PDF - Document Production Workbench
Quick Setup
bash "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/setup.sh" # Interactive environment check + install
python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/pdf.py" env.check # Detailed dependency status (JSON: add -j)
python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/pdf.py" env.fix # Auto-install missing Python packages
Triage
Determine task weight to control how much context to load:
| Weight | Triggers | What to Load |
|---|---|---|
| Light | Format conversion, form fill, text extract, merge/split, simple certificate | SKILL.md + briefs/process.md only |
| Standard | Multi-page report, poster, academic paper, resume, reformat - any document with design decisions | SKILL.md + matched brief + typesetting assets on demand |
Light tasks skip typesetting files entirely. Standard tasks load them on demand per the brief's instructions.
⚠️ Pre-Routing Checks (run BEFORE matching brief)
- Emoji Check - Scan user content for intentional emoji (decorative 📊🎯🔥, not OS-level emoji input). If found → force Creative brief regardless of document type. ReportLab renders emoji as □ squares; LaTeX drops them entirely.
- CJK Check - Chinese/Japanese/Korean content needs font coverage. Report brief must use
UniSong/UniHeiregistered fonts; Creative brief must load Google Fonts Noto Sans SC withfont-display: swap; Academic brief must use\usepackage{ctex}. - Size Check - Non-standard page sizes (not A4/Letter/A3) → prefer Creative brief (Playwright handles any dimension). ReportLab can do custom sizes but pagination is manual.
- Character Safety Check - Before writing any content string, scan for Japanese kana (の、が、は etc.), unusual Unicode symbols, or non-CJK characters that may corrupt during encoding transit ( Especially when code is written via heredoc/base64/LLM output). Replace with plain Chinese equivalents:
の→之/的/缔,々→omit or write full character. If content must preserve Japanese, use only standard CJK Unified Ideographs (U+4E00-U+9FFF) and common kana; avoid rare/private-use codepoints.
Briefing
Match the user's intent to a production brief. Each brief contains the full workflow, tech stack specifics, and references to shared typesetting assets.
User Request
│
├─ Work with existing PDF? ─────────────┬─ Extract/merge/split/fill/convert → briefs/process.md
│ ├─ Reformat/redesign → briefs/process.md (extract) → delegate to report or creative brief
│ └─ User provides a PDF template/reference to match style
│ → briefs/process.md "Template-Guided Reformat" → delegate to matched brief
│
├─ Report / proposal / white paper / contract / analysis?
│ └─ ────────────────────────────────── → briefs/report.md (ReportLab)
│
├─ Poster / invitation / infographic / dashboard / creative layout?
│ └─ ────────────────────────────────── → briefs/creative.md (Playwright)
│
├─ Academic paper / thesis / math / IEEE / ACM / LaTeX?
│ └─ ────────────────────────────────── → briefs/academic.md (Tectonic)
│
├─ Math-heavy doc / TikZ diagram / algorithm pseudocode / Beamer slides?
│ └─ ────────────────────────────────── → briefs/academic.md (Tectonic, Scenarios A-D)
│
├─ Document needs complex embedded diagrams (flowcharts, architecture, neural nets)?
│ └─ Route by target brief:
│ ├─ Report → Playwright+CSS → PNG → ReportLab Image() flowable
│ ├─ Creative → directly in HTML (CSS flexbox/grid + connectors)
│ └─ Academic → complexity-based:
│ ├─ Simple (≤6 nodes, linear/tree) → TikZ native (vector)
│ └─ Complex (>6 nodes, branches, annotations) → Playwright+CSS → PNG → \includegraphics
│
└─ Resume / CV?
├─ ATS-safe / corporate ─────────── → briefs/report.md (resume sub-section)
├─ Creative / design industry ────── → briefs/creative.md (resume sub-section)
└─ Academic CV / publications ────── → briefs/academic.md (resume sub-section)
Detection Keywords
| Brief | Keywords |
|---|---|
| Report | 报告, report, 分析, analysis, 白皮书, white paper, 提案, proposal, 合同, contract, 方案, 规划, 发票, invoice, 收据, receipt, 试卷, exam, quiz, test paper, 练习, exercise, worksheet, 考试, 测验 |
| Creative | 海报, poster, 邀请函, invitation, 信息图, infographic, 仪表盘, dashboard, 传单, flyer, 证书, certificate, 菜单, menu, 名片, business card, 奖状, award, 标签, label, 信封, envelope, 贺卡, greeting card |
| Creative (Poster) | 海报, poster, 传单, flyer, 宣传页, 宣传单 → additionally load briefs/poster.md scene layer rules |
| Academic | 论文, paper, 学术, academic, LaTeX, 数学, math, IEEE, ACM, 毕业, thesis, 研究, research, Beamer, slides, 开题报告, 学位, dissertation, proposal |
| Process | 提取, extract, 合并, merge, 拆分, split, 填写, fill, 转换, convert, OCR, 重排, reformat, 重新排版, redesign, 模板, template, 参照, 照着这个做, match this style, 压缩, compress, 水印, watermark, 加密, encrypt, 签名, sign |
Complete Scenario Routing Matrix
Below is an exhaustive map of every known PDF request type to its handling strategy. If a scenario is not listed, route to the closest match or ask the user.
📄 Creation (Generate PDF from scratch)
| Scenario | Route | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Report / white paper / analysis | report.md | ReportLab structured document |
| Report with emoji | creative.md | 🚨 Emoji rule override |
| Business proposal | report.md | Structured + data tables |
| Contract / legal document | report.md | Add signature placeholders (dotted line + label) |
| Invoice / receipt | report.md | Table-heavy, precision alignment |
| Exam / quiz / test paper / worksheet | report.md | Indented options, answer space reservation, structured numbering (see Exam Paper Rules in report.md) |
| Math exam / math worksheet (with formulas/equations) | academic.md | LaTeX for proper math typesetting. See §Exam Paper Rules in academic.md |
| Poster / flyer | creative.md + poster.md | Visual design + poster density/sizing rules |
| Invitation / greeting card | creative.md | Non-standard size, decorative |
| Certificate / award | creative.md | Single page, centered layout, decorative border |
| Business card | creative.md | Tiny size (90×54mm), Playwright native support |
| Envelope / label | creative.md | Non-standard size, simple layout |
| Menu / price list | creative.md | Visual layout + may contain emoji |
| Resume (ATS) | report.md | Plain text structure |
| Resume (creative) | creative.md | Visual design |
| Resume (academic CV) | academic.md | Publication list + BibTeX |
| Academic paper | academic.md | LaTeX/Tectonic |
| Math-heavy document | academic.md | LaTeX typesetting |
| Presentation / PPT-style | creative.md | Landscape (1280×720), one topic per page |
| Book / long document | report.md | Add TOC + chapter numbering, validate with toc_validate.py |
| CJK vertical text | creative.md | HTML writing-mode: vertical-rl + text-orientation: upright + white-space: nowrap + Playwright |
| RTL document (Arabic/Hebrew) | creative.md | HTML dir="rtl" + Playwright |
| Batch generation (mail merge) | report.md | Python loop + template variable substitution |
| Infographic | creative.md | Data visualization + design |
| Calendar / schedule | creative.md | Grid layout + custom dimensions |
🔧 Processing (Manipulate existing PDF)
| Scenario | Route | Command / Method |
|---|---|---|
| Merge multiple PDFs | process.md | pages.merge a.pdf b.pdf -o out.pdf |
| Split PDF | process.md | pages.split input.pdf -o ./output/ |
| Extract text | process.md | extract.text input.pdf |
| Extract tables | process.md | extract.table input.pdf |
| Extract images | process.md | extract.image input.pdf |
| Fill forms | process.md | form.fill input.pdf |
| Office → PDF | process.md | convert.office input.docx |
| HTML → PDF (documents) | process.md | convert.html input.html or node html2pdf-next.js |
| HTML → PDF (posters) | poster.md | node html2poster.js poster.html |
| Image → PDF | process.md | pikepdf: one image per page, embed as XObject |
| PDF → image | process-advanced.md | pypdfium2 render each page to PNG |
| Encrypt / decrypt | process-advanced.md | pikepdf encryption |
| Add watermark | process.md | pikepdf overlay: create watermark page → merge onto each page |
| Compress PDF | process.md | Ghostscript: gs -sDEVICE=pdfwrite -dPDFSETTINGS=/screen |
| OCR scanned PDF | process-advanced.md | ocrmypdf or Tesseract |
| Rotate pages | process.md | pages.rotate input.pdf 90 -o out.pdf |
| Crop pages | process.md | pages.crop input.pdf l,b,r,t -o out.pdf |
| Remove blank pages | process.md | pages.clean input.pdf |
| Reformat by template | process.md → delegate | Extract content → regenerate via report/creative |
| PDF diff / compare | process.md | diff-pdf CLI or Python per-page text comparison |
| Digital signature | process.md | pyhanko library (requires extra install) |
| Edit metadata | process.md | meta.set input.pdf -o out.pdf -d '{...}' |
Special Routing Rules
🚨 Emoji rule (CRITICAL - check FIRST): Content with intentional emoji (📊🎯🔥💡 etc.) → force briefs/creative.md regardless of document type. ReportLab renders emoji as □ squares; LaTeX silently drops them. This rule overrides all other routing. Even if the user says "report" - if the content has emoji, use Creative pipeline.
Non-standard page size rule: Dimensions other than A4/Letter/A3 → strongly prefer briefs/creative.md. Playwright handles any arbitrary page size natively. ReportLab requires manual pagination math.
Academic auto-detect: Papers, theses, or heavy math → briefs/academic.md even without explicit "LaTeX" mention.
Template-guided rule: When the user uploads a PDF and says "match this template" / "follow this style" / "reformat like this" → briefs/process.md Template-Guided Reformat section. This is a Standard triage (not Light), because it involves design decisions.
Resume routing: Default to Report brief (ATS-safe). Creative industry → Creative brief. Academic CV with publications → Academic brief.
Shared Assets
These are referenced by multiple briefs. Do not load upfront - each brief tells you when and what to load.
| Asset | Path | Used By | Purpose |
|---|---|---|---|
| Palette & Typography | typesetting/palette.md |
Report, Creative | Color system, font rules, anti-patterns, spacing |
| Cover Layout System V2.1 | typesetting/cover.md |
Report + Creative + Academic | 7 industrial-grade templates with absolute anchor grid, Z-index layers, typography weight system, mandatory Summary Block, code-level safety (5 checks), base unit U = W*0.05. Unified HTML/Playwright cover system for all routes. |
| Chart Styling & Anti-Stacking | typesetting/charts.md |
Report, Creative, Academic | Chart defaults, collision prevention, axis/grid/legend rules |
| Overflow Prevention | typesetting/overflow.md |
Report, Creative, Academic | Bounding box system, text/image/table overflow prevention, fallback strategies |
| Fill Engine (Anti-Void) | typesetting/fill-engine.md |
Report, Creative, Academic | Anti-Void Engine V2.0: font floor enforcement, fill ratio calculation, paragraph inflation, component elevation, Y-axis golden-ratio anchoring |
| Pagination & Flow Control | typesetting/pagination.md |
Report, Creative | Cross-page integrity, orphan/widow control, CJK punctuation rules |
| Typography System | typesetting/typography.md |
Report, Creative | Font size scale, line-height, spacing hierarchy |
| Geometric Anchors | typesetting/geometry.md |
Creative + Report | Decorative geometric elements, anchor placement rules |
| Cover Backgrounds | typesetting/cover-backgrounds.md |
Report + Creative + Academic | Cover background rendering, transparency constraints |
| Visual Framework | configs/visual_framework.md |
Creative | Palette mode, color harmony, SVG background params |
| Components Library | configs/components.md |
Creative | Non-grid composition components (floating cards, oversized text, etc.) |
| Font Stacks | configs/fonts.md |
All pipelines | Font families per pipeline (Google Fonts, ReportLab, LaTeX) |
Content Rules
- Language: Match user's query language. Chinese query → Chinese PDF.
- Page/word count: Respect explicit constraints (±20%). Unspecified → completeness over brevity.
- Outline: User-provided outlines are sacred. No reordering without asking.
- Citations: No fabrication. Chinese → GB/T 7714, English → APA. Search to verify.
- Multi-part requests: Generate ALL parts - never silently drop a component.
HTML Image Source Path Rules
When embedding images in HTML documents (Creative pipeline, Playwright-rendered diagrams, or any HTML→PDF flow):
| Image location | <img src> value |
Example |
|---|---|---|
| Local file | Relative path from the HTML file's directory | <img src="images/chart.png"> or <img src="./diagram.png"> |
| Remote URL | Full URL (no change needed) | <img src="https://example.com/photo.jpg"> |
Iron rules:
- NEVER use absolute paths for local files in HTML
<img>,<source>, CSSurl(), or any other asset reference (e.g./Users/alice/project/img.png). Absolute paths break portability across machines and environments. - Always use relative paths anchored to the HTML file's own directory. If the image lives in a subdirectory, use
images/foo.pngor./images/foo.png. - Remote URLs (
http:///https://) are fine as-is — do not convert them to local paths. - When generating HTML from a script or blueprint, ensure all referenced assets are either (a) in the same directory as the output HTML, or (b) in a clearly named subdirectory (e.g.
assets/,images/), and referenced with relative paths. - If a build script needs to resolve paths programmatically, compute relative paths at generation time (e.g.
os.path.relpath(image_path, html_dir)) rather than embedding absolute filesystem paths.
Figure & Diagram Embedding (All Briefs)
Iron Rule: Figures Are Block-Level
Figures, diagrams, and charts MUST be independent block elements occupying full width. Never float/wrap figures alongside body text - this causes the text-diagram overlap badcase.
| Brief | Correct embedding | Forbidden |
|---|---|---|
| Report (ReportLab) | story.append(Image(...)) as standalone Flowable |
Placing images inside Paragraph text, simulating float |
| Creative (Playwright) | <figure style="display:block; width:100%; margin:2em auto"> |
float:right, display:flex with text, wrapfigure-style CSS |
| Academic (LaTeX) | \begin{figure}[t] ... \end{figure} |
Bare \includegraphics in text body (no figure env), bare tikzpicture in multi-column |
Complex Diagram Strategy
When a diagram has >12 nodes, >3 subgroups, or intricate connections, do NOT try to render it as one giant figure. Instead:
- Table for details - structured data (phases, components, specs) goes into a proper table
- Simplified overview diagram - a stripped-down flowchart/Mermaid showing only the top-level flow (≤8 nodes)
- Cross-reference - table caption + diagram caption reference each other
This "table + simple diagram" pattern prevents:
- Diagrams overflowing page boundaries
- Text becoming unreadably small to fit everything
- Layout engines mishandling oversized graphics
Diagram Content Quality Rules (Cross-reference: charts)
The rules above handle how to embed diagrams in PDF. For what the diagram itself looks like (node layout, connector routing, color, readability), follow the charts skill rules:
Before generating ANY flowchart/diagram for PDF embedding, check these:
- Connectors must not pass through nodes - If 3+ layers exist, connect adjacent layers only (top→mid, mid→bottom). Never draw top→bottom lines through middle nodes. Use detour paths if cross-layer links are needed.
- Multiple arrows into one node must not pile up - Distribute entry points evenly along target edge, or use merge-then-enter pattern (sources converge to a vertical merge line, then single arrow to target).
- Low-saturation fills only - Node backgrounds must be pale (
#EFF6FF,#F0FDF4). High-saturation colors (#3B82F6,#10B981) only for borders or small accents. No children's-art color schemes. - Phase titles vs sub-steps must be visually distinct - Different background color, font size, and font weight. Never same-style boxes for both.
- Font sizes must be readable at final output size - Sizes depend on the embedding context:
Principle: After embedding, the smallest text in the diagram must still be legible when the document is viewed at 100% zoom. If the diagram is scaled down to fit page width, recalculate:Output context Node title min Description min Label min Standalone PNG (web/presentation, ≥1200px wide) 14px 12px 11px Embedded in A4 PDF (ReportLab/LaTeX, ~450pt content width) 10pt 8pt 7pt Embedded in slide deck (landscape, ~720pt wide) 12pt 10pt 9pt effective_size = original_size × (display_width / canvas_width). If effective size drops below the minimum, either increase original font size or reduce diagram complexity. - Legend/annotations must not overlap content - Separate container, ≥ 40px gap from last node, fully within canvas bounds.
For Playwright-rendered diagrams: Use low-saturation fills (#EFF6FF, #F0FDF4), CSS flexbox/grid for node layout, SVG <line>/<path> for connectors, and verify no overlap at final render size.
For ReportLab-drawn diagrams: Same principles apply - use Drawing() with explicit coordinates, check node bounding boxes for overlap before finalizing.
Diagram Generation Strategy (Per-Brief)
Diagram rendering depends on the target brief - NOT a one-size-fits-all TikZ pipeline.
| Target Brief | Diagram Method | Rationale |
|---|---|---|
| Report (ReportLab) | Playwright+CSS → PNG → Image() |
No LaTeX compiler in this route; HTML/CSS handles any layout natively |
| Creative (Playwright) | Directly in HTML (CSS flexbox/grid + JS connectors) | Already in browser context |
| Academic (Tectonic) - simple (≤6 nodes) | TikZ native tikzpicture |
Vector output, font consistency, LaTeX-native |
| Academic (Tectonic) - complex (>6 nodes) | Playwright+CSS → PNG @2× → \includegraphics |
TikZ branch logic is error-prone for models; 300dpi PNG is publication-ready |
Playwright+CSS diagram pipeline (Report & Academic-complex):
# 1. Write diagram HTML (CSS grid/flexbox + connectors)
cat > diagram.html << 'EOF'
<!-- LLM generates: nodes as divs, arrows as SVG/CSS -->
EOF
# 2. Screenshot at 2× for print quality (300dpi equivalent)
python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/pdf.py" convert.blueprint diagram.html --device-scale-factor 2 --output diagram.png
# Or via Playwright directly:
# page.screenshot(path='diagram.png', scale='device', device_scale_factor=2)
# 3a. Embed in ReportLab (Report brief)
from reportlab.platypus import Image
img = Image('diagram.png', width=450) # auto height via aspect ratio
story.append(img)
# 3b. Embed in LaTeX (Academic brief, complex diagrams only)
# \includegraphics[width=\columnwidth]{diagram.png}
🚫 FORBIDDEN for Report/Creative briefs: Do NOT use TikZ standalone → compile → pdftoppm → PNG pipeline. This route has no LaTeX compiler and the extra compilation steps are error-prone.
TikZ remains valid ONLY for:
- Academic brief with simple diagrams (≤6 nodes, linear/hierarchical)
- Direct
tikzpictureembedding in LaTeX documents - Math-annotated diagrams where LaTeX math rendering matters
See briefs/academic.md Scenario B for TikZ templates (simple diagrams only).
Vector Rendering Iron Rule
The final PDF MUST be generated via page.pdf() (Playwright) or ReportLab/LaTeX native output - NEVER via screenshot-to-PDF.
| Scenario | Correct Method | Forbidden |
|---|---|---|
| Creative pipeline (single/multi-page) | page.pdf() via convert.blueprint or html2pdf-next.js |
page.screenshot() → image → wrap as PDF |
| Report cover (HTML/Playwright) | page.pdf() → merge via pypdf |
Screenshot cover → embed as image |
| Academic cover | page.pdf() → merge via pypdf |
Screenshot → \includegraphics for cover |
| Full-page posters/infographics | html2poster.js (auto overflow:hidden + height measurement + page.pdf()) |
Any raster pipeline for the final output |
Why: page.pdf() produces vector text + vector shapes. Text remains selectable, sharp at any zoom, and file size is smaller. Screenshot-based PDFs are raster images - blurry when zoomed, unsearchable, and 3-5× larger.
The ONLY place screenshot/PNG embedding is acceptable:
- Diagrams embedded as sub-elements inside a larger document (e.g., flowcharts in a Report). These use
page.screenshot()at 2× device scale factor for 300dpi print quality, then embed viaImage()(ReportLab) or\includegraphics(LaTeX). - Chart images generated by matplotlib/plotly saved as PNG, then embedded.
These are sub-elements, not the document itself. The document-level PDF output must always be vector.
Quick test: Open the generated PDF, zoom to 400%. If text is blurry, you used a screenshot pipeline. Fix it.
HTML→PDF Engine Selection Rules
There are two dedicated scripts for HTML→PDF. Choose based on document type:
| Document type | Script | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Posters, infographics, long-image single-page designs | html2poster.js |
Auto overflow:hidden, auto height measurement, zero margin, single-page output |
| Cover pages (Report/Academic route) | html2poster.js |
Covers are single-page fixed layouts with absolute positioning — same nature as posters. html2pdf-next.js would convert absolute→static and destroy the layout |
| Multi-page documents, reports, academic papers, resumes | html2pdf-next.js |
A4/custom pagination, 20mm margin fallback, cover adaptation, pdf-lib metadata |
| Creative pipeline (Blueprint → HTML → PDF) | html2pdf-next.js via convert.blueprint |
Called internally by design_engine pipeline |
Poster / Single-Page Long-Image → html2poster.js
node "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/html2poster.js" poster.html --output poster.pdf --width 720px
html2poster.js automatically:
- Forces
overflow: hiddenon.poster/.pagecontainers (clips decorative overflow) - Injects
@page { margin: 0 }(zero margins always) - Syncs
html/bodybackground with poster background color - Measures
.posterscrollHeight and uses it as PDF height - Generates a single-page vector PDF with exact content dimensions
Use this for ANY fixed-width, dynamic-height, single-page design.
Documents / Multi-Page → html2pdf-next.js
node "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/html2pdf-next.js" input.html --output output.pdf --width 210mm --height 297mm
# Or via pdf.py wrapper:
python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/pdf.py" convert.html input.html --output output.pdf
Pre-render hooks auto-handle @page injection, overflow detection, cover adaptation, font loading, and pdf-lib metadata.
⚠️ Iron Rule: No Hand-Written Playwright Scripts
Common issues with hand-written Python page.pdf() (the dedicated scripts handle these automatically):
- Missing
@pagerule → browser default margin causes content overflow to second page or white edges - Oversized elements not fixed → large elements with
break-inside: avoidblock pagination, content gets truncated - Rendering before fonts are loaded → Chinese text displays as squares or falls back to wrong font
- No overflow detection → content exceeds page boundary without awareness
- No metadata → PDF title, author, and other info missing
Iron rule: Posters and cover pages use html2poster.js, multi-page documents use html2pdf-next.js. Do not write hand-written Python Playwright scripts.
⚠️ Cover page gotcha: Cover HTML uses
position: absolutefor layout.html2pdf-next.jspre-render hooks convert absolute-positioned elements tostaticflow (to prevent multi-page overlap), which destroys cover layouts. Always usehtml2poster.jsfor cover pages.
No overflow:hidden on Fixed-Size Pages (html2pdf-next.js only)
When using html2pdf-next.js for documents, NEVER set overflow: hidden on html, body, or the main page container.
Note: This rule does NOT apply to posters rendered via
html2poster.js— that script automatically addsoverflow: hiddento.poster/.pagecontainers to clip decorative overflow. You don't need to add or remove it manually.
| Problem | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Browser preview cuts off bottom content, can't scroll | overflow: hidden on container + viewport < design height |
Remove overflow: hidden |
| html2pdf-next.js "Fixed vertical overflow" warning, layout may break | Pre-render detects scrollHeight > clientHeight + hidden overflow, force-expands container |
Remove overflow: hidden |
Always pair fixed-size pages with @media screen auto-scale so the full page is visible in any browser window without scrolling. See briefs/creative.md § 0.5 for the CSS pattern.
Full-Bleed Rule (No White Margins)
When generating HTML for Playwright page.pdf(), the content MUST fill the entire page with zero margins. White side margins = broken layout.
Mandatory CSS for any HTML → PDF:
@page {
size: <width> <height>; /* e.g., 720px 960px, or A4 */
margin: 0;
}
html, body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
}
Common causes of white margins:
- Missing
@page { margin: 0 }- browser default margins kick in (~1cm each side) - Content width doesn't match page width - e.g., canvas is 720px but page is A4 (794px)
- Missing
@page { size }declaration in the HTML - Content has explicit
max-widththat's narrower than the page
For blueprint pipeline: design_engine.py now injects @page { size: var(--canvas-w) var(--canvas-h); margin: 0; } automatically.
For raw HTML: YOU must include the @page rule. No exceptions.
For direct Playwright: Pass margin: { top: 0, right: 0, bottom: 0, left: 0 } to page.pdf().
Background Color Consistency (No Color Mismatch)
html / body background color must match the content canvas background color.
Playwright page.pdf({ printBackground: true }) renders the body background color. If body is white while the content area is gray/colored, color-inconsistent borders/gaps will appear in the PDF.
Single-color documents (all pages same background)
/* MANDATORY: body background = content background */
html, body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
background: var(--c-bg); /* Same color as content canvas */
}
Multi-page documents with mixed backgrounds (e.g. dark cover + white body pages)
Root cause: Playwright resolves .page { width: 210mm } and @page { size: 210mm } to slightly different sub-pixel values (e.g. 793.688px vs 793.701px). This creates a <1px gap at the right/bottom edge of each .page div where body's background shows through. On dark pages, a white body background makes this gap visible as a white edge.
Fix — set body background to the document's dominant dark color:
:root {
--primary: #0f172a; /* darkest page background */
}
html, body {
margin: 0;
padding: 0;
width: 210mm; /* match @page size */
background: var(--primary); /* fallback for sub-pixel gaps */
}
Why this works and doesn't break white pages:
- Dark pages: sub-pixel gap reveals dark
body→ gap invisible. - White pages:
.page-white { background: #ffffff }fully coversbody→ dark body never visible. - The gap is <1px — even on white pages, the dark body at the extreme pixel edge is imperceptible after anti-aliasing.
Rule: when generating multi-page HTML with mixed backgrounds, always set html, body { background } to the darkest page's background color. If all pages are light/white, use the lightest content background (e.g. #f8fafc). Never leave body background unset (browser default = white = guaranteed white edges on dark pages).
### Content Centering (No Left/Right Drift)
**After HTML-to-PDF conversion, content must be centered, no left or right drift allowed.**
Common drift causes:
1. `@page { margin }` not 0 — browser default margin causes drift
2. `.safe-zone` or content container `inset` / `padding` left-right asymmetric
3. Content container has `max-width` but no `margin: 0 auto`
4. Grid components only occupy partial column width (e.g. `1/1 → X/7` only uses left half)
5. **Decorative elements overflow page boundary** — elements with `width > 100%` or negative offsets (e.g. glow circles, gradient overlays) inflate `scrollWidth` beyond page width. Playwright shrinks all content to fit, causing left-shift. **Fix: add `overflow: hidden` to `.page` containers.** See `typesetting/overflow.md` §3.5 for horizontal flex overflow rules.
### Anti-Void Edges (No Large Blank Margins)
**Content should not have large meaningless whitespace at page edges, top, or bottom.**
- Content should make full use of page area; do not cram all content in the top half while leaving the bottom blank
- For multi-page documents, each page's fill rate should be ≥ 60% (see `pagination.md` last page ≥ 40% rule)
- For single-page posters/infographics, fill rate should be ≥ 70%
---
## Preflight (Quality Assurance)
Every PDF must pass preflight checks before delivery. Each brief specifies the exact commands.
### HTML Pre-Render Validation (MANDATORY for ALL HTML→PDF paths)
**Before** calling `html2pdf-next.js`, `html2poster.js`, `convert.blueprint`, or any Playwright `page.pdf()`, run:
```bash
python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/poster_validate.py" check-html <your_file>.html
| Result | Action |
|---|---|
| PASS (no errors) | Proceed to PDF generation |
| ERROR items | Must fix before generating PDF. Use --fix --output <file>.html for auto-repair |
| WARNING items | Review; non-blocking but should be addressed |
Key checks:
OVERFLOW_HIDDEN_CONTAINER(error):overflow:hiddenon html/body/.page clips content in browser preview and triggers html2pdf-next.js auto-fix that may break layoutFIXED_SIZE_NO_SCREEN_ADAPT(warning): fixed-size page without@media screenauto-scale — browser preview requires scrollingSCREEN_ADAPT_NO_SCALE(warning):@media screenexists but lacks scale/transform/zoomFONT_NO_FALLBACK(error): font-family without generic fallbackCOLOR_CONTRAST(warning): text/background contrast ratio < 3:1- Plus: remote images, absolute paths, missing margin reset, tiny fonts, background mismatch, etc.
This applies to all three HTML routes: Creative blueprint pipeline, Report HTML covers, and bypass/custom HTML.
Overflow Prevention System
→ Full spec: typesetting/overflow.md - read it for any document with tables, images, or multi-column layouts.
Core principles:
- Measure first, draw second - never render content without pre-calculating its dimensions
- Bounding Box constraint - every element's width ≤ its parent container's
Max_Width - Text: use font metrics, not character count, for width calculation
- Images: proportional scaling - never insert at original size
- Tables: weight-based column width +
Paragraph()wrapping (never plain strings) - Fallback ladder: wrap → shrink font (max -3pt) → reduce padding → split element → log warning
- Vertical: KeepTogether for heading+body, chart+caption;
repeatRows=1for long tables
Table Overflow Prevention (ReportLab)
Most common layout bug: table columns exceed page margins.
Before building any ReportLab Table:
- Calculate
available_width = page_width - left_margin - right_margin - Use proportional colWidths (
[0.25, 0.40, 0.20, 0.15]× available_width) or fixed+flex pattern sum(colWidths)must be ≤available_width- verify this in code- Long text columns must use
Paragraph()wrapping, not plain strings (plain strings don't wrap) - CJK text is wider: budget ~12pt per character at 10pt font size
See briefs/report.md § "Table Width Management" for code patterns.
Table Overflow Prevention (LaTeX/Academic)
Most common bug in dual-column papers: wide tables overflow single-column width.
Before writing any LaTeX table:
- Count data columns - ≤ 4 fits single column; 5-6 needs
\small; 7-8 needs\resizebox; ≥ 9 usetable*(full width) - Use
tabular*{\columnwidth}ortabularx{\columnwidth}instead of plaintabularfor 5+ columns - Never use plain
tabularwith 8+ columns in twocolumn layout - guaranteed overflow \resizebox{\columnwidth}{!}as last resort - verify smallest text ≥ 6pt after scaling
See briefs/academic.md § "Table width management" for LaTeX patterns.
Playwright PDF CSS Blacklist
These CSS properties silently break in Playwright's PDF renderer:
backdrop-filter/-webkit-backdrop-filter- drops entire element content. Use solidrgba()backgrounds.overflow: hiddenon content containers - clips content. Only safe on small decorative elements (< 200px).
After generating any Playwright PDF, verify every page has content (pypdf text extraction, check non-empty).
PDF Metadata (all briefs)
ALL PDFs must have: Title, Author (default "Z.ai"), Creator, Subject.
Delivery Summary (all briefs)
Report to user: file path, size, page count. Academic adds word/image count. Creative adds per-page verification.
HTML→PDF route deliverables (MANDATORY — applies to ALL briefs that use Playwright/HTML to generate PDF):
Whenever the HTML→PDF pipeline is used (Creative route, Report cover bypass, Direct HTML Flow posters, or any Playwright page.pdf() path), you MUST deliver both files to the user:
- HTML — the source HTML file, so the user can edit and reuse the design
- PDF — the final vector PDF (
page.pdf()output)
Optionally also provide: 3. Image — a full-page screenshot/preview image (PNG or JPG) for quick sharing on chat/social media
All file paths must be reported to the user. Never deliver only the PDF without the HTML source.
Tooling Reference
CLI: python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/pdf.py" <command>
# Environment
env.check # Check deps
env.fix # Auto-install missing
# Quality
code.sanitize <script> # Sanitize forbidden Unicode
content.sanitize <file> [--apply] # Fix content issues (CJK, encoding)
meta.brand <pdf> # Add Z.ai metadata
font.check <pdf> # Scan for missing glyphs
toc.check <pdf> # Validate TOC
# Conversion
convert.blueprint <llm_json_response.md> -o final.pdf # CRITICAL FOR CREATIVE: Auto-extracts JSON, compiles, and renders PDF.
convert.html <html> # HTML → PDF (Playwright)
convert.latex <tex> # LaTeX → PDF (Tectonic). Bundled binary is macOS arm64 only; see academic.md for other-platform install.
convert.office <file> # Office → PDF (LibreOffice)
# Processing
extract.text <pdf> # Extract text
extract.table <pdf> # Extract tables
extract.image <pdf> # Extract images
pages.merge a.pdf b.pdf -o out.pdf
pages.split <pdf>
pages.clean <pdf> # Remove blank pages
form.info <pdf> # Inspect form fields
form.fill <pdf> # Fill form
form.annotate <pdf> # Fill via annotations
meta.get <pdf>
meta.set <pdf> -o out.pdf -d '{"Title": "..."}'
Poster/HTML/LaTeX Validator: python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/poster_validate.py"
check-html <html> # Pre-render validation (overflow:hidden, @media screen, fonts, contrast, etc.)
check-html <html> --fix --output <fixed.html> # Auto-fix errors (remove overflow:hidden, add font fallback)
check-pdf <pdf> --source-html <html> # Post-render validation
check-pdf <pdf> --poster # Poster mode: suppress ORPHAN_PAGE warning
check-tex <tex> # LaTeX source validation (table overflow, image width, etc.)
check-html checks include:
OVERFLOW_HIDDEN_CONTAINER(error): overflow:hidden on html/body/.page/.poster — clips contentFIXED_SIZE_NO_SCREEN_ADAPT(warning): fixed-size page without @media screen auto-scaleSCREEN_ADAPT_NO_SCALE(warning): @media screen exists but lacks scale/transform/zoomFONT_NO_FALLBACK(error): font-family without generic fallback (sans-serif/serif)COLOR_CONTRAST(warning): text/background contrast ratio < 3:1BG_COLOR_MISMATCH(warning): body background differs from .canvas/.poster backgroundSCREEN_BG_MISMATCH(warning): @media screen html background differs from body/canvas backgroundMULTIPAGE_BODY_BG_MISSING(warning): multi-page document with dark.pagebackgrounds but nohtml/bodybackground color. Sub-pixel gaps at page edges reveal white body, causing visible white edges on dark pages. Resolvesvar()references via:rootvariables.SCREEN_NO_BG(warning): fixed-size page's @media screen block lacks html background colorOVERFLOW_DECORATION(warning): negative position values may cause black edgesNO_PAGE_SIZE/MISSING_MARGIN_RESET/WHITE_BACKGROUND/TINY_FONT/ etc.
check-tex checks include:
BARE_TABULAR_OVERFLOW(error):\begin{tabular}with 5+ columns in two-column layout, not wrapped in resizebox/adjustbox/table*RESIZEBOX_TEXTWIDTH(error):\resizebox{\textwidth}used inside single-column float in two-column layout.\textwidth= full page width, buttablefloat is one column. Fix: use\resizebox{\columnwidth}ortable*TABULAR_OVERFLOW_RISK(warning): 4-column tabular in two-column layout without width constraintTABULAR_WIDE(warning): 7+ column tabular in single-column layout without width constraintTABULAR_NO_FLOAT(warning): tabular not inside table/table* float environmentTABULARX_NOT_LOADED(warning): document has tabular but tabularx package not loadedIMAGE_NO_WIDTH(warning):\includegraphicswithout width/height/scale constraintEQUATION_DUAL_ON_LINE(warning):equationenvironment has 2+ equations joined by\quadwithout line breaks. Guaranteed overflow in dual-columnEQUATION_OVERFLOW_RISK(warning): equation body has >80 math characters. Likely overflows single columnALGORITHM_NO_SMALL_FONT(warning):algorithmenvironment in dual-column without\SetAlFnt{\small}ALGORITHM_LONG_IO(warning): Algorithm Input/Output line >120 chars. Will overflow narrow columnCJK_ASCII_QUOTES(error): ASCII"found adjacent to CJK characters. LaTeX interprets"as right double quote, so"北漂"renders incorrectly. Skips verbatim/lstlisting/minted environments and\texttt{}/\url{}/\href{}{}/\verb||inline commands.
Design Engine: python3 "$PDF_SKILL_DIR/scripts/design_engine.py"
compile --blueprint <json_file> --output poster.html # CRITICAL: Compile JSON blueprint to HTML
derive "document title or description" # Auto-derive intent from content
palette --intent calm --mode dark # Generate HSL-locked palette
palette-cascade --intent cold --mode minimal # Generate role-based cascade palette (V2, preferred)
svg --intent flow --dimensions 720x960 # Generate SVG background
full --intent energy --mode dark --dimensions 720x960 --output-dir ./assets/
audit --palette-json palette.json # Check palette constraints
Palette Ge
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