pdf

pdf — professional PDFs

Need	Path
Simple content PDF (title, headings, paragraphs, image)	Path 1 — make_document tool
Fill an existing form, merge/split/stamp/watermark	Path 2 — edit_document tool
Form-field CREATION, vector drawing, embedded fonts (bold/CJK), precise layout, encryption, page surgery	Path 3 — script @cantoo/pdf-lib via brigade exec-node
Pixel-perfect, brand-styled layout from HTML/CSS	Path 4 — HTML→PDF (optional binary)

Note: PDF is a final format with no reflow engine. If the recipient must edit, deliver the editable source (.docx/.xlsx) and the PDF.

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Path 1 — quick content PDF (make_document tool)

make_document(format="pdf", content={ title, pages:[{ heading, paragraphs, image:{path} }] })

Flow layout, US-Letter, single column, word-wrapped. Good for reports/summaries/letters. For forms, precise layout, or custom fonts → Path 3.

Path 2 — edit an existing PDF (edit_document tool)

• fill_form {fields} — fill existing AcroForm fields by name (text/checkbox/dropdown).
• merge {pdfs} / add_pages {pdfs} · split {pages} · remove_pages {pages}.
• stamp {text} · watermark {text} (45° translucent).

Form decision: first detect whether the PDF has real fillable fields. If it does → fill them (clean, type-validated). If it's a flat/scanned form (no fields) → you must draw text at coordinates instead (Path 3, annotations) — never assume fields exist.

Path 3 — full power: script @cantoo/pdf-lib

Brigade bundles @cantoo/pdf-lib (a maintained pdf-lib fork — note the scoped name) plus @pdf-lib/fontkit (custom-font embedding) and unpdf (text extraction). write a gen.cjs, run brigade exec-node gen.cjs:

// gen.cjs — illustrative
const fs = require("node:fs");
const { PDFDocument, StandardFonts, rgb } = require("@cantoo/pdf-lib");

(async () => {
  const pdf = await PDFDocument.create();

  // embed a custom font (real bold / CJK / Unicode) — requires fontkit
  // const fontkit = require("@pdf-lib/fontkit"); pdf.registerFontkit(fontkit);
  // const font = await pdf.embedFont(fs.readFileSync("Brand-Bold.ttf"));
  const font = await pdf.embedFont(StandardFonts.HelveticaBold);

  const page = pdf.addPage([612, 792]);                 // US Letter; origin is BOTTOM-LEFT, y-up
  page.drawText("Invoice", { x: 54, y: 720, size: 22, font, color: rgb(0.1, 0.1, 0.1) });
  page.drawRectangle({ x: 54, y: 700, width: 504, height: 1, color: rgb(0.8, 0.8, 0.8) }); // vector rule

  // CREATE fillable form fields
  const form = pdf.getForm();
  const name = form.createTextField("client.name");
  name.addToPage(page, { x: 120, y: 640, width: 300, height: 18 });
  const agree = form.createCheckBox("agree");
  agree.addToPage(page, { x: 54, y: 600, width: 14, height: 14 });
  // form.flatten();                                     // bake fields into static content if no further filling

  fs.writeFileSync(process.argv[2] || "out.pdf", await pdf.save());
  console.log("wrote");
})();