From Markdown to a PDF worth sharing

1. Start with your Markdown

Paste your text into the editor or open a .md, .markdown, or .txt file. Start with a descriptive document title, then use sections to organize the rest. Your edits update the preview as you type; there is no separate save or refresh step for previewing changes. On a smaller screen, use the editor and preview tabs to move between writing and reviewing.

Keep a copy of the original Markdown. If you experiment with a template, check its content before exporting so sample text does not end up in your finished document.

2. Use headings and emphasis deliberately

Write one main title with a single # followed by a space. Use ## for major sections and ### for subsections. Wrap a word in two asterisks for bold or one for italic; three apply both. Keep matching markers on each side. Adding extra asterisks repeatedly makes the source harder to read and can change how the parser interprets it.

# Project brief

## The goal

Make the **important point** clear.
Use *emphasis* sparingly, or ***combine both***.

- First action
- Second action

Leave a blank line between paragraphs and around lists. A line break in the source is not always a new paragraph in the PDF. Consistent headings also make an automatically generated contents page more useful.

3. Keep tables and code easy to scan

Tables are useful for short comparisons. Include a separator row below the column names, and keep each cell concise. A wide table that looks comfortable on a monitor can become cramped on paper. Split a large comparison into smaller tables or move long explanations into the paragraph below.

| Task | Status |
| --- | --- |
| Draft | Complete |
| Review | In progress |

```javascript
const total = 3 * 4;
console.log(total);
```

Use fenced code blocks for multi-line examples and backticks for a short inline command. Shorten very long code lines before export; the printed page cannot expand horizontally like your editor.

4. Add images that belong in the document

An image uses an exclamation mark, descriptive text in square brackets, and its source in parentheses. Replace the example address below with your own image. The Images tool also lets you choose a local PNG, JPEG, GIF, or WebP and embeds it in the Markdown. Write useful alternative text rather than leaving an unexplained filename.

![Project timeline with three milestones](https://example.com/timeline.png)

Check that every image appears before downloading. A remote image may require permission or become unavailable; a local file path from your computer is not automatically available to the export server. Prefer appropriately sized images over very large originals.

Diagrams, math and page breaks

A fenced block with the language mermaid becomes a diagram. TeX between single dollar signs is inline math and between double dollar signs on their own lines is a centred formula. A line with only \newpage forces a new page. A front matter block at the very top sets the title, subtitle, author, date and keywords used by the cover page and the PDF properties.

---
title: Payment service spec
author: Sam
---

```mermaid
flowchart LR
  A[Order] --> B[Charge] --> C[Receipt]
```

The wait after attempt $n$ is $w_n = 2^n \cdot 250$ ms.

\newpage

Diagrams are drawn in your browser and sent with the PDF request, so nothing about the diagram is stored on the server.

5. Set the page layout before your final review

Choose A4, A5, or Letter, then select the Clean, Editorial, or Technical document style. These settings change the exported document. Comfortable, compact, and spacious margins provide quick starting points; custom margins let you adjust each edge in millimeters. Leave room for running headers and footers if you use them.

Turn on a contents page for a longer document; it uses the first three heading levels. Review page numbers and any branding text or logo. Switching the website between light and dark mode is a reading preference, not a request to print the document on a dark background.

6. Export, inspect, and download

Generate the PDF when the preview reads well. The live preview is useful while editing; the generated PDF is the final check for page breaks, image placement, and running content. Open it and inspect the first page, a page with a table, and the final page before sharing.

Normal document text remains selectable in the PDF. MDPress derives the download filename from your first main heading, falling back to another heading or the first non-empty line. For example, “Project brief” becomes “project-brief.pdf”. Choose a clear title so the file makes sense outside your downloads folder.

Common formatting problems to check

If formatting looks wrong, look for an unclosed code fence, unmatched emphasis markers, or a missing blank line. If content feels squeezed, shorten table cells or adjust the page format and margins. Raw HTML is treated as text, and leading YAML front matter is removed; use the document controls for supported print settings instead of expecting embedded HTML or front matter to configure the export.

Where your draft and export go

Draft text, settings, and saved presets use this browser’s local storage. They are not a cloud backup and may disappear when you clear browser data. Export sends your Markdown and document settings to the MDPress server to generate the PDF. Download a Markdown copy when you want a reusable source file, especially before changing devices.