The latest articles on DEV Community by trekpwild (@trekpwild). https://dev.to/trekpwild https://media2.dev.to/dynamic/image/width=90,height=90,fit=cover,gravity=auto,format=auto/https:%2F%2Fdev-to-uploads.s3.us-east-2.amazonaws.com%2Fuploads%2Fuser%2Fprofile_image%2F3964817%2F783005c0-58d0-4251-8639-526fd5057481.png https://dev.to/trekpwild en trekpwild Tue, 02 Jun 2026 14:14:47 +0000 https://dev.to/trekpwild/how-i-built-a-proposal-generator-in-a-single-html-file-hp3 https://dev.to/trekpwild/how-i-built-a-proposal-generator-in-a-single-html-file-hp3 <p>I got tired of writing client proposals in Google Docs that looked amateur. Every SaaS alternative charged $20-50/month for what's essentially a PDF template. So I built ProposalForge — one HTML file, 30KB, zero dependencies.</p> <h2> The Stack (It's Just HTML) </h2> <p>No React. No Vue. No build step. Just vanilla HTML, CSS, and JavaScript.</p> <ul> <li> <strong>CSS custom properties</strong> power a 3-template theming system</li> <li> <strong><a class="mentioned-user" href="https://dev.to/media">@media</a> print</strong> stylesheet handles PDF export — no library needed</li> <li> <strong>localStorage</strong> manages draft persistence</li> <li> <strong>Smart pricing calculator</strong> with auto-totals, discounts, and tax</li> </ul> <h2> Why Single-File? </h2> <p>Because nobody wants to install software or create an account to write a proposal. You download the file, double-click, and start working. It works 100% offline — useful when you're at a client site with no internet.</p> <h2> The Templates </h2> <p>Three themes (Modern, Minimal, Creative) that you can switch between instantly. The CSS custom property system means each template is just a different set of variable values.</p> <h2> What I Learned </h2> <ol> <li>You don't need a framework for a polished UI — CSS variables are incredibly powerful</li> <li> <a class="mentioned-user" href="https://dev.to/media">@media</a> print is underrated — perfect PDFs with zero JavaScript</li> <li>Single-file tools are a real business model — Gumroad makes distribution trivial</li> </ol> <p>I'm selling it for $12 one-time on Gumroad. No subscriptions, no accounts, no internet required after download.</p> <p>Would love feedback from other indie makers here — especially on pricing and feature ideas!</p> <p><a href="https://trekwild.gumroad.com/l/srjgkk" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://trekwild.gumroad.com/l/srjgkk</a></p> tutorial