright install chromium

No GTK3 runtime needed!

Linux ✅

pip install playwright
python -m playwright install chromium

No system packages required!

Docker ✅

FROM python:3.12-slim

# Install Playwright
RUN pip install playwright

# Install Chromium browser
RUN python -m playwright install-deps chromium
RUN python -m playwright install chromium

# Install your package
RUN pip install faircareai[export]

WORKDIR /app

Troubleshooting

Error: "Executable doesn't exist at /path/to/chromium"

Solution: Install the Chromium browser

python -m playwright install chromium

Error: "ImportError: playwright"

Solution: Install Playwright package

pip install playwright

Charts appear blank in PDF

Cause: Network timeout loading Plotly.js

Solution: Increase timeout (usually only needed on slow connections)

# Not implemented yet - contact support if needed

Why Playwright?

Before (WeasyPrint)

❌ macOS: Requires Homebrew + 4 system libraries + environment variables ❌ Windows: Requires GTK3 runtime installer + PATH configuration ❌ Linux: Requires system packages via apt/dnf/pacman ❌ Charts: Must convert Plotly to static SVG (complexity + quality loss) ❌ Setup Time: 10-30 minutes per platform ❌ Support: Platform-specific debugging nightmares

After (Playwright)

✅ All Platforms: Same 2 commands everywhere! ✅ Charts: Native JavaScript rendering = perfect quality ✅ Setup Time: 2 minutes (mostly download time) ✅ Support: Works identically on all systems ✅ Size: ~200MB one-time browser download (vs managing system libs)

Performance

Operation Time Notes
Chromium Download 1-2 min One-time setup
PDF Generation 3-5 sec Per report
HTML Generation <1 sec Instant

Advanced Usage

Custom PDF Options

Playwright supports many PDF customization options:

# Not yet exposed in public API
# File an issue if you need custom margins, page size, etc.

Headless vs Headed

Playwright runs in headless mode by default (no visible browser window). This is perfect for:

  • Server environments
  • CI/CD pipelines
  • Batch processing
  • Docker containers

Package Installation

Minimal (no PDF export)

pip install faircareai

With PDF Export

pip install "faircareai[export]"  # Includes Playwright
python -m playwright install chromium

Full Installation (PDF + PowerPoint)

pip install "faircareai[export]"
python -m playwright install chromium

Comparison: WeasyPrint vs Playwright

Feature WeasyPrint Playwright
Setup (macOS) Homebrew + 4 libs + env vars pip install + browser
Setup (Windows) GTK3 installer + PATH pip install + browser
Setup (Linux) System packages pip install + browser
JavaScript Support ❌ No ✅ Yes
Interactive Charts ❌ Must convert to SVG ✅ Native rendering
Cross-Platform ⚠️ Different each OS ✅ Identical everywhere
Maintenance ⚠️ System lib conflicts ✅ Self-contained
CI/CD Friendly ⚠️ Complex setup ✅ Simple setup
Docker Size ~500MB (with system libs) ~200MB (Chromium only)

Winner: Playwright 🏆

Migration from WeasyPrint

If you were using an older version of FairCareAI with WeasyPrint:

Uninstall WeasyPrint (Optional)

pip uninstall weasyprint

Install Playwright

pip install playwright
python -m playwright install chromium

API Unchanged

# Your existing code works identically!
results.to_governance_pdf("report.pdf")
results.to_pdf("technical.pdf")

The API is 100% backward compatible. Only the underlying engine changed.

FAQ

Q: Do I need to install Chromium every time I deploy? A: Yes, but it's automated: python -m playwright install chromium

Q: Can I use Firefox or WebKit instead? A: Chromium is recommended for best PDF rendering. Contact support if you need alternatives.

Q: Does this work in restricted environments without internet? A: Yes! Install Chromium once with internet, then works offline.

Q: What's the browser cache size? A: ~200MB for Chromium. Located in ~/.cache/ms-playwright/

Q: Can I uninstall after generating PDFs? A: No - Chromium is needed each time you generate a PDF.

Q: Does this open browser windows on my screen? A: No - runs headless (background) by default.

Support

If you encounter issues:

  1. Check Playwright is installed: pip show playwright
  2. Check Chromium is installed: python -m playwright install chromium
  3. Try test script: python test_pdf_output.py
  4. File an issue: https://github.com/your-repo/faircareai/issues

Last Updated: 2026-01-08 Tested On: macOS 15.3, Windows 11, Ubuntu 22.04 Python: 3.10+ Status: ✅ Production Ready