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md-pdf

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Convert Markdown to polished PDF using Pandoc + XeLaTeX for print-quality or browser rendering with emoji and CSS support for rich visuals.

Install

openclaw skills install md-pdf

md2pdf

Produce polished, print-ready PDF from Markdown with a stable, reusable pipeline.

Quick start

  1. Install dependencies (Ubuntu/Debian):
    • bash scripts/install_deps_ubuntu.sh
  2. Convert standard formal Markdown with Pandoc/XeLaTeX:
    • bash scripts/md2pdf.sh input.md output.pdf
  3. Convert emoji-heavy or browser-like Markdown with CDP browser rendering:
    • bash scripts/md2pdf-browser.sh input.md output.pdf
  4. Optional: enable cover page / metadata style via defaults:
    • bash scripts/md2pdf.sh input.md output.pdf --defaults assets/defaults/hifi.yaml

Workflow

1) Choose the pipeline

Use the LaTeX pipeline when the document is mostly text/tables and should look print-formal.

Use the browser pipeline when any of these are true:

  • emoji must render correctly
  • HTML/CSS-like appearance matters more than TeX typography
  • the Markdown contains GitHub-style formatting that is easier to preserve in HTML
  • a CDP browser endpoint is already available

2) Prepare source markdown

  • Prefer #/## heading hierarchy (for TOC quality).
  • Keep code blocks fenced with language tags (for syntax highlight).
  • Keep tables in GFM format.
  • For very wide tables, prefer shorter cell content or convert the summary table to bullets before export.

3) Run the formal print pipeline

Use scripts/md2pdf.sh as the default entrypoint for print-style output.

It applies a professional baseline:

  • --pdf-engine=xelatex
  • Chinese font fallback (Noto Sans CJK SC)
  • Table of contents (--toc)
  • Section numbering (--number-sections)
  • Reasonable margins / line spread / link coloring
  • Code highlight style

4) Run the emoji-friendly browser pipeline

Use scripts/md2pdf-browser.sh when emoji support matters.

It does this:

  • render Markdown to HTML
  • convert emoji to Twemoji images
  • connect to an existing CDP browser (BROWSER_CDP_URL or http://127.0.0.1:9222)
  • print the page to PDF with browser CSS

Example:

  • BROWSER_CDP_URL=http://192.168.1.30:9222 bash scripts/md2pdf-browser.sh input.md output.pdf

5) Tune output quality

Use either:

  • CLI flags in scripts/md2pdf.sh (quick tuning), or
  • defaults file (assets/defaults/hifi.yaml) for stable team-wide style.

Recommended adjustments:

  • business report: keep 11pt, margin 2.2cm, TOC on
  • printable manual: increase margin to 2.5cm
  • dense technical doc: keep section numbers and monospace code font
  • emoji-heavy travel/share docs: prefer browser pipeline first

Troubleshooting

  • pandoc: command not found: run scripts/install_deps_ubuntu.sh.
  • xelatex not found: ensure texlive-xetex installed, or switch to scripts/md2pdf-browser.sh.
  • Emoji missing in PDF: use scripts/md2pdf-browser.sh; TeX engines are often poor at color emoji.
  • CJK glyph squares/tofu: install fonts-noto-cjk and keep CJKmainfont as Noto Sans CJK.
  • Browser script cannot connect: pass a valid CDP URL as arg 3 or set BROWSER_CDP_URL.
  • Weird table wrapping: reduce table width in markdown or use bullets for wide summary tables.

References

  • Style baseline and knobs: references/style-guide.md
  • Reusable defaults preset: assets/defaults/hifi.yaml