PDF

Route Selection

Default to HTML. Only use LaTeX route when user explicitly requests it.

Markdown-first report handoff

When Deep Research or another upstream workflow supplies a complete Markdown report, treat that Markdown as the canonical content source and convert it through the HTML route instead of restarting research or rewriting the report. HTML is a presentation-only projection: preserve the report's sections, tables, figures, claims, and source IDs.

Research citations use markers such as [^123^]. If a citation JSONL is supplied with the Markdown, use that exact file; otherwise use /mnt/agents/.store/citation.jsonl. Each JSON object is keyed by id. Match each numeric marker to the same source ID and render citations in the form best suited to the document (for example inline links, superscript citations, footnotes, endnotes, or a References section). The PDF route does not mandate one citation presentation. Citation definition lines in the supplied Markdown are also canonical input: a mapped definition may be replaced by its complete rendered citation, but an unresolved definition and its text must remain visible. Preserve unresolved markers and warn about missing IDs; never fabricate or silently delete a source.

Run route commands from the PDF Skill directory or resolve their paths from that directory. Treat all conversion warnings and errors as actionable feedback: retain their full context, work on a copy, and retry until the requested PDF passes the route checks. Never suppress a failure or present a failed artifact as final.

MANDATORY: Read Route File Before Implementation

Before implementation, you MUST:

1. Determine the route (HTML / LaTeX / Process)
2. Read the route file (routes/html.md, routes/latex.md, or routes/process.md)
3. Only then proceed with implementation

This file (SKILL.md) contains constraints and principles. Route files contain how-to details.

Decision Rules

Route Selection

Cover Style Selection (HTML Route)

Key principle: Cover background separates "acceptable" from "impressive". See html.md for 11 style options.

Citation Format Selection (when a References section is used)

Quick Start

Use the unified CLI for all operations:

# Check environment (JSON output, exit code 0=ok, 2=missing deps)
./scripts/pdf.sh check

# Auto-fix missing dependencies (idempotent, safe to run multiple times)
./scripts/pdf.sh fix

# Convert HTML to PDF
./scripts/pdf.sh html input.html --output output.pdf

# Compile LaTeX to PDF
./scripts/pdf.sh latex input.tex --output output.pdf

Exit codes:

• 0 = success
• 1 = usage error
• 2 = dependency missing (run pdf.sh fix)
• 3 = runtime error

Dependencies by route:

• HTML route: Node.js, Playwright, Chromium
• Process route: Python 3, pikepdf, pdfplumber
• LaTeX route: Tectonic

Core Constraints (Must Follow)

1. Output Language

Output language must match user's query language.

• User writes in Chinese → PDF content in Chinese
• User writes in English → PDF content in English
• User explicitly specifies language → Follow user's specification

2. Word Count and Page Constraints

• Strictly follow user-specified word/page count requirements
• Do not arbitrarily inflate content length

3. Citation and Search Standards

CRITICAL: Search Before Writing

DO NOT fabricate information. When in doubt, SEARCH.

If content involves ANY of these, you MUST search FIRST before writing:

• Statistics, numbers, percentages, rankings
• Policies, regulations, laws, standards
• Academic research, theories, methodologies
• Current events, recent developments
• Anything you're not 100% certain about

When Search is Required

Search workflow:

1. Identify facts/data requiring verification
2. Search for authentic sources
3. If results insufficient, iterate search until reliable info obtained
4. Include real sources in references
5. If search fails repeatedly, tell the user instead of making up data

Citations Must Be Real

Fabricating references is prohibited. All citations must have:

• Correct author/institution names
• Accurate titles
• Verifiable year, journal/source

Cross-references (Must Be Clickable)

As shown in <a href="#fig-1-1">Figure 1-1</a>...
From <a href="#eq-2-1">Equation (2-1)</a>...
See <a href="#sec3">Section 3</a>...

Note: id must be placed at container top (see CSS Counters section in html.md).

Content Quality Constraints

1. Word/Page Count Constraints

Must strictly follow user-specified word or page count requirements:

Prohibited behaviors:

• Arbitrarily shortening content ("concise" is not an excuse)
• Padding pages with excessive bullet lists (maintain high information density)
• Exceeding twice the user's requested length

Special case - Resume/CV:

• Resume should be 1 page unless user specifies otherwise
• Use compact margins: margin: 1.5cm

2. Outline Adherence (Mandatory)

When user provides outline:

• Strictly follow the user-provided outline structure
• Section titles must match outline (minor wording adjustments OK, no level/order changes)
• Do not add or remove sections arbitrarily
• If outline seems problematic, ask user first before modifying

When no user outline:

• Use standard structures based on document type:
  • Academic papers: IMRaD (Introduction-Methods-Results-Discussion) or Introduction-Literature Review-Methods-Results-Discussion-Conclusion
  • Business reports: Conclusion-first (Executive Summary → Detailed Analysis → Recommendations)
  • Technical docs: Overview → Principles → Usage → Examples → FAQ
  • Course assignments: Follow assignment structure requirements
• Sections must have logical progression, no disconnects

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