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markdown-to-pdf

A Markdown-to-PDF converter renders Markdown source into a styled PDF — preserving headings (H1–H6), bold/italic, code blocks with syntax highlighting, tables, images (inline data URIs or remote URLs), blockquotes, and lists. The ZTools Markdown to PDF tool runs entirely in the browser using a headless PDF rendering pipeline (CommonMark parser → HTML → PDF via jsPDF / browser print-to-PDF), with theme presets (GitHub, academic paper, manuscript, business document), page-size options (Letter / A4 / Legal), and configurable margins. Useful for resumes, technical docs, README exports, contracts, and sharing Markdown content with non-technical audiences.

Use cases​

Resume / CV from Markdown​

Many devs maintain their resume in Markdown for version control. Convert to PDF for job applications without leaving Markdown.

GitHub README archival​

Snapshot a project README as PDF for offline reference, presentations, or attached to a release.

Technical documentation​

Engineering docs, runbooks, technical specs — write in Markdown, ship as PDF for non-technical stakeholders or compliance archives.

Academic paper drafts​

Markdown + LaTeX-equation extension is faster than full LaTeX for early drafts. Convert to PDF for review cycles.

Contracts / proposals​

Author in Markdown for clean version control + diffing, render to PDF for client signature.

How it works​

  1. Paste Markdown — Standard CommonMark + GFM (tables, task lists, strikethrough). Up to 100k chars typical.
  2. Pick theme — GitHub-style (default), academic (serif body, 12pt), manuscript (Courier 12pt), business (Arial / Calibri).
  3. Pick page size + margins — Letter / A4 / Legal; margins 0.5–1.5 inch.
  4. Optional — Page numbers, header/footer, custom CSS override.
  5. Generate PDF — Browser renders HTML → PDF; download immediately.

Examples​

Input: Resume Markdown + GitHub theme

Output: 2-page PDF with proper heading hierarchy, lists, contact info — recruiter-ready.

Input: README with code blocks + Mermaid diagrams

Output: PDF with syntax-highlighted code, rendered diagrams, GitHub-style tables.

Input: Technical spec with images + tables

Output: Multi-page PDF with images embedded, tables fitting page width.

Frequently asked questions​

Will the PDF look identical to GitHub README?

Visually similar with the GitHub theme, but exact rendering differs (GitHub uses its own CSS + emoji rendering). Pixel-perfect match isn't achievable; the tool aims for ~95% visual similarity.

Are remote images embedded?

Yes — images are fetched and embedded as base64 inside the PDF (CORS permitting). Avoids broken images when the PDF is opened offline.

Math equations?

KaTeX-style $E=mc^2$ supported. Renders as proper math, not raw text.

Can I use custom CSS?

Yes — paste CSS in the override field. Useful for brand-specific styling (font, color, header logo).

How big can the source be?

Browser-bounded — up to 100k chars handles fine; 1M+ chars may stutter. For very large documents, use Pandoc CLI.

Pandoc vs this tool?

Pandoc is the gold standard for Markdown → many-formats. CLI-only, requires LaTeX for complex PDFs. ZTools is browser-based, no install — sufficient for typical resumes/docs.

Tips​

  • For resumes, GitHub theme + 0.75-inch margins fits a typical 2-page CV.
  • Use H1 for the document title (your name on a resume), H2 for major sections (Experience, Education).
  • Use task lists (- [x] Done) to render with checkbox glyphs.
  • For academic papers, switch to academic (serif) theme + 1-inch margins for journal submission feel.
  • For images, use absolute URLs or local file uploads — relative paths break in browser context.

Try it now​

The full markdown-to-pdf runs in your browser at https://ztools.zaions.com/markdown-to-pdf — no signup, no upload, no data leaves your device.

Open the tool ↗

Last updated: 2026-05-06 · Author: Ahsan Mahmood · Edit this page on GitHub