[Public] Emojis Not Rendering in IronPDF Using RenderHtmlAsPdf()

 

IronPDF is a powerful library for converting HTML to PDF in .NET applications. However, developers using RenderHtmlAsPdf() may run into a subtle issue when trying to render Unicode emojis: the emojis are missing from the output PDF, even though the same HTML renders correctly in Chrome.

This article highlights the issue, shows how to reproduce it, and introduces workarounds that ensure emoji characters are properly rendered.

 

Issue Description

When rendering a string of HTML containing Unicode emojis using:

 

The resulting PDF does not display the emoji characters, even though:

• The emojis are visible in browser print preview (e.g. Chrome)

• The HTML is valid and UTF-8 encoded

• The rest of the content renders correctly

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Minimal Reproduction Example

 

Actual Output:

• PDF renders text but omits or replaces emojis with blank spaced

Expected Output:

• Emojis render correctly, as seen in Chrome Print Preview.

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Workarounds

 

1. Use RenderHtmlFileAsPdf() Instead

 

Instead of rendering from a string, write the HTML to a file and use:

 

This method ensures the rendering engine processes the file in a context closer to a real browser, improving Unicode and emoji handling.

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2. Use Numeric Character References for Emojis

If you're generating HTML dynamically, convert emoji characters to numeric HTML entities.

Example:

Replace 👋 (U+1F44B) with:

 

So the HTML becomes:

 

This allows IronPDF to bypass encoding issues and render the emojis as glyphs.

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Summary

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Recommendation

If your PDF output includes Unicode emojis, use either:

• RenderHtmlFileAsPdf(), or

• Replace emojis with numeric HTML entities

This ensures consistent, cross-platform emoji rendering — especially in production environments where silent failures (like missing glyphs) can go unnoticed.