Markdown to PDF
Render any Markdown text into a styled, paginated PDF.
Overview
The Markdown-to-PDF renderer turns any Markdown text into a styled, paginated PDF — headings, lists, code blocks, blockquotes, and tables all laid out with sensible defaults. It is the easiest way to hand someone a polished document when they live in PDF and you live in Markdown.
Engineers turning README files into board-meeting handouts, students producing assignments from notes, and consultants exporting status updates reach for this when copying into Word or a desktop converter is overkill. Long-tail searches that lead here include "convert Markdown to PDF online", "render .md as printable document", and "Markdown to A4 PDF".
How it works
The Markdown parser follows the CommonMark specification with the GitHub-Flavored Markdown extensions most people expect: fenced code blocks, tables, task lists, autolinks, and strikethrough. The parser builds an abstract syntax tree, then a server-side PDF engine walks the tree and emits styled paragraphs, headings, lists, and table cells.
Code blocks are rendered in a monospaced font with subtle background shading; blockquotes use a left border; tables get header rows that repeat across page breaks. Page breaks happen between block elements so a paragraph or table row never splits in the middle. The output is A4 portrait with comfortable margins and a Unicode-capable font so emoji, accented characters, and CJK text render cleanly.
Examples
- Render a project's
README.mdas a one-shot PDF for an offline reviewer. - Convert meeting notes written in Markdown into a polished handout.
- Produce a printable copy of a multi-page documentation page.
- Turn a Markdown-formatted résumé into a PDF ready for an applicant tracking system.
FAQ
What Markdown flavours are supported?
CommonMark plus the common GitHub-Flavored extensions (tables, fenced code, task lists, strikethrough, autolinks). Niche extensions like math ($…$), Mermaid diagrams, or custom containers are not parsed.
Can I customise fonts and colours?
The renderer uses a fixed neutral style for predictable output. For brand-specific styling, post-process the PDF or use a CSS-driven HTML-to-PDF pipeline.
Are images embedded?
Inline  references are rendered when the URL is a remote image accessible at render time. Local file references (./image.png) are not resolved since the renderer has no filesystem access.
Will it execute or syntax-highlight code blocks?
Code is rendered with monospaced styling but is not syntax-highlighted — the focus is portable, readable output rather than IDE-grade colouring.
Does the PDF have a table of contents?
Not by default. Headings appear in the document but no separate TOC page is generated; add one manually with anchor links if you need it.