How to Archive Manga & Webtoons as PDFs on Mac (2026 Guide)

Vertical webtoons and page-based manga readers both show one narrow column of art inside a wide browser window. A Custom Area capture records only that column, and a scrolling or page-turn key moves through the chapter while Temposhot saves frames at a fixed pace.

This guide covers the setup, the timing, the export choices and the limits. It applies to comics you are allowed to keep a personal copy of.

When this workflow fits

• Your own work: you publish a webcomic and want an offline archive of how each episode looks on the site.
• Creator-permitted downloads: the creator or publisher allows personal copies but offers no file.
• Free, openly licensed comics: the license permits copies and the comic is only available in a web viewer.

Check the platform's own app first. Many comic platforms offer downloads for offline reading, which keep page order and image quality and support the creator under the terms you agreed to.

Choose the capture method

Comic readers fall into two layouts. Each needs a different key.

Layout	Typical reader	Key press	What one frame holds
Vertical strip	Webtoon-style scroll	Page Down or Down Arrow	One screen height of the strip
Paged	Manga or comic page viewer	Right Arrow or Left Arrow	One full page

Right-to-left manga readers often turn pages with Left Arrow. Turn one page by hand before you set the key.

Use Custom Area as the source in both cases. It keeps the browser tabs, side panels and comments out of the frames.

Capture manga or webtoons with Temposhot

1. Open Auto Capture

   Press Command+1 and select Custom Area as the source.

2. Draw the selection

   The picker opens with a centered 16:9 area, or your last saved area. Press Escape once to clear it, then drag a box that covers the reading column from edge to edge.

3. Set the run

   Choose Screenshots as the stop condition with a number slightly above what the chapter needs. Set the interval to 1.5 to 2 seconds and the key press to Page Down for strips or Right Arrow for pages.

4. Test five frames

   Set 5 screenshots, select Start Auto Capture, and click into the page during the 3 s countdown. Check that every frame is fully loaded.

5. Run the chapter

   Return to the top of the chapter, restore the full screenshot count and start again. Select Finish capture in the floating toolbar when the chapter ends.

Key press automation and unlimited screenshots per session need Temposhot Pro. The capture sources guide covers the Custom Area picker in more detail.

Improve the capture

• Wait for lazy loading. Comic sites often load images only as they scroll into view. Grey placeholders mean the interval is too short.
• Prefer Page Down. It moves one screen height, so frames barely overlap. Down Arrow moves a small step and repeats parts of a panel.
• Fix the zoom. Set the browser zoom once before the run. A wider column gives more pixels per panel on a Retina display.
• Hide overlays. Close chapter menus, comment drawers and floating buttons before you start.

File size

Comic art is detailed, so frame size grows fast.

1. PDF (searchable, OCR): one file in frame order. Good for paged manga and reading on a tablet.
2. ZIP: one archive with the original frames. Good for storage.
3. Images: PNG Export (Lossless) for editing, or JPG Export (Adjustable Quality) from 1 to 100, default 85. JPG at 80 to 85 is usually much smaller than PNG with little visible change.

A tighter Custom Area reduces every file. For a finished PDF that is still large, Compress PDF runs in the browser. The export formats guide explains each option.

Legal considerations

A personal archive is only as permitted as the license behind it. Paid chapters, early-access episodes and coin-unlocked content usually come with terms that limit copying. When the terms are unclear, use the platform's offline feature instead.

Troubleshooting

• Frames show grey boxes: raise the interval to 2 or 3 seconds.
• Panels are cut between two frames: use Page Down and stitch the strip afterward.
• Nothing scrolls: the page did not have focus. Click inside the reading column during the countdown.
• The capture is black: the reader blocks screen capture. Use the platform's own download option.

FAQ

Can I turn a vertical strip into one long image

Yes. Export the frames as PNG, then add them in order to Stitch Screenshots and stitch vertically. Splitting a long chapter into two or three images keeps each file easy to open.

Is the PDF text searchable

The PDF export runs OCR, so speech bubble text may become searchable. Hand-lettered or stylized text is often missed.

Which key works for right-to-left manga

Most right-to-left readers turn forward with Left Arrow. Test one page by hand first.

Try the capture workflow

Open one chapter you are allowed to keep and run a 5-frame test with Page Down at a 2 second interval. Temposhot is on the download page.

Turn repeatable screenshots into finished work

Save the working setup as a preset with Save Current Setup, then reuse it for each new chapter. The screenshot automation page shows other jobs the same loop can handle.