Markdown PDF Checklist: Prevent Clipping and Layout Issues

Review the PDF, not only the preview

Browser print settings, fonts, paper size, and pagination can change the final result. Regardless of the converter, open the saved PDF itself before sending it.

Content and structure

Confirm the title, date, author, and version. Remove placeholders and TODOs, test important links, and verify that headings follow a logical # → ## → ### hierarchy.

Cover and TOC

Ensure the cover occupies one page, logos are not distorted, and the title is legible. Check that all required sections appear in the TOC and in the same order as the body. Export again whenever headings change.

Pagination

Scan every page for stranded headings, one-line spillovers, large unexplained gaps, blank pages, and an unnecessary final break. Return to the preview to move page breaks or remove extra blank lines. Automatic breaks before h1 or h2 can create too much whitespace in short sections.

Rich content

Check table edges and column labels, code wrapping and indentation, image resolution and aspect ratio, and Mermaid rendering. A wide table is often better split into two or printed in landscape than reduced to unreadable text.

Print dialog

Verify the PDF destination, paper size, orientation, scale, headers and footers, margins, and background graphics. Avoid applying large margins in both the tool and print dialog. Browser labels vary; Google Chrome is recommended when consistency matters.

Final file

Open the downloaded file and confirm page count, filename, characters, small print, and the absence of confidential or unwanted pages. A descriptive filename such as project-a_proposal_2026-07-19.pdf is easier to manage than final-v3.pdf.

If you only have 30 seconds, check cover metadata, TOC order, clipping and blank pages, the right edge of tables and images, and the final page count.

Use a repeatable review order

Review from large structural failures to small visual details. First confirm that the correct document and version were exported. Next inspect page count, cover, TOC, chapter order, and blank pages. Then inspect tables, code, images, links, typography, and finally filename and document properties. This order avoids polishing a PDF that must be regenerated because a section is missing.

Do not make several unrelated corrections between exports. Change one class of issue, save again, and compare the same pages. Use the history panel when page-break work needs to be rolled back.

Check each content type deliberately

For headings, confirm that none is isolated at a page bottom. For paragraphs, look for a one-line spill onto a new page. For tables, inspect the right edge, final row, units, and page split. For code, verify indentation, wrapping, and characters such as backslashes. For images, check resolution, aspect ratio, alignment, captions, and whether external assets loaded.

Mermaid diagrams require readable labels and connectors. Links require actual clicks in the saved PDF. Japanese and uncommon symbols should be checked on another device when possible. A green preview alone does not prove that all resources survived the browser print step.

Check privacy and distribution details

Search for comments, TODO markers, sample names, internal URLs, customer identifiers, and revision notes that should not leave the organization. Inspect cover metadata and the automatically suggested filename. A professional filename includes a descriptive title, date, and version; avoid names such as final-final2.pdf.

If accessibility matters, use meaningful headings, descriptive link labels, alt text for informative images, sufficient contrast, and a reading order that still makes sense without visual layout. Browser-generated PDFs may have limitations, so test with the viewer used by recipients.

Five-minute preflight

1. Open the saved PDF and confirm its title and version.
2. Compare TOC entries with body headings.
3. Scan thumbnails for blank or unusually sparse pages.
4. Inspect every wide table, image, code block, and diagram.
5. Click important links and verify page numbering.
6. Zoom to 100% and read the smallest text.
7. Check the final page and filename.

Frequently asked questions

Is print preview enough?

No. The PDF destination can change pagination, resource loading, links, and font embedding. Always reopen the exported file.

Which pages deserve the most attention?

Check the first page, every chapter boundary, pages with wide or tall content, and the final page. These locations expose most pagination failures.

Use the blank-page troubleshooting guide and page-break guide when the thumbnail scan reveals a problem.