How to convert Markdown to PDF.

When to send a PDF

Markdown is compact, editable, and easy to keep in a folder. A PDF freezes the formatted page, so anyone can open it without a Markdown app or any setup.

Send a PDF for proposals, meeting summaries, handouts, or anything that should be reviewed exactly as written. Keep the Markdown as your working copy. The PDF is what you deliver; the Markdown is where the next edit happens.

Beauty exports HTML too, which is handy for pasting into a website. And if someone will keep editing, just send the Markdown.

Tidy up before you export

Give the document a clear title and a few meaningful headings. Make sure lists sit under the right heading, tables are no wider than they need to be, and images have finished loading.

Watch long code lines and big diagrams. What fits in a scrolling editor may not fit on a printed page. Shorten long lines, simplify diagrams, or split them into smaller pieces.

For tables, keep only the columns readers need to compare. The Markdown tables guide has tips for keeping them compact.

Export a PDF in Beauty

1. Open the note and give it a final read.
2. Open Save & export, choose PDF, then click Export PDF.
3. Save or share the file with your device's usual options. In a browser, pick "Save as PDF" as the destination when the print dialog opens.
4. Open the PDF and check it before you send it.

The save and share screens look a little different on Mac, iPhone, iPad, and in the browser. The final step is always the same: look at the actual PDF, not just the editor.

Try it with a sample file

This sample has a heading, bold text, a table, and a checkbox. Copy it into a note or download the .md file, then export it to see how the whole process works on your device.

# A small proposal

A little more room to think.

## The idea

Make the useful things **beautiful**.

## The plan

| Work | Owner | Status |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Outline | Ada | Ready |
| Review | Sam | Next |

## Next step

- [ ] Share the first draft.

What to check in the PDF

Scan for the things that ruin a read: a heading stuck alone at the bottom of a page, a table shrunk too small, a cropped image, or a code line running off the edge.

Double-check the title and any links the reader needs. If there are formulas or diagrams, look at those in the PDF too. The export is the only real proof of how the document looks.

Edited the Markdown after exporting? Export again. Name the file so its purpose is obvious, and only keep older versions if the reader actually needs them.

Keep the Markdown

On Mac, the Markdown file is already in your library folder. In the browser, export a Markdown copy alongside the PDF.

If the note has images, keep them with the Markdown or export the library with its assets. The PDF is great for reading, but it should never be the only copy of something you plan to edit.