md2pdf

Files (1)

• SKILL.md

SKILL.md (first lines)

## What md2pdf is

A custom Go CLI by Max. It renders a single Markdown file to a styled PDF.

- **Binary:** `~/.local/bin/md2pdf`
- **Source:** `/Users/max/Projects_personal/md2pdf`
- **Pipeline:** Markdown -> HTML (goldmark) -> headless Chrome (chromedp) print-to-PDF
- **Usage:** `md2pdf <input.md>` (auto-opens the PDF; add `--open=false` to suppress)

## Rendering behavior you MUST account for

1. **Hard wraps are ON** (`html.WithHardWraps()`). A single newline becomes `<br>`, NOT a joined line.
   - Consecutive non-blank lines = ONE `<p>` with `<br>` separators (e.g. an address block stays multi-line).
   - A blank line starts a NEW `<p>`.
   - So: lines within a block are controlled by `line-height`; gaps between blocks are controlled by `p` margins. These are two independent levers.
2. **Raw HTML / `<style>` passthrough is ON** (`html.WithUnsafe()`). You can embed raw HTML and a `<style>` block directly in the `.md`. (This was deliberately enabled so individual documents can override the default styling without touching the global CSS.)
3. **GFM** is enabled (tables, task lists, strikethrough, autolinks) plus chroma syntax highlighting (github theme, CSS classes).
4. Content is wrapped in `<main class="markdown-body">...</main>`. Target `.markdown-body` (and descendants) in your CSS.

## The override technique (primary use of this skill)

Put a `<style>` block at the top of the `.md`. CSS is page-global but, since each render is one document, it effectively scopes to that file. **Never edit the global `internal/assets/*.css` to fix one document** — that changes every report.

```markdown
<style>
.markdown-body { line-height: 1.3; }        /* spacing WITHIN a block (<br> lines) */
.markdown-body p { margin: 0 0 1.85rem; }    /* spacing BETWEEN sections/paragraphs */
</style>

First line of the document...
```

Add custom spacer/layout elements with raw HTML + a matching rule, e.g. a signature gap:

```markdown
Sincerely,

<div class="sig-space"></div>

Jane Doe
```
```css
.markdown-body .sig-space { height: 0.55in; }
```

Force a page break anywhere:
```markdown
<div style="break-after: page;"></div>
```

## Default styling you are overriding

From `internal/assets/markdown.css` + `print.css`:

- Base: `html { font-size: 15px }` so **1rem = 15px**.
- Body: `font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif; line-height: 1.6;`
- Headings: Avenir Next / sans-serif, `line-height: 1.2`, `margin: 1.25em 0 0.55em`.
- `p, ul, ol, blockquote, table, pre { margin: 0 0 1rem; }`
- `.markdown-body` screen padding `0.5in 0.65in 0.7in`; in print, padding/max-width are reset.
- **Print (the PDF):** `@page { size: Letter; margin: 0.6in 0.7in; }`, **white background** (the cream paper + gradient are screen-only), headings `break-after: avoid`, `pre/blockquote/table/img { break-inside: avoid }`, code lines wrap.
- `code`: Courier New at an integer `13px` (deliberate — keeps PDF copy-paste intact; do not naively change to em sizes).

Default `line-height: 1.6` reads as ~1.5 line spacing — good for reports, too loose for letters. Drop to ~1.3 for letters/dense docs.

## Recipes

**Business letter** (tight lines, clear gaps between sender/recipient/Re/body blocks, signature room):
```markdown
<style>
.markdown-body { line-height: 1.3; }
.markdown-body p { margin: 0 0 1.85rem; }
.markdown-body .sig-space { height: 0.55in; }
</style>
```

**Tune spacing:** lower `line-height` to tighten lines inside blocks; raise/lower `.markdown-body p` margin to change the gap between sections. ~1.5rem = comfortable, ~1.85rem = airy.

## CLI gotchas

- **No overwrite.** If `name.pdf` already exists, md2pdf writes `name (01).pdf` instead of replacing it. For a clean filename, `rm -f name.pdf` before running.
- **Auto-opens** the PDF every run; while iterating, use `--open=false` to avoid stacking Preview windows.
- A `.md` carrying a `<style>` block is md2pdf-specific — other Markdown renderers may strip it or render it as text.

## Rebuilding the tool (only if you change its source)

```bash
cd /Users/max/Projects_personal/md2pdf
go test ./...
go build -o ~/.local/bin/md2pdf ./cmd/md2pdf
```
Key files: `internal/markdown/render.go` (goldmark options), `internal/assets/{markdown,print,highlight}.css` (global styles), `internal/assets/template.html` (page shell).

From MaxAnderson95/my-opencode-setup, MIT.

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