> ## Documentation Index > Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://mintlify.com/rowboatlabs/rowboat/llms.txt > Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further. # Creating PDF Presentations > Generate professional slide decks with Rowboat's automated presentation builder Rowboat creates professional PDF presentations by generating HTML slides with consistent themes, converting them to PDF using Playwright, and delivering the final deck to your Desktop. ## How It Works Rowboat searches your `knowledge/` folder for relevant information about: * Your company and product * Team members * Projects and partnerships * Metrics and results Before building slides, Rowboat maps out: * **Hook**: Opening statement or question that grabs attention * **Core argument**: The one thing the audience should remember * **Supporting evidence**: Data, examples, frameworks that back it up * **Call to action**: What the audience should do next Based on topic and audience, Rowboat picks: * A unified color theme (Dark Professional, Light Editorial, or Bold Vibrant) * Appropriate layouts from 35+ templates for each slide * Consistent typography and visual style Creates presentation.html with: * 8-15 slides (title + content + closing) * 1280x720px slides with proper PDF export settings * CSS-based visuals (no external images) * Consistent theme across all slides Checks for common issues: * Title text overflow * Content extending beyond slide boundaries * Broken visuals or missing fonts * Theme consistency Uses Playwright to: * Render HTML with full styling * Export each slide as a PDF page * Save final deck to \~/Desktop/presentation.pdf ## Example Usage ```text Investor pitch theme={null} Create a pitch deck for our Series A fundraise ``` ```text Product presentation theme={null} Build a presentation about our Q4 product roadmap ``` ```text With theme theme={null} Create a quarterly business review deck with a light editorial theme ``` ```text Company overview theme={null} Make a company overview presentation for new hires ``` ## Available Themes Rowboat automatically selects the best theme based on your topic and audience: Deep navy/charcoal backgrounds with indigo and violet accents. White text. **Best for:** Tech, SaaS, keynotes, engineering presentations White/warm cream backgrounds with amber and stone accents. Dark text with serif headings. **Best for:** Reports, proposals, thought leadership, research Mixed dark and light slides with emerald and rose accents. High contrast. **Best for:** Pitch decks, marketing, creative work, fundraising If you don't specify a theme, Rowboat picks the best fit automatically. It will note which theme was used so you can request a different one if needed. ## Slide Layout Library Rowboat has 35+ pre-built slide layouts grouped by purpose: ### Title & Structure * Title Slide (Dark Gradient) - Hero opening with atmospheric glow * Title Slide (Light Editorial) - Clean serif typography * Section Divider - Chapter break with oversized background number * Agenda / Table of Contents - Numbered items with descriptions * Full-Bleed Cinematic - Atmospheric background with grid texture ### Content Slides * Big Statement / Quote - Full-color background with bold quote * Big Stat Number - Single dramatic metric with context * Bullet List (Split Panel) - Dark sidebar + light content area * Numbered List - Ordered steps in numbered cards * Two Columns - Side-by-side content cards * Three Columns with Icons - Feature cards with icon accents ### Chart & Data Slides * Bar Chart (Vertical) - Gradient bars with labels * Horizontal Bar Chart - Ranked bars for long labels * Stacked Bar Chart - Segmented composition bars * Combo Chart (Bar + Line) - Volume bars + growth rate line * Donut Chart - CSS conic-gradient with legend * Line Chart - SVG polyline with area fill * KPI Dashboard - Color-coded metric cards * Data Table - Styled rows with status badges ### Diagrams * Horizontal Timeline - Connected milestone dots * Vertical Timeline - Left-rail progression * Process Flow - Step cards with arrows * Funnel Diagram - Tapered conversion stages * Pyramid Diagram - Tiered hierarchy levels * Cycle Diagram - Circular feedback loop * Venn Diagram - Overlapping circles * 2x2 Matrix - Four quadrants with axis labels ### Comparison & Closing * Comparison / Vs - Split A vs B layout * Pros & Cons - Checkmarks vs warnings * Pricing Table - Tiered cards with featured highlight * Team Grid - Avatar circles with roles * Thank You / CTA - Atmospheric closing with contact details ## Visual Consistency Rules Rowboat follows strict design principles to ensure professional results: ### One Theme Per Deck The most important rule: Pick ONE theme and apply it consistently to EVERY slide. Never mix color palettes mid-deck. * Define theme palette upfront (primary color, accent color, neutral base) * Use same accent color for all highlights, bullets, icons, chart fills * Typography colors stay consistent across all slides * Charts use shades/tints of theme colors only ### Background Strategy **For dark themes:** * Deep base (e.g. #0f172a) for 80%+ of slides * Medium base (e.g. #1e293b) for subtle variation * Accent pop (e.g. #6366f1) for 1-2 key stat slides * NEVER use white or light backgrounds in dark-themed decks **For light themes:** * Light base (e.g. #fafaf9) for most content slides * Warm tint (e.g. #fefce8) for visual rhythm * Accent pop for 1-2 key slides * NEVER use dark/navy backgrounds in light-themed decks Never alternate between dark and light backgrounds. This creates a jarring effect. Use subtle shade variations within the same tone family instead. ### Title Slide Rules * Title text must span full slide width * No decorative elements beside the title competing for space * Single-column, vertically-stacked layout * Title font-size max 64px (48px for long titles) * Decorative visuals go BEHIND text, never beside it ## PDF Export Technical Details Rowboat follows specific rules to ensure clean PDF rendering: ### No Layered Elements ❌ **Avoid:** ```html theme={null}
Text
``` ✅ **Use:** ```html theme={null}
Text
``` ### Slides Must Fit * Slides are 1280x720px with 60px padding * Safe content area: 1160x600px * Use `overflow: hidden` to prevent content from extending beyond boundaries ### No External Images ❌ **Avoid:** ```html theme={null} ``` ✅ **Use:** * CSS gradients and shapes * Inline SVG graphics * Emoji for icons ### No Footers or Headers ❌ **Avoid:** ```html theme={null}
Slide 5
``` Fixed-positioned elements overlap with content in PDF rendering. Include slide numbers or metadata in the normal content flow if needed. ## Validation Checks Before converting to PDF, Rowboat validates: Verifies title text fits within slide width at set font-size. Auto-reduces if needed: * Short titles (1-3 words): 72px max * Medium titles (4-6 words): 56px max * Long titles (7+ words): 44px max Confirms no elements extend beyond 1280x720 boundaries. Looks for: * Long titles * Bullet lists with 6+ items * Wide tables * Text wrapping beyond available height Ensures no `` tags reference external URLs. All visuals must be CSS, SVG, or emoji. Verifies Google Fonts `` includes all font families used in CSS. Confirms all slides use the same palette with no rogue colors. ## Workflow Example Here's what happens behind the scenes: ```bash theme={null} # 1. Rowboat searches knowledge base for context workspace-readFile("knowledge/Organizations/Our Company.md") workspace-readFile("knowledge/Projects/Series A.md") # 2. Plans narrative and selects theme # Hook: The market opportunity # Core: Our unique approach # Evidence: Traction metrics, customer stories # CTA: Investment ask # Theme: Bold Vibrant (pitch deck) # 3. Generates HTML with 12 slides workspace-writeFile("tmp/presentation.html", htmlContent) # 4. Validates (checks all pass) # 5. Creates conversion script workspace-writeFile("tmp/convert.js", playwrightScript) # 6. Converts to PDF node /workspace/tmp/convert.js # 7. Final output ~/Desktop/presentation.pdf ``` The entire process is invisible to you. Rowboat handles package installation, file creation, validation, and conversion automatically. ## Best Practices ### Provide context in your knowledge base The richer your `knowledge/` folder, the better your presentations: * Company overview with mission, product, market * Team member bios and roles * Project documentation with metrics and outcomes * Customer/partner information ### Be specific about purpose and audience Instead of: "Make a presentation"\ Try: "Create an investor pitch deck for Series A VCs" or "Build a quarterly business review for the board" This helps Rowboat: * Choose the right theme * Select appropriate layouts * Set the right tone and detail level ### Request theme changes If the auto-selected theme doesn't match your preference: ```text theme={null} Recreate this with a light editorial theme instead ``` ### Keep it focused Best presentations are 8-15 slides: * Title slide * Optional agenda * 6-10 content slides (every slide earns its place) * Closing/CTA No filler content or unnecessary padding. ## Dependencies Rowboat automatically handles installation: ```bash theme={null} npm install playwright npx playwright install chromium ``` You don't need to run these commands yourself. ## Output Location Final presentation is saved to: ``` ~/Desktop/presentation.pdf ``` Temporary files during generation: ``` ~/workspace/tmp/presentation.html ~/workspace/tmp/convert.js ``` ## Related Features * [Document Collaboration](/use-cases/document-collaboration) - Build presentation content in knowledge base first * [Meeting Prep](/use-cases/meeting-prep) - Get context on presentation attendees This documentation is built and hosted on [Mintlify](https://mintlify.com), a developer documentation platform.