pptx-to-pdf

The pptx-to-pdf library is a pure TypeScript solution for converting PPTX files to PDF format without the need for any native dependencies or external applications like LibreOffice. This lightweight converter takes in a PPTX buffer and outputs a PDF buffer, making it simple to integrate into various environments such as server-side applications or serverless functions.

Key Features

• Ease of use: Simply install the package using npm install pptx-to-pdf and start converting PPTX presentations with minimal setup.
• Flexible conversion options: Control the output with options like selecting specific slides, defining custom fonts, and adjusting output resolution.

Usage Example

Integrate the conversion functionality seamlessly:

import { convert } from 'pptx-to-pdf';
import fs from 'fs';

const pptx = fs.readFileSync('presentation.pptx');
const pdf = await convert(pptx);
fs.writeFileSync('output.pdf', pdf);

API Overview

The main function, convert, allows for various configurations:

convert(pptxBuffer: Buffer, options?): Promise<Buffer>

Advanced Examples

Convert only specific slides:

const pdf = await convert(pptx, {
  slides: [0, 2, 4], // Include first, third, and fifth slides
});

Handle custom fonts by specifying font directories and mappings:

const pdf = await convert(pptx, {
  fontDirs: ['/usr/share/fonts/truetype'],
  fontMap: {
    'Calibri': '/path/to/calibri.ttf',
    'Custom Font': fs.readFileSync('/path/to/custom.ttf'),
  },
});

Implementation Scenarios

This library can be utilized in various contexts:

• Setting up an Express endpoint for converting presentations on-the-fly:

app.post('/convert', async (req, res) => {
  const pdf = await convert(req.body);
  res.type('application/pdf').send(pdf);
});

• Utilizing AWS Lambda for serverless conversion:

export const handler = async (event) => {
  const pptx = Buffer.from(event.body, 'base64');
  const pdf = await convert(pptx);
  return {
    statusCode: 200,
    headers: { 'Content-Type': 'application/pdf' },
    body: pdf.toString('base64'),
    isBase64Encoded: true,
  };
};

Supported Features

The library effectively handles:

• Text formatting including fonts, sizes, colors, bold, italic, and underlined text
• Various shapes such as rectangles, ellipses, arrows, and grouped shapes
• Images in JPEG or PNG formats including cropped images
• Tables with customizable cell backgrounds and borders
• Slide backgrounds and inherited themes

Limitations

Currently, the library does not support:

• Charts and SmartArt
• Animations and transitions
• Multimedia elements such as audio or video
• Vector graphics and complex text transformations

How It Works

The internal process of the library involves parsing the PPTX file (a packaged ZIP archive) and rendering it directly into a PDF format. It utilizes libraries like jszip for extraction and pdfkit for rendering, avoiding the overhead of intermediate HTML or browser-based processing.

For enhanced fidelity, include actual fonts in the conversion process using custom font directories or mappings. The library includes default metric-compatible font fallbacks for basic compatibility.