openai-pdf

Use when tasks involve reading, creating, or reviewing PDF files where rendering and layout matter; prefer visual checks by rendering pages (Poppler) and use Python tools such as `reportlab`, `pdfplumber`, and `pypdf` for generation and extraction. Originally from OpenAI's curated skills catalog.

320 stars

Best use case

openai-pdf is best used when you need a repeatable AI agent workflow instead of a one-off prompt.

Use when tasks involve reading, creating, or reviewing PDF files where rendering and layout matter; prefer visual checks by rendering pages (Poppler) and use Python tools such as `reportlab`, `pdfplumber`, and `pypdf` for generation and extraction. Originally from OpenAI's curated skills catalog.

Teams using openai-pdf should expect a more consistent output, faster repeated execution, less prompt rewriting.

When to use this skill

  • You want a reusable workflow that can be run more than once with consistent structure.

When not to use this skill

  • You only need a quick one-off answer and do not need a reusable workflow.
  • You cannot install or maintain the underlying files, dependencies, or repository context.

Installation

Claude Code / Cursor / Codex

$curl -o ~/.claude/skills/openai-pdf/SKILL.md --create-dirs "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/trailofbits/skills-curated/main/plugins/openai-pdf/skills/openai-pdf/SKILL.md"

Manual Installation

  1. Download SKILL.md from GitHub
  2. Place it in .claude/skills/openai-pdf/SKILL.md inside your project
  3. Restart your AI agent — it will auto-discover the skill

How openai-pdf Compares

Feature / Agentopenai-pdfStandard Approach
Platform SupportNot specifiedLimited / Varies
Context Awareness High Baseline
Installation ComplexityUnknownN/A

Frequently Asked Questions

What does this skill do?

Use when tasks involve reading, creating, or reviewing PDF files where rendering and layout matter; prefer visual checks by rendering pages (Poppler) and use Python tools such as `reportlab`, `pdfplumber`, and `pypdf` for generation and extraction. Originally from OpenAI's curated skills catalog.

Where can I find the source code?

You can find the source code on GitHub using the link provided at the top of the page.

SKILL.md Source

# PDF Skill

## When to use
- Read or review PDF content where layout and visuals matter.
- Create PDFs programmatically with reliable formatting.
- Validate final rendering before delivery.

## Workflow
1. Prefer visual review: render PDF pages to PNGs and inspect them.
   - Use `pdftoppm` if available.
   - If unavailable, install Poppler or ask the user to review the output locally.
2. Use `reportlab` to generate PDFs when creating new documents.
3. Use `pdfplumber` (or `pypdf`) for text extraction and quick checks; do not rely on it for layout fidelity.
4. After each meaningful update, re-render pages and verify alignment, spacing, and legibility.

## Temp and output conventions
- Use `tmp/pdfs/` for intermediate files; delete when done.
- Write final artifacts under `output/pdf/` when working in this repo.
- Keep filenames stable and descriptive.

## Dependencies (install if missing)
Prefer `uv` for dependency management.

Python packages:
```
uv pip install reportlab pdfplumber pypdf
```
If `uv` is unavailable:
```
python3 -m pip install reportlab pdfplumber pypdf
```
System tools (for rendering):
```
# macOS (Homebrew)
brew install poppler

# Ubuntu/Debian
sudo apt-get install -y poppler-utils
```

If installation isn't possible in this environment, tell the user which dependency is missing and how to install it locally.

## Environment
No required environment variables.

## Rendering command
```
pdftoppm -png $INPUT_PDF $OUTPUT_PREFIX
```

## Quality expectations
- Maintain polished visual design: consistent typography, spacing, margins, and section hierarchy.
- Avoid rendering issues: clipped text, overlapping elements, broken tables, black squares, or unreadable glyphs.
- Charts, tables, and images must be sharp, aligned, and clearly labeled.
- Use ASCII hyphens only. Avoid U+2011 (non-breaking hyphen) and other Unicode dashes.
- Citations and references must be human-readable; never leave tool tokens or placeholder strings.

## Final checks
- Do not deliver until the latest PNG inspection shows zero visual or formatting defects.
- Confirm headers/footers, page numbering, and section transitions look polished.
- Keep intermediate files organized or remove them after final approval.
## When NOT to Use

<!-- TODO: review -->

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