markdown2pdf

Convert a Markdown file to a PDF

$ markdown2pdf [[-p|--path]] [path/to/input_file.md]

$ markdown2pdf [[-p|--path]] [path/to/input_file.md] [[-o|--output]] [path/to/output_file.pdf]

$ markdown2pdf [[-s|--string]] [markdown_text] [[-o|--output]] [path/to/output_file.pdf]

$ markdown2pdf [[-u|--url]] [URL] [[-o|--output]] [path/to/output_file.pdf]

markdown2pdf [OPTIONS] INPUT_FILE.md [OUTPUT_FILE.pdf]

-o FILE
    Specifies the output PDF file name. If omitted, the output file typically defaults to the input file's name with a `.pdf` extension.

--css FILE
    Applies a custom CSS stylesheet (for HTML intermediates if converted via HTML) or influences the styling of the generated PDF. Note: Direct CSS to PDF conversion is complex; this usually implies intermediate HTML.

--toc
    Includes a table of contents in the generated PDF.

--standalone
    Ensures the output PDF is a complete, self-contained document, often necessary for proper header/footer/TOC generation (corresponds to Pandoc's `-s`).

-V KEY=VALUE
    Passes variables to the underlying template, allowing customization of metadata like title, author, date, or specific LaTeX options.

--template FILE
    Specifies a custom template file to use for rendering the PDF, offering advanced control over the document's structure and appearance.

--highlight-style STYLE
    Sets the style for syntax highlighting of code blocks. Common styles include `pygments`, `kate`, `espresso`, `zenburn`, etc.

The `markdown2pdf` command provides a convenient way to transform plain-text Markdown documents into professional-looking PDF files. While not a standard utility found in all Linux distributions, it typically acts as a wrapper or alias around powerful document conversion tools like Pandoc, leveraging underlying technologies such as LaTeX for high-quality typesetting. Its primary purpose is to automate the often complex process of converting Markdown, which is excellent for writing content quickly, into a universally viewable and printable PDF format.

Users can leverage `markdown2pdf` to create reports, articles, books, or any document requiring a polished PDF output from their Markdown source. It simplifies the workflow by abstracting away the intricacies of command-line arguments required by its dependencies, making it accessible even for users not familiar with Pandoc or LaTeX directly. This utility is invaluable for developers, writers, and anyone who prefers Markdown for content creation but needs PDF for distribution or printing.

• `markdown2pdf` is often a custom script or alias, not a universally installed standard command. Its availability and exact options can vary widely.
• It typically relies on external dependencies like Pandoc and a LaTeX distribution (e.g., TeX Live, MiKTeX) for actual conversion and typesetting. These dependencies must be installed and correctly configured.
• Advanced PDF customization often requires familiarity with LaTeX syntax or Pandoc templates.
• The quality and features of the output PDF are highly dependent on the version and configuration of the underlying tools.

To use a `markdown2pdf` utility, you typically need to install Pandoc and a LaTeX distribution. On Debian/Ubuntu, you might use `sudo apt install pandoc texlive-full`. On macOS, Homebrew can install `pandoc` and MacTeX (a LaTeX distribution). Without these core components, `markdown2pdf` will likely fail to perform the conversion.

A typical workflow involves writing your content in a Markdown file (e.g., `document.md`), then running `markdown2pdf document.md -o output.pdf`. For more complex documents, you might specify a custom template or pass variables for metadata like author and title directly from the command line.

The concept of converting Markdown to PDF gained traction as Markdown became a popular lightweight markup language for documentation, writing, and blogging. Early solutions often involved multi-step processes, piping Markdown through tools like Pandoc and then into pdflatex. The `markdown2pdf` command, or similar custom scripts, emerged as a user-friendly abstraction to streamline this process, making it a single-command operation. This convenience contributed to its widespread adoption in various developer workflows and academic settings, simplifying the creation of presentable documents from easily editable Markdown sources. It reflects the community's desire for efficient, text-based document creation pipelines.

pandoc(1), markdown(7), pdflatex(1), tex(1)