pdf

PDF

Produce a finished document, not merely a file that opens. The quality loop is mandatory: generate, inspect structurally, render every page, inspect the rendered pages with vision, revise, and repeat.

Tools and paths

• Use vBot's write or edit Tool for source/spec files, bash for the bundled scripts, and read for every rendered PNG page.
• Resolve {baseDir} to this Skill's absolute directory when invoking bundled scripts.
• Keep intermediates under tmp/pdfs/<task-name>/ in the effective cwd.
• Keep final documents under output/pdf/ in the effective cwd unless the user requested another location.
• Preserve every source PDF. Write edits to a new descriptive filename.
• Never install packages or system binaries without the user's permission.

Dependency probe

Before creating a new PDF, run:

python -c "import reportlab; print('reportlab ready')"

Before rendering, run the bundled renderer with --help, then render normally. It accepts either the pdftoppm binary or the pypdfium2 Python package. If creation or rendering dependencies are missing, name the missing dependency and ask before installing anything. Do not silently switch to an unverified text-only result.

Creation workflow

1. Establish the document goal, audience, page size, language, visual tone, required content, and any brand assets. Infer ordinary choices from context instead of running a long intake interview.
2. For reports, briefs, memos, handouts, and other conventional documents, write a UTF-8 JSON specification and run python {baseDir}/scripts/create_pdf.py <spec.json> <output.pdf>. The supported block types are paragraph, heading, bullets, table, callout, image, spacer, and page_break.
3. For a genuinely custom layout that the JSON builder cannot express, write a task-local ReportLab builder under the task's intermediate directory. Keep the same inspection and rendering loop.
4. Use a restrained hierarchy: one dominant title, clear section headings, readable body text, consistent spacing, and one accent color. Prefer whitespace over decoration.
5. Use a discovered TrueType font when the content contains non-ASCII text. The bundled builder searches common Windows, Linux, and macOS font locations and accepts explicit --font-regular and --font-bold paths.
6. Make tables wrap text, repeat header rows, and split across pages. Never force a whole long section or table onto one page.
7. Keep citations, labels, legends, footers, and page numbers human-readable. Never leave placeholders, Tool tokens, debug text, or raw markup in the document.