Designing PDFs has always been a backend-heavy chore.
You tweak templates, redeploy code, wait for builds - only to realize your layout is off by 2px and you need to start over.
We wanted something faster, more visual, and developer-friendly.
That’s why we built PDF Designer - a browser-based tool that lets you design, edit, and render PDF templates in real time.
No backend setup. No deployment cycle. Just instant, visual iteration.
The Problem: Slow, Invisible PDF Workflows
Every developer who’s built a document generation feature knows the pain:
- 🧩 You change one thing in your template and need to re-render it on the server.
- 🕓 You wait for the backend to generate a new PDF just to see if the margin looks right.
- 💻 You can’t preview dynamic data until the full API is wired up.
- 😩 Frontend devs are left guessing how their markup will render.
It’s 2025. We can do better than that.
The Solution: Visual, Code-Friendly PDF Design
PDF Designer brings the entire workflow to the frontend.
You can build templates visually, connect data, and preview the output instantly - all inside your browser.
Key features
- ⚙️ Live preview: See your PDF output update as you type.
- 🧠 Smart templating: Use SquirrellyJS to bind dynamic data directly in the editor.
- 🪄 Rich editing: Powered by Ace Editor, with syntax highlighting and layout validation.
- 💾 Local-first: Uses RxDB for local storage, so you can work offline.
- 🧱 No backend required: Everything runs client-side for speed and privacy.
It’s perfect for teams that want fast feedback loops and fewer context switches between design and implementation.
Who It’s For
- 🧑💻 Design + dev teams collaborating on document layouts.
- 🧠 Developers who want to prototype PDF templates quickly.
- 🏢 SaaS builders adding branded reports or invoices.
- ⚙️ Apps that need client-side document editing or previews.
The Result
A seamless design-to-document workflow - faster iterations, pixel-perfect output, and zero backend headaches.
PDF Designer makes template creation feel modern again.
👉 Try PDF Designer here: PDF Designer
Tags: pdf frontend webdev javascript productivity
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