--- title: "Markdown to PDF Converter" description: "Markdown to PDF is a browser print converter: paste Markdown, pick a paper size and theme, then use Print / Save as PDF. The document is printed locally and nothing is uploaded." url: https://markitdown.ai/markdown-to-pdf updated: 2026-09-26 source: markitdown.ai --- # Markdown to PDF Converter > Markdown to PDF is a browser print converter: paste Markdown, pick a paper size and theme, then use Print / Save as PDF. The document is printed locally and nothing is uploaded. ## How to convert Markdown to PDF - Paste Markdown into the editor. Pick a paper size (A4 or Letter), margin, orientation and theme — the preview updates locally. - Review the paginated preview. Check page breaks, tables that span a page, and multilingual text before printing. - Open Print / Save as PDF in your browser. Print locally — nothing uploaded — the PDF comes from your browser's print engine, not our server. ## Why use this Markdown to PDF converter A Markdown file has no page geometry of its own. This converter adds paper size, margins and page-break rules, then hands the result to your browser's print engine. - Prints locally, nothing uploaded — The PDF comes from your browser's print engine. The Markdown never leaves your device. - Paper size and margins — Choose A4 or Letter, portrait or landscape, and normal, narrow or wide margins before you print. - Themes for different documents — Github, document and compact themes change fonts, spacing and code-block color without changing the Markdown. - Page numbers — Add a page number in the corner or center of every printed page, styled to match the current theme. - CJK-aware font stack — The print stylesheet lists Chinese, Japanese and Korean system fonts ahead of the Latin fallback, for mixed-script reports. - Same HTML renderer as the API — The document is built from the same sanitized HTML as POST /v1/convert/markdown/html, then wrapped in print CSS your browser turns into a PDF. ## Why Markdown needs page rules before it can print - Markdown has no page geometry — A Markdown file describes headings and paragraphs, not page size, margins, or where a page should break. - Long tables and code blocks split badly — Without page-break rules, a table row or a fenced code block can be cut in half at the bottom of a printed page. - CJK and mixed scripts need the right fonts — Chinese, Japanese and Korean text can fall back to a missing glyph or a different line-break behavior across browsers and operating systems. ## What this Markdown to PDF converter keeps - Page size and margins — An @page rule sets the paper size (A4 or Letter), orientation and margin before your browser opens the print dialog. - Headings can start a new page — Level-1 headings can break to a new page by default, so each top-level section starts cleanly; the document's first heading does not. - Tables and code avoid mid-page breaks — Tables and fenced code are marked to avoid breaking inside, so a browser moves the whole block to the next page instead of splitting it. - Page numbers via CSS counters — An optional page number is generated with a CSS page counter, positioned left, center or right in the page footer. - Same sanitized HTML as the API — The printable document starts from the same sanitized CommonMark and GFM HTML used by POST /v1/convert/markdown/html. ## Use cases for Markdown to PDF conversion Anywhere a Markdown note needs to become a paginated file someone can open without a Markdown reader. - Reports and research notes — Turn a Markdown report into a paginated PDF to share with someone who does not have a Markdown reader. - Multilingual documents — Print notes that mix Latin script with Chinese, Japanese or Korean text using the CJK-aware font stack. - Quick handouts from a README — Produce a printable version of documentation or a README without installing a separate PDF tool. - Archiving a Markdown note — Save a dated, paginated snapshot of a note before it changes further, without uploading it anywhere. ## Browser printing This tool builds a printable document in your browser and hands it to your browser's own Print / Save as PDF dialog. Server-side PDF generation is planned but not shipped, so the API has no PDF endpoint today. If you need a PDF from an automated pipeline today, render sanitized HTML with POST /v1/convert/markdown/html and print that HTML with a tool you control, or use this page interactively for a one-off document. This section will be updated if a server endpoint ships; until then, treat the browser print path as the only supported route for Markdown to PDF on this product. ## Paper, margins, theme Paper size and margins decide how much room paragraphs, tables and code have on each page: a narrower margin fits more per page but can crowd a dense table, while a wider margin reads more comfortably at the cost of extra pages. The three themes change fonts, spacing and code-block background without touching the Markdown itself, so switching themes is a safe way to compare a compact internal note against a document meant for an external reader. Always check the paginated preview after a change, since a setting that looks fine in a short note can push a table across a page break in a longer report. - A4 suits most non-US audiences; Letter suits US-focused documents. - Narrow margins fit more content per page; wide margins read more comfortably. - Page numbers help a printed, stapled report stay in order. ## Multilingual and code Markdown that mixes Latin text with Chinese, Japanese or Korean characters depends on the fonts actually installed on the machine that prints it, so the same file can paginate slightly differently on two computers even though the Markdown source is identical. Check the preview on the device you will print from, especially for a long report where a missing glyph could push a heading to the wrong page. Code blocks and long, unbroken URLs behave similarly: they are marked to avoid breaking in the middle of a line, so a browser moves the whole block to the next page rather than splitting a command a reader might copy. ## Print CSS behind this Markdown to PDF converter Source: markitdown.ai print stylesheet: github theme, A4, page numbers on ```css @page { size: A4 portrait; margin: 25mm; } @page { @bottom-center { content: counter(page); font-size: 10pt; color: var(--md-muted); } } h1 { break-before: page; } article.md-document > h1:first-child { break-before: auto; } table, pre { break-inside: avoid; } ``` ## FAQ ### Does Markdown to PDF upload my text? No. Print locally — nothing uploaded to produce the PDF; it comes entirely from your browser's print engine. ### Is there a server-side Markdown to PDF API? Not yet. POST /v1/convert/markdown/pdf does not exist, so calling it returns 404. Render HTML with POST /v1/convert/markdown/html and print that, or use the browser tool on this page. ### Can I choose A4 or Letter? Yes. Paper size, orientation, margins and page numbers are all local options in the editor. ### Does it handle Chinese, Japanese or Korean text? The print stylesheet lists CJK system fonts ahead of the Latin fallback. Check the paginated preview before printing, since font availability differs by device. ### Do headings always start a new page? By default a level-1 heading breaks to a new page, except the first heading in the document; this can be turned off. ### Do I need an account to print Markdown as PDF? No. Pasting, previewing and printing all work without signing in. ### Will a server-generated PDF file be available later? Server-side PDF generation is planned. Today this page uses your browser's print dialog, and there is no server PDF endpoint. ## Sources - [CommonMark Spec](https://spec.commonmark.org/) - [CSS Paged Media Module](https://www.w3.org/TR/css-page-3/) ## Related - [Markdown to HTML Converter](https://markitdown.ai/markdown-to-html) - [Markdown to Text Converter](https://markitdown.ai/markdown-to-text) - [PDF to Markdown Converter](https://markitdown.ai/pdf-to-markdown)