MD to PDF Conversion#

Overview#

Converts markdown files to styled PDF documents using Node.js, marked, and puppeteer-core. Supports Chinese/CJK text, code syntax highlighting, tables, and images.

When to Use#

• User asks to convert a .md file to PDF
• Need to generate a printable document from markdown
• Creating offline documentation or reports
• Sharing formatted technical documents

Prerequisites#

• Node.js installed (v18+ recommended)
• Google Chrome or Microsoft Edge browser installed

Quick Start#

bash

# Convert a markdown file to PDF
node convert.js input.md

# Specify output file
node convert.js input.md output.pdf

# Without page numbers
node convert.js input.md --no-page-numbers

Installation#

First-time setup in the target project directory:

bash

mkdir -p .md-to-pdf-tool && cd .md-to-pdf-tool
npm init -y
npm install marked@4.3.0 puppeteer-core@19.11.1

Then copy the convert.js script from this skill's directory.

Features#

FeatureSupportHeadings (H1-H6)Styled with hierarchyCode blocksSyntax highlighting via highlight.jsTablesBordered with zebra stripingListsBulleted and numberedImagesEmbedded (relative paths resolved)LinksClickable in PDFCJK/ChineseFull supportPage numbersBottom center by default

Customization#

Edit the CSS in convert.js to customize:

• Font: Change font-family in body style
• Colors: Modify color and background values
• Margins: Adjust --marginTop, --marginBottom, etc. in options
• Code theme: Change pre and code background colors

Common Issues#

IssueSolutionBrowser not foundSet CHROME_PATH or EDGE_PATH environment variablePermission deniedUse Edge instead of Chrome, or run with elevated permissionsESM module errorsUse marked@4.3.0 and puppeteer-core@19.11.1 (CommonJS compatible)Large file timeoutIncrease timeout in page.setContent() options

Implementation#

The conversion script uses:

1. marked - Parse markdown to HTML
2. puppeteer-core - Launch headless browser to render HTML
3. Page.pdf() - Generate PDF from rendered page

See convert.js in this skill directory for the complete implementation.