Generates visually polished, print-ready PDFs from scratch, fills existing PDF form fields, or reformats existing documents using a token-based design system that applies consistent typography, color, and spacing based on document type.
Say it in your own words; the assistant finds this recipe by itself. Examples:
Use this skill when the user needs a PDF where visual quality, design identity, and professional appearance are critical, such as client-ready proposals, polished reports, or resumes. It is also the correct choice for filling out interactive PDF forms or restyling existing documents to match a specific brand or aesthetic. Choose this over generic PDF tools when the request emphasizes 'beautiful', 'professional', 'polished', or specific design elements like cover pages and color schemes.
Three tasks. One skill.
design/design.md before any CREATE or REFORMAT work.| User intent | Route | Scripts used |
|---|---|---|
| Generate a new PDF from scratch | CREATE | palette.py → cover.py → render_cover.js → render_body.py → merge.py |
| Fill / complete form fields in an existing PDF | FILL | fill_inspect.py → fill_write.py |
| Reformat / re-style an existing document | REFORMAT | reformat_parse.py → then full CREATE pipeline |
Rule: when in doubt between CREATE and REFORMAT, ask whether the user has an existing document to start from. If yes → REFORMAT. If no → CREATE.
Full pipeline — content → design tokens → cover → body → merged PDF.
bash scripts/make.sh run \
--title "Q3 Strategy Review" --type proposal \
--author "Strategy Team" --date "October 2025" \
--accent "#2D5F8A" \
--content content.json --out report.pdf
Doc types: report · proposal · resume · portfolio · academic · general · minimal · stripe · diagonal · frame · editorial · magazine · darkroom · terminal · poster
| Type | Cover pattern | Visual identity |
|---|---|---|
report |
fullbleed |
Dark bg, dot grid, Playfair Display |
proposal |
split |
Left panel + right geometric, Syne |
resume |
typographic |
Oversized first-word, DM Serif Display |
portfolio |
atmospheric |
Near-black, radial glow, Fraunces |
academic |
typographic |
Light bg, classical serif, EB Garamond |
general |
fullbleed |
Dark slate, Outfit |
minimal |
minimal |
White + single 8px accent bar, Cormorant Garamond |
stripe |
stripe |
3 bold horizontal color bands, Barlow Condensed |
diagonal |
diagonal |
SVG angled cut, dark/light halves, Montserrat |
frame |
frame |
Inset border, corner ornaments, Cormorant |
editorial |
editorial |
Ghost letter, all-caps title, Bebas Neue |
magazine |
magazine |
Warm cream bg, centered stack, hero image, Playfair Display |
darkroom |
darkroom |
Navy bg, centered stack, grayscale image, Playfair Display |
terminal |
terminal |
Near-black, grid lines, monospace, neon green |
poster |
poster |
White bg, thick sidebar, oversized title, Barlow Condensed |
Cover extras (inject into tokens via --abstract, --cover-image):
- --abstract "text" — abstract text block on the cover (magazine/darkroom)
- --cover-image "url" — hero image URL/path (magazine, darkroom, poster)
Color overrides — always choose these based on document content:
- --accent "#HEX" — override the accent color; accent_lt is auto-derived by lightening toward white
- --cover-bg "#HEX" — override the cover background color
Accent color selection guidance:
You have creative authority over the accent color. Pick it from the document's semantic context — title, industry, purpose, audience — not from generic "safe" choices. The accent appears on section rules, callout bars, table headers, and the cover: it carries the document's visual identity.
| Context | Suggested accent range |
|---|---|
| Legal / compliance / finance | Deep navy #1C3A5E, charcoal #2E3440, slate #3D4C5E |
| Healthcare / medical | Teal-green #2A6B5A, cool green #3A7D6A |
| Technology / engineering | Steel blue #2D5F8A, indigo #3D4F8A |
| Environmental / sustainability | Forest #2E5E3A, olive #4A5E2A |
| Creative / arts / culture | Burgundy #6B2A35, plum #5A2A6B, terracotta #8A3A2A |
| Academic / research | Deep teal #2A5A6B, library blue #2A4A6B |
| Corporate / neutral | Slate #3D4A5A, graphite #444C56 |
| Luxury / premium | Warm black #1A1208, deep bronze #4A3820 |
Rule: choose a color that a thoughtful designer would select for this specific document — not the type's default. Muted, desaturated tones work best; avoid vivid primaries. When in doubt, go darker and more neutral.
content.json block types:
| Block | Usage | Key fields |
|---|---|---|
h1 |
Section heading + accent rule | text |
h2 |
Subsection heading | text |
h3 |
Sub-subsection (bold) | text |
body |
Justified paragraph; supports <b> <i> markup |
text |
bullet |
Unordered list item (• prefix) | text |
numbered |
Ordered list item — counter auto-resets on non-numbered blocks | text |
callout |
Highlighted insight box with accent left bar | text |
table |
Data table — accent header, alternating row tints | headers, rows, col_widths?, caption? |
image |
Embedded image scaled to column width | path/src, caption? |
figure |
Image with auto-numbered "Figure N:" caption | path/src, caption? |
code |
Monospace code block with accent left border | text, language? |
math |
Display math — LaTeX syntax via matplotlib mathtext | text, label?, caption? |
chart |
Bar / line / pie chart rendered with matplotlib | chart_type, labels, datasets, title?, x_label?, y_label?, caption?, figure? |
flowchart |
Process diagram with nodes + edges via matplotlib | nodes, edges, caption?, figure? |
bibliography |
Numbered reference list with hanging indent | items [{id, text}], title? |
divider |
Accent-colored full-width rule | — |
caption |
Small muted label | text |
pagebreak |
Force a new page | — |
spacer |
Vertical whitespace | pt (default 12) |
chart / flowchart schemas:
{"type":"chart","chart_type":"bar","labels":["Q1","Q2","Q3","Q4"],
"datasets":[{"label":"Revenue","values":[120,145,132,178]}],"caption":"Q results"}
{"type":"flowchart",
"nodes":[{"id":"s","label":"Start","shape":"oval"},
{"id":"p","label":"Process","shape":"rect"},
{"id":"d","label":"Valid?","shape":"diamond"},
{"id":"e","label":"End","shape":"oval"}],
"edges":[{"from":"s","to":"p"},{"from":"p","to":"d"},
{"from":"d","to":"e","label":"Yes"},{"from":"d","to":"p","label":"No"}]}
{"type":"bibliography","items":[
{"id":"1","text":"Author (Year). Title. Publisher."}]}
Fill form fields in an existing PDF without altering layout or design.
# Step 1: inspect
python3 scripts/fill_inspect.py --input form.pdf
# Step 2: fill
python3 scripts/fill_write.py --input form.pdf --out filled.pdf \
--values '{"FirstName": "Jane", "Agree": "true", "Country": "US"}'
| Field type | Value format |
|---|---|
text |
Any string |
checkbox |
"true" or "false" |
dropdown |
Must match a choice value from inspect output |
radio |
Must match a radio value (often starts with /) |
Always run fill_inspect.py first to get exact field names.
Parse an existing document → content.json → CREATE pipeline.
bash scripts/make.sh reformat \
--input source.md --title "My Report" --type report --out output.pdf
Supported input formats: .md .txt .pdf .json
bash scripts/make.sh check # verify all deps
bash scripts/make.sh fix # auto-install missing deps
bash scripts/make.sh demo # build a sample PDF
| Tool | Used by | Install |
|---|---|---|
| Python 3.9+ | all .py scripts |
system |
reportlab |
render_body.py |
pip install reportlab |
pypdf |
fill, merge, reformat | pip install pypdf |
| Node.js 18+ | render_cover.js |
system |
playwright + Chromium |
render_cover.js |
npm install -g playwright && npx playwright install chromium |
LICENSEREADME.mdSKILL.mddesign/design.mdscripts/cover.pyscripts/fill_inspect.pyscripts/fill_write.pyscripts/make.shscripts/merge.pyscripts/palette.pyscripts/reformat_parse.pyscripts/render_body.pyscripts/render_cover.jsVendored from MiniMax-AI/skills, commit 60aaae52bb2a, path skills/minimax-pdf, licence MIT. The upstream licence file ships inside the skill.