How to generate academic conference handouts from markdown
- Step 1Paste your talk outline — Paste the Markdown outline of your talk, or drop a single
.mdfile. The tool styles one document at a time. - Step 2Trim to handout length — A handout is a summary, not the full paper — keep the argument, one or two key tables/figures, and the references. Edit the Markdown down before rendering.
- Step 3Remove any YAML header — If the file opens with a
---block, strip it — the academic renderer does not remove frontmatter and will render it as a stray rule and a broken heading. - Step 4Render to the academic theme — Run the tool. marked converts your outline to HTML, the serif stylesheet is applied, and the handout loads in a preview frame.
- Step 5Save as PDF — Click 'Print to PDF' and pick 'Save as PDF' in the browser dialog. Choose your paper size (A4/Letter) there to match the venue.
- Step 6Print or share at the session — Print copies for the room or share the PDF via the conference app. The same source can be re-rendered if you revise the talk.
How a talk outline maps to a handout
Fixed academic-theme styling; nothing here is configurable in the tool.
| Handout element | Markdown | Rendered as |
|---|---|---|
| Talk title | # Title of Talk | 2em serif heading, underlined |
| Section | ## Key Argument | 1.5em serif heading, underlined |
| Findings table | GFM pipe table | Bordered table, gray header row |
| Pull quote | > … | Indented block, left gray border, color #555 |
| References | ordered/unordered list | List with proper indentation |
| Snippet/data block | fenced block | Gray #f6f8fa monospace box, no colour |
Handout content: what renders and what doesn't
Per the marked v14 default parser this tool uses.
| Feature | Status | Result on the handout |
|---|---|---|
| Headings, lists, bold/italic | Supported | Standard rendering |
| Comparison/findings tables | Supported | Real bordered table |
| References as a list | Supported | Indented list |
Inline math $\rho$ | Not rendered | Prints literally |
Footnote citations [^1] | Not rendered | Prints as raw marker |
| BibTeX keys | Not processed | Pass through unchanged |
| YAML header | Not stripped | Renders as rule + garbled heading |
Handout size limits by plan
Character count is capped separately from file size.
| Plan | File size | Character limit | Files per run |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | 1 MB | 500,000 chars | 1 |
| Pro | 10 MB | 5,000,000 chars | 10 |
| Pro-media | 50 MB | 20,000,000 chars | 50 |
| Developer | 500 MB | Unlimited | Unlimited |
Cookbook
Conference-handout scenarios with exact rendering behaviour. References and data are illustrative.
A references list renders with proper indentation
An ordered or unordered list of references comes through as a clean indented list — the part attendees use most.
Markdown source: ## References 1. Rivera, J. (2024). Diffusion priors. *J. ML*, 12(3). 2. Patel, A. (2023). On sampling. *Proc. NeurIPS*. PDF handout: References (serif 1.5em, underlined) 1. Rivera, J. (2024). Diffusion priors. J. ML, 12(3). 2. Patel, A. (2023). On sampling. Proc. NeurIPS.
A one-line findings table for the room
A compact GFM table summarising your headline numbers renders as a bordered table — easy for the audience to scan during the talk.
Markdown source: ## Headline Result | Method | Acc. | Speedup | |----------|-------|---------| | Baseline | 81.2% | 1.0x | | Ours | 87.6% | 2.3x | PDF handout: [ bordered table, gray header, serif body ]
Greek symbols and math print literally
Conference handouts often reference a coefficient or symbol; dollar-delimited math is not typeset, so write symbols carefully.
Markdown source: We report Spearman's $\rho = 0.74$. PDF handout (literal): We report Spearman's $\rho = 0.74$. Fix: write 'Spearman's rho = 0.74', or include the symbol as part of an image/figure.
Footnote citations show as markers
If your outline uses footnote citations, they will not render as superscripts — convert them to inline references for the handout.
Markdown source: This extends recent work[^1]. [^1]: Rivera (2024). PDF handout (literal): This extends recent work[^1]. [^1]: Rivera (2024). Fix: write 'This extends recent work (Rivera, 2024).' or run md-footnote-linker first.
Drop the YAML header before exporting
Slide/paper sources often carry a metadata block; strip it so the handout doesn't open with a broken heading.
Markdown source: --- venue: NeurIPS 2026 session: Poster 14 --- # Title of Talk PDF handout (broken): [ horizontal rule ] venue: NeurIPS 2026 session: Poster 14 <- garbled H2 Title of Talk Fix: remove the --- block (keep metadata separately with md-frontmatter-builder).
Edge cases and what actually happens
Math symbols are not typeset
Not rendered$\rho$, $\alpha$, and $$…$$ print as literal text — there is no math engine. Write symbols as plain text on the handout or include them in a figure. md-math-normalizer only standardises delimiters for a downstream renderer.
Footnote citations stay as raw markers
Not rendered[^1] markers and definitions print verbatim. Convert to inline citations for the handout, or run md-footnote-linker first.
YAML metadata renders into the handout
By design (not stripped)A leading --- block becomes a horizontal rule plus a garbled heading. Remove it before exporting, or manage it with md-frontmatter-builder.
Slide deck instead of a handout
Wrong toolThis produces a flowing serif document, not slides. For an actual slide deck from the same Markdown, use md-to-reveal, which outputs a reveal.js presentation.
Trying to attach the slides and outline together
RejectedThe tool takes one file per run. Combine outline sections with md-merger first if you need them in a single handout PDF.
Outline exceeds the character limit
ErrorAn outline over the plan's character cap (500,000 on Free) is rejected with the count and limit named — usually from a pasted base64 figure. Use an external image URL or trim the outline.
Figure referenced by relative path is missing
Broken (expected)A relative image src can't resolve in the preview frame. Use an absolute https:// URL, or rewrite paths with md-image-path-rewriter.
Table shading and code boxes print white
Expected (browser-controlled)Browsers strip print backgrounds by default. Enable 'Background graphics' / 'Print backgrounds' so table headers and code boxes appear on the printed handout.
Wrong paper size for the venue
Expected (browser-controlled)A4 vs Letter is set in your browser's print dialog, not the tool. Pick the venue's standard before saving so copies print correctly.
Frequently asked questions
Can I make this the night before with no design tools?
Yes. Paste your Markdown outline, render, and save as PDF from the browser print dialog. There is no design software, no upload, and no install — it runs entirely in the browser.
Does it render equations and Greek symbols?
No. Dollar-delimited math like $\rho$ prints as literal text — there is no math engine. Write symbols as plain text or include them in a figure. md-math-normalizer only standardises delimiters for a separate renderer.
Will my references list look right?
Yes. Ordered and unordered lists render with proper indentation, so a references section comes through cleanly — the part attendees use most after the talk.
Can I produce slides from the same Markdown?
Not with this tool — it makes a flowing serif handout, not slides. Use md-to-reveal for a reveal.js slide deck from the same source.
Why is there a broken heading at the top?
That is your YAML metadata block. The academic path does not strip it, so --- becomes a horizontal rule and the metadata becomes a garbled heading. Remove it before exporting, or manage it with md-frontmatter-builder.
Do footnote citations format as superscripts?
No. [^1] markers and definitions print as raw text. Use inline author-date citations on the handout, or preprocess with md-footnote-linker.
What does the handout look like?
Georgia/Times serif body at 12pt with 1.7 line-height, underlined H1/H2 headings, bordered tables, and 25mm 20mm margins. The theme is fixed by the tool.
How do I choose A4 vs Letter?
Set paper size in your browser's print dialog before choosing 'Save as PDF'. The tool controls content margins and the serif theme; paper size and headers/footers are dialog settings.
My findings table prints without its gray header — why?
Browsers drop print backgrounds by default. Enable 'Background graphics' / 'Print backgrounds' so the header shading prints.
How long can the outline be?
Up to 1 MB and 500,000 characters per file on Free — far beyond a handout. Pro raises this to 10 MB / 5,000,000 characters. The character cap is separate from byte size.
Is my unpublished conference work uploaded anywhere?
No. Conversion runs in your browser and the PDF is produced by the browser's print dialog — nothing is sent to a server.
Can I get a less formal handout style?
Use md-to-pdf-modern for a sans-serif look from the same Markdown. Same content, different theme.
Privacy first
All Markdown processing runs locally in your browser using JavaScript. No file is ever uploaded to JAD Apps servers — only metadata counters are saved for signed-in dashboard stats.