imprint.nvim

Create images from the current buffer or a visual selection - with the same colorscheme, highlights, and diagnostics you see in Neovim.

• Buffer or selected range
• Preserves Neovim highlights and colors
• Optional titlebar icon (via nvim-web-devicons)
• Save to file and/or copy to clipboard

Install

lazy.nvim

{
    "glyccogen/imprint.nvim",
    cmd = "Imprint",
    dependencies = {
        "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons", -- optional, for file icons in the titlebar
    },
    config = function()
        require("imprint").setup({})
    end,
}

packer.nvim

use {
    "glyccogen/imprint.nvim",
    cmd = "Imprint",
    requires = {
        "nvim-tree/nvim-web-devicons", -- optional, for file icons in the titlebar
    },
    config = function()
        require("imprint").setup({})
    end
}

Dependencies

• Neovim 0.10+
• Python 3.8+ with pip and venv
• (optional) nvim-web-devicons for file icons in the titlebar
• (optional) one clipboard backend:
  • xclip (X11)
  • wl-copy (Wayland)
  • osascript (macOS)
  • powershell (Windows)

how it works

1. html export - plugin calls Neovim’s built‑in :TOhtml command (Lua tohtml module, Neovim 0.10+), which converts the current buffer or visual selection into a temporary html file.
2. headless capture - py/render.py renders html file using Playwright. It launches a headless Chromium browser, takes a screenshot of the rendered code block.
3. window dressing - then same Python script adds a window frame and background.
4. result delivery - the resulting image is saved to the output directory if --clipboard-only is not set. If copy_to_clipboard is enabled, the image is copied to the system clipboard.

Configuration and default values

require('imprint').setup({
	-- default title used for the window header
	-- fallback if no title is provided
	default_title = nil,

	-- when true, prompt for a title if none was provided and --no-title is not set
	required_title_by_default = true,

	-- copy the generated image to the clipboard after saving
	copy_to_clipboard = false,

	-- output directory for saved screenshots
	-- when nil, saves to the current file's directory
	output_dir = nil,

	-- hex-code for the background outside the code window
	background = "#A5A6F6",

	-- line number visibility
	-- true:              current settings
	-- false:             no line numbers
	-- "absolute":        absolute line numbers
	-- "absolute_from_1": absolute line numbers starting from 1 in the image
	line_numbers = "absolute_from_1",

	-- highlight the line number the cursor is on
	highlight_current_line = false,

	-- show diagnostic signs highlights
	diagnostics_on = false,

	-- show a file icon in the titlebar
	-- depends on nvim-web-devicons
	icons_on = true,
})

Command Imprint

create a screenshot from the current buffer or a selected range.

:['<,'>]Imprint [options] [title]

Options

• -c, --clipboard-only - copy the image to the clipboard and do not save it to disk
• -o, --open - open the generated image
• --no-title - do not prompt for a title when none is provided
• title - optional title for the window header

Using -c (--clipboard_only) and -o (--open) together: the temporary image opens with default image viewer and it will not be deleted.

Troubleshooting

Playwright install fails on first run

imprint.nvim installs Chromium for Playwright. If step fails, system may be missing OS packages Playwright needs. In that case, run:

NVIM_DATA_DIR="$(nvim --headless -u NONE --cmd 'lua io.write(vim.fn.stdpath("data"))' +qa)"
"$NVIM_DATA_DIR/imprint.nvim/venv/bin/playwright" install --with-deps chromium

Only for Windows with powershell

$DATA = nvim --headless -u NONE --cmd "lua io.write(vim.fn.stdpath('data'))" +qa
Invoke-Expression "$DATA\imprint.nvim\venv\Scripts\playwright.exe install --with-deps chromium"