{"slug":"pdf-design","title":"pdf-design","summary":"Designs PDF reports and proposals from HTML with previews and branding. Use to create, export, or securely upload a PDF.","platform":"Claude","tags":[],"authorName":"LLM Mart","authorSlug":"llm-mart","score":0,"source":"github","price":null,"verified":false,"createdAt":"2026-08-25T15:19:56.596308Z","repo":{"url":"https://github.com/jamditis/claude-skills-journalism","stars":408,"forks":66,"license":"MIT","updatedAt":"2026-09-28T13:33:14Z"},"bodyHtml":"
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name: pdf-design\ndescription: Designs PDF reports and proposals from HTML with previews and branding. Use to create, export, or securely upload a PDF.

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PDF Design System

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Create and edit professional PDF reports and funding proposals with live preview and iterative design.

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Interactive editing mode

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During a design session, use these commands:

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CommandAction
previewScreenshot current state
preview page NScreenshot specific page
show coverPreview cover page
show budgetPreview budget section
regenerateCreate new PDF
uploadConfirm and upload to a user-chosen destination
doneFinish session
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Workflow:

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  1. You say \"preview\" → I show current state
    2. \n
  2. You describe changes → I implement them
    3. \n
  3. Repeat until done → Generate final PDF
    4. \n
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Security boundaries

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Quick start

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# Copy template to start new report\ncp ~/.claude/plugins/pdf-design/templates/democracy-day-proposal.html ./new-report.html\n\n# Generate PDF (must use snap-accessible path)\nmkdir -p ~/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work\ncp new-report.html ~/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/\nchromium-browser --headless --disable-gpu \\\n  --blink-settings=scriptEnabled=false \\\n  --print-to-pdf=\"$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/output.pdf\" \\\n  --no-pdf-header-footer \\\n  \"file://$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/new-report.html\"\n
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Document types

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Key principles

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  1. Sentence case, Never Title Case
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  2. Left-aligned, Never justified text
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  3. Print-ready, 8.5\" × 11\" letter size
    4. \n
  4. Brand consistent, CCM red or program palettes
    5. \n
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Brand guidelines

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CCM standard colors

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:root {\n    --ccm-red: #CA3553;\n    --ccm-black: #000000;\n    --ccm-gray: #666666;\n    --ccm-light: #e2e8f0;\n}\n
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Program-specific (Democracy Day)

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:root {\n    --civic-navy: #1a2b4a;\n    --civic-blue: #2d4a7c;\n    --civic-gold: #c9a227;\n    --civic-red: #b31942;\n}\n
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Typography

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<link href=\"https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Montserrat:wght@400;600;700&family=Source+Sans+Pro:wght@300;400;600&display=swap\" rel=\"stylesheet\">\n
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body {\n    font-family: 'Source Sans Pro', sans-serif;\n    font-size: 0.875rem;\n    line-height: 1.6;\n}\n\nh1, h2, h3 {\n    font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;\n}\n
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HTML structure

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Page setup

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@page { size: letter; margin: 0; }\n\n.page {\n    width: 8.5in;\n    height: 11in;\n    display: grid;\n    grid-template-rows: auto 1fr auto;\n    overflow: hidden;\n    page-break-after: always;\n}\n
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Cover page

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<div class=\"page cover\">\n    <div class=\"cover-header\">\n        <div class=\"cover-org\">Center for Cooperative Media</div>\n        <h1 class=\"cover-title\">Report title</h1>\n        <p class=\"cover-intro\">Brief description.</p>\n    </div>\n    <div class=\"cover-footer\">\n        <div class=\"cover-stats\"><!-- Stats --></div>\n        <div class=\"cover-footer-right\">\n            <div class=\"cover-date\">February 2026</div>\n            <div class=\"cover-logo\"><img src=\"...\" alt=\"Logo\"></div>\n        </div>\n    </div>\n</div>\n
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Content page

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<div class=\"page content-page\">\n    <div class=\"page-header\">\n        <div class=\"page-header-title\">Document title</div>\n        <div class=\"page-number\">2</div>\n    </div>\n    <div class=\"page-body\">\n        <!-- Content goes here -->\n    </div>\n    <footer class=\"page-footer\">\n        <!-- Footer -->\n    </footer>\n</div>\n
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Budget table

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<table class=\"budget-table\">\n    <thead>\n        <tr><th>Expense</th><th>Per year</th><th>Total</th></tr>\n    </thead>\n    <tbody>\n        <tr>\n            <td>Item<span class=\"item-desc\">Details</span></td>\n            <td>$10,000</td>\n            <td>$20,000</td>\n        </tr>\n    </tbody>\n    <tfoot>\n        <tr><td>Total</td><td>$50,000</td><td>$100,000</td></tr>\n    </tfoot>\n</table>\n
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Page footer

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.page-body {\n    padding: 0.2in 0.65in 0.3in;\n    overflow: hidden;\n}\n\n.page-footer {\n    padding: 0 0.65in 0.5in;\n    border-top: 1px solid #e2e8f0;\n    font-size: 0.8rem;\n}\n
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Footer clearance

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Content must not touch or overlap the page footer. These rules apply to content pages, cover pages and special layouts may use different structures.

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PDF generation

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Chromium (snap-confined)

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# Must use ~/snap/chromium/common/ path\nmkdir -p ~/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work\ncp template.html ~/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/\nchromium-browser --headless --disable-gpu \\\n  --blink-settings=scriptEnabled=false \\\n  --print-to-pdf=\"$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/output.pdf\" \\\n  --no-pdf-header-footer \\\n  \"file://$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/template.html\"\ncp ~/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/output.pdf ./\n
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Preview pages

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# PDF to PNG\npdftoppm -png -f 1 -l 1 output.pdf preview\n\n# Page count\npdfinfo output.pdf | grep Pages\n
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HTML preview

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mkdir -p \"$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work\"\ncp template.html \"$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/template.html\"\nchromium-browser --headless --disable-gpu \\\n  --blink-settings=scriptEnabled=false \\\n  --screenshot=\"$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/preview.png\" \\\n  --window-size=1275,1650 \\\n  \"file://$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/template.html\"\ncp \"$HOME/snap/chromium/common/pdf-work/preview.png\" ./preview.png\n
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Remote upload

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Upload only when the user explicitly requests it after reviewing the local PDF.

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  1. State the local file path, file name, and size.
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  2. Ask the user to select a user-chosen destination and confirm the upload.
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  3. Prefer a connected Google Drive tool or integration that manages OAuth credentials and exposes the destination to the user.
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  4. Request only the minimum scope needed to create the file in the selected destination.
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  5. Report the returned file name and link without exposing credentials or authorization metadata.
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Do not read or parse raw OAuth token files. Do not search for credentials, silently choose a remote folder, or upload to a hard-coded destination. If no connected integration is available, stop after local generation and explain how the user can upload the PDF themselves.

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Reusable content blocks

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These patterns were proven out in the NJ Public TV walkthrough deck (pdf-playground 1.3.0) and work just as well inside report and proposal pages. Drop them into any .page-body or .cover-footer.

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Headline with red accent rule

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A tight 0.95in × 0.08in red bar under the headline reads cleaner than a full-width border. Use for section headers inside content pages.

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.section-header h2 {\n    font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;\n    font-size: 22pt;\n    font-weight: 800;\n    color: var(--ccm-black);\n    line-height: 1.08;\n}\n\n.section-header h2::after {\n    content: '';\n    display: block;\n    width: 0.95in;\n    height: 0.08in;\n    background: var(--ccm-red);\n    margin-top: 0.14in;\n}\n
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Stats strip (big-number row)

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Row of 3–4 big numbers with a short caption and a red left rule. Great for executive-summary numbers on a cover or intro page.

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<div class=\"stats-strip\">\n    <div class=\"stat\"><div class=\"big\">23,000+</div><div class=\"label\">Students enrolled</div></div>\n    <div class=\"stat\"><div class=\"big\">$660M</div><div class=\"label\">Annual operating budget</div></div>\n    <div class=\"stat\"><div class=\"big\">$2.3B</div><div class=\"label\">Economic impact</div></div>\n    <div class=\"stat\"><div class=\"big\">252</div><div class=\"label\">Acre main campus</div></div>\n</div>\n
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.stats-strip {\n    display: grid;\n    grid-template-columns: repeat(var(--stat-cols, 4), 1fr);\n    gap: 0.3in;\n}\n.stats-strip .stat {\n    padding: 0.05in 0 0.1in 0.24in;\n    border-left: 4px solid var(--ccm-red);\n}\n.stats-strip .big {\n    font-family: 'Montserrat', sans-serif;\n    font-size: 28pt;\n    font-weight: 800;\n    line-height: 1;\n    color: var(--ccm-black);\n    letter-spacing: -0.015em;\n}\n.stats-strip .label {\n    font-size: 9pt;\n    font-weight: 600;\n    margin-top: 0.1in;\n    color: var(--ccm-gray);\n    text-transform: uppercase;\n    letter-spacing: 0.05em;\n}\n
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Three-column content

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For breaking one topic into three parallel facets with a dashed divider between columns.

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.three-col {\n    display: grid;\n    grid-template-columns: 1fr 1fr 1fr;\n    gap: 0.3in;\n}\n.three-col > div + div {\n    padding-left: 0.3in;\n    border-left: 2px dashed #d9d9d9;\n}\n.three-col h3 {\n    font-size: 10pt;\n    font-weight: 800;\n    color: var(--ccm-red);\n    text-transform: uppercase;\n    letter-spacing: 0.04em;\n    margin-bottom: 0.12in;\n}\n
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Four-tile pillars

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Numbered cards with a red top rule, for parallel capabilities, themes, or commitments. Common on proposal executive summary pages.

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<div class=\"four-col-tiles\">\n    <div class=\"tile\">\n        <div class=\"tile-num\">Pillar 01</div>\n        <h3>Proven facilities and expertise</h3>\n        <p>Short 2–3 line description.</p>\n    </div>\n    <!-- 3 more tiles -->\n</div>\n
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.four-col-tiles {\n    display: grid;\n    grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);\n    gap: 0.15in;\n}\n.four-col-tiles .tile {\n    border-top: 4px solid var(--ccm-red);\n    padding: 0.18in 0.15in 0.15in;\n    background: #f7f6f5;\n}\n.four-col-tiles .tile-num {\n    font-size: 8pt;\n    font-weight: 800;\n    color: var(--ccm-red);\n    letter-spacing: 0.15em;\n    text-transform: uppercase;\n    margin-bottom: 0.08in;\n}\n.four-col-tiles .tile h3 {\n    font-size: 12pt;\n    font-weight: 800;\n    color: var(--ccm-black);\n    margin-bottom: 0.08in;\n}\n.four-col-tiles .tile p {\n    font-size: 9pt;\n    line-height: 1.38;\n    color: var(--ccm-gray);\n    margin: 0;\n}\n
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Partner / label grid

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4-column grid of labeled tiles with a red left accent bar. Use for sponsor lists, letters of support, or advisory board rosters.

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.partner-grid {\n    display: grid;\n    grid-template-columns: repeat(4, 1fr);\n    gap: 0.12in 0.18in;\n}\n.partner-grid .partner {\n    position: relative;\n    padding: 0.14in 0.15in 0.14in 0.22in;\n    background: #f7f6f5;\n    font-size: 9pt;\n    font-weight: 600;\n    line-height: 1.25;\n    color: var(--ccm-black);\n}\n.partner-grid .partner::before {\n    content: '';\n    position: absolute;\n    left: 0; top: 0; bottom: 0;\n    width: 0.06in;\n    background: var(--ccm-red);\n}\n
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Vertical rhythm

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Every block above was tightened based on real presentation feedback. Key principles:

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If a page feels too crowded, reduce content, don't expand spacing.

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Known issues

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  1. Base64 images, Don't read HTML with large base64 using Read tool (API error). Use sed/grep/Python.
    2. \n
  2. Snap confinement, Chromium can only write to ~/snap/chromium/common/
    3. \n
  3. Fonts, Google Fonts via CDN; for sensitive or offline documents, use bundled local fonts
    4. \n
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Brand assets

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Template

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Reference: ~/.claude/plugins/pdf-design/templates/democracy-day-proposal.html

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