Markdown Snapshot (or mds at the prompt) is a single-purpose CLI: feed it a markdown file, get back beautifully typeset HTML that prints to PDF cleanly. That's the whole product.

It exists because every "markdown to PDF" workflow we tried either required configuring LaTeX (life is short), depended on a browser print dialog with default Times New Roman (charmless), or produced something that looked like a printed Reddit comment (insulting to the source material).

mds produces HTML calibrated for print: real page margins (letter or A4), proper widow/orphan handling, code that doesn't break across pages, links that don't underline in print mode. Five themes including a Fraunces serif treatment. Works offline. No telemetry. Zero external dependencies.

Workflow

mds essay.md                  # → essay.html
mds essay.md --theme editorial
mds README.md -o paper.html

Open the HTML in any browser, hit Cmd/Ctrl+P, Save as PDF. Done.

Themes

• paper (default) — Fraunces body, Inter headings, warm off-white
• notebook — Tight, all-Inter, denser pages
• editorial — Wide-margin longform with serif headings
• dark — Inverted for screen reading
• print — High-contrast, optimized for laser printers