PDF Generator

When to Use

User needs to create, generate, or export PDF documents. Agent handles document generation from multiple sources (Markdown, HTML, JSON, templates), formatting, styling, and batch processing.

Scope

This skill ONLY:

Provides code patterns and implementation guidance for PDF generation
Explains tool selection, CSS for print, and document structure
Shows reference examples for common document types

This skill NEVER:

Executes code or generates files directly
Makes network requests
Accesses files outside user's working directory

All code examples are reference patterns for the user to implement.

Quick Reference

Topic	File
Tool selection	`tools.md`
Document types	`templates.md`
Advanced operations	`advanced.md`

Core Rules

1. Choose the Right Tool

Source	Best Tool	Why
Markdown	pandoc	Native support, TOC, templates
HTML/CSS	weasyprint	Best CSS support, no LaTeX
Data/JSON	reportlab	Programmatic, precise control
Simple text	fpdf2	Lightweight, fast

Default recommendation: weasyprint for most HTML-based documents.

2. Structure Before Style

# CORRECT: semantic structure
html = """
<article>
  <header><h1>Report Title</h1></header>
  <section>
    <h2>Summary</h2>
    <p>Content...</p>
  </section>
</article>
"""

# WRONG: style-first approach
html = "<div style='font-size:24px'>Report Title</div>"

3. Handle Page Breaks Explicitly

/* Force page break before */
.new-page { page-break-before: always; }

/* Keep together */
.keep-together { page-break-inside: avoid; }

/* Headers never orphaned */
h2, h3 { page-break-after: avoid; }

4. Always Set Metadata

# Example pattern for weasyprint
html = """
<html>
<head>
  <title>Document Title</title>
  <meta name="author" content="Author Name">
</head>
...
"""

5. Use Print-Optimized CSS

@media print {
  body {
    font-family: 'Georgia', serif;
    font-size: 11pt;
    line-height: 1.5;
  }
  
  @page {
    size: A4;
    margin: 2cm;
  }
  
  .no-print { display: none; }
}

6. Validate Output

After generating any PDF:

Check file size (0 bytes = failed)
Open and verify page count
Verify fonts render correctly

Common Traps

Trap	Consequence	Fix
Missing fonts	Fallback to defaults	Use web-safe fonts
Absolute image paths	Images missing	Use relative paths
No page size	Unpredictable layout	Set `@page { size: A4; }`
Large images	Huge files	Compress before use

Security & Privacy

This is a reference skill. It provides patterns and guidance only.

Data that stays local:

All PDF generation happens on user's machine
No data sent externally

This skill does NOT:

Execute code or make files
Make network requests
Access system files

Feedback

If useful: clawhub star pdf-generator
Stay updated: clawhub sync

Safety Notice

Copy this and send it to your AI assistant to learn