tinypdf

Minimal PDF creation library. <400 LOC, zero dependencies, makes real PDFs.

npm install tinypdf

Run any example with Bun, for example: bun examples/executive-report.ts.

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Why tinypdf?

~70x smaller. We removed TTF fonts, PNG/SVG, HTML-to-PDF, forms, encryption, and compression. What's left is the 95% use case: put text and images on a page.

Build with it

Invoices, receipts, reports, shipping labels, tickets, certificates, contracts, data exports

Features

Not included

Unicode/custom fonts, PNG/GIF/SVG, vector graphics, forms, encryption, compression, HTML-to-PDF

Need those? Use jsPDF or pdf-lib.

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Quick start

import { pdf } from 'tinypdf'
import { writeFileSync } from 'fs'

const doc = pdf()

doc.page((ctx) => {
  ctx.rect(50, 700, 200, 40, '#2563eb')           // blue rectangle
  ctx.text('Hello PDF!', 60, 712, 24, { color: '#ffffff' })
  ctx.line(50, 680, 250, 680, '#000000', 1)       // black line
})

writeFileSync('output.pdf', doc.build())

Add images

import { readFileSync } from 'fs'

doc.page((ctx) => {
  const logo = new Uint8Array(readFileSync('logo.jpg'))
  ctx.image(logo, 50, 700, 100, 50)
})

Add links

import { pdf, measureText } from 'tinypdf'

doc.page((ctx) => {
  const text = 'Visit Example.com'
  const y = 700
  ctx.text(text, 50, y, 14, { color: '#0066cc' })
  ctx.link('https://example.com', 50, y - 4, measureText(text, 14), 18, { underline: '#0066cc' })
})

Measure text width

import { measureText } from 'tinypdf'

measureText('Hello', 12) // => 27.34 (points)

Markdown to PDF

import { markdown } from 'tinypdf'
import { writeFileSync } from 'fs'

const pdf = markdown(`
# Hello World

A minimal PDF from markdown.

## Features
- Headers (h1, h2, h3)
- Bullet lists
- Numbered lists
- Horizontal rules

---

Automatic word wrapping and pagination included.
`)

writeFileSync('output.pdf', pdf)

Stream large PDFs

Use buildStream() to emit a ReadableStream<Uint8Array> incrementally. Page content and image inputs are retained until the stream reaches them, but stream bodies are emitted directly and the final PDF is not assembled into one additional full-size buffer.

import { pdf } from 'tinypdf'

const doc = pdf()
for (let i = 0; i < 10_000; i++) {
  doc.page((ctx) => ctx.text(`Page ${i + 1}`, 50, 750, 12))
}

// Write to disk (Bun)
await Bun.write('huge.pdf', doc.buildStream())

// Or serve as an HTTP response
return new Response(doc.buildStream(), {
  headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/pdf' },
})

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API

pdf()                                      // create document
doc.page(callback)                         // add page (612×792 default)
doc.page(width, height, callback)          // add page with custom size
doc.build()                                // returns Uint8Array
doc.buildStream()                          // returns ReadableStream<Uint8Array>

ctx.text(str, x, y, size, options?)        // options: { color, align, width }
ctx.rect(x, y, w, h, fill)                 // filled rectangle
ctx.line(x1, y1, x2, y2, stroke, width?)   // line
ctx.image(jpegBytes, x, y, w, h)           // JPEG image
ctx.link(url, x, y, w, h, options?)        // options: { underline }

measureText(str, size)                     // text width in points
markdown(str, options?)                    // options: { width, height, margin }

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Full example

See the complete invoice generator for a production-style layout using only tinypdf's core text, rectangle, and line primitives.

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License

MIT