LaTeX to PDF - n8n Community Node

A powerful n8n community node that converts LaTeX documents to PDF files with support for multiple engines, custom packages, and advanced features.

Features

• ✅ Convert LaTeX text to PDF
• ✅ Convert LaTeX files to PDF
• ✅ Multiple LaTeX engines (pdflatex, xelatex, lualatex)
• ✅ Multiple compilation passes for complex documents
• ✅ Custom fonts and input directories support
• ✅ Comprehensive error handling with helpful suggestions
• ✅ Support for bibliographies, cross-references, and complex formatting
• ✅ Binary data handling for inputs and outputs

Prerequisites

⚠️ LaTeX must be installed on your system before using this node.

Installation by Platform

macOS:

# Option 1: MacTeX (recommended - full installation)
brew install --cask mactex-no-gui

# Option 2: BasicTeX (minimal installation)
brew install --cask basictex
sudo tlmgr update --self
sudo tlmgr install collection-fontsrecommended

Linux (Ubuntu/Debian):

sudo apt-get update
sudo apt-get install texlive-full

Linux (CentOS/RHEL):

sudo yum install texlive-scheme-full

Windows:

• Download and install MiKTeX (recommended)
• Or download TeX Live

Verify Installation

pdflatex --version
tlmgr --version  # Package manager

Installation

Option 1: Community Nodes (Recommended)

1. Open your n8n instance
2. Go to Settings → Community Nodes
3. Install package: n8n-nodes-pdf-latex
4. Restart n8n

Option 2: Manual Installation

cd ~/.n8n/nodes
npm install n8n-nodes-pdf-latex

Usage

Basic Usage

1. Add LaTeX to PDF node to your workflow
2. Configure input:
   • Input Type: "Text" for direct LaTeX or "Binary Property" for files
   • LaTeX Content: Your LaTeX document content
   • Output Property Name: Name for generated PDF (default: "data")
3. Execute workflow

Input Types

Text Input (Direct LaTeX)

Paste your LaTeX content directly into the node:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\usepackage{geometry}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\title{My Document}
\author{Your Name}
\date{\today}

\begin{document}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
Hello World! This is my LaTeX document with \textbf{bold text} and \textit{italic text}.

\subsection{Features}
\begin{itemize}
    \item Easy LaTeX to PDF conversion
    \item Multiple engine support
    \item Custom fonts and directories
\end{itemize}

\end{document}

Binary Input (LaTeX Files)

Use LaTeX files from previous nodes (File Trigger, HTTP Request, etc.)

Advanced Examples

Document with Images

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage{graphicx}

\begin{document}
\title{Document with Images}
\maketitle

\section{Logo}
\includegraphics[width=5cm]{logo.png}

\section{Chart}
\includegraphics[width=\textwidth]{chart.pdf}

\end{document}

Note: Set "Inputs Directory" to folder containing images

Bibliography Example

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[backend=biber]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\begin{document}
\title{Research Paper}
\maketitle

\section{Introduction}
According to recent studies \cite{smith2023}.

\printbibliography
\end{document}

Note: Set "Number of Passes" to 2 or 3 for bibliographies

Configuration Options

LaTeX Engines

| Engine | Best For | Features | |--------|----------|----------| | pdflatex | Standard documents | Fast, reliable, good package support | | xelatex | Unicode, custom fonts | Modern fonts, Unicode support | | lualatex | Advanced typography | Lua scripting, advanced features |

Compilation Passes

• 1 Pass: Simple documents without cross-references
• 2 Passes: Documents with table of contents, cross-references
• 3 Passes: Documents with bibliographies, complex references

Directory Options

• Inputs Directory: Path to folder containing:
  • Images (PNG, JPG, PDF)
  • Include files (.tex)
  • Custom class files (.cls)
  • Style files (.sty)
• Fonts Directory: Path to custom font files (TTF, OTF)

Output

The node provides:

• JSON Data: Success status, filename, file size, MIME type
• Binary Data: Generated PDF file ready for download or further processing

Example output:

{
  "success": true,
  "filename": "document-20240120-143022.pdf",
  "mimeType": "application/pdf",
  "fileSize": 156789
}

Common Use Cases

1. Report Generation

Generate PDF reports from data:

// Previous node processes data
const data = $input.all();
const latexContent = `
\\documentclass{article}
\\begin{document}
\\title{Sales Report}
\\maketitle
\\section{Summary}
Total Sales: $${data.totalSales}
\\end{document}
`;

2. Invoice Generation

Create professional invoices:

\documentclass[11pt]{article}
\usepackage{geometry}
\geometry{margin=1in}

\begin{document}
\begin{center}
{\LARGE Invoice \#12345}
\end{center}

\section*{Bill To:}
Customer Name\\
Address

\section*{Items:}
\begin{tabular}{|l|r|r|}
\hline
Description & Quantity & Price \\
\hline
Service A & 2 & \$50.00 \\
Service B & 1 & \$75.00 \\
\hline
\textbf{Total} & & \textbf{\$175.00} \\
\hline
\end{tabular}
\end{document}

3. Academic Papers

Research documents with citations:

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[backend=biber,style=apa]{biblatex}
\addbibresource{references.bib}

\begin{document}
\title{Research Title}
\author{Author Name}
\maketitle

\section{Literature Review}
Previous work by \textcite{author2023} shows...

\printbibliography
\end{document}

Troubleshooting

LaTeX Installation Issues

Error: spawn pdflatex ENOENT

• Install LaTeX on your system
• Ensure LaTeX is in your system PATH
• Restart n8n after installing LaTeX

Package not found errors:

# Install missing packages
sudo tlmgr install package-name

# Update package database
sudo tlmgr update --self --all

Compilation Errors

Undefined control sequence:

• Check LaTeX syntax
• Ensure required packages are loaded with \usepackage{}
• Verify command spelling

File not found:

• Use "Inputs Directory" parameter
• Ensure file paths are relative to inputs directory
• Check file permissions

TeX capacity exceeded:

• Usually indicates infinite loops in LaTeX code
• Check \newcommand definitions
• Simplify complex nested structures

Common Package Issues

Missing adjustwidth: Use \usepackage{changepage} instead of \usepackage{adjustwidth}

Font issues with xelatex/lualatex:

• Specify fonts directory
• Use system fonts: \setmainfont{Arial}
• Install additional font packages

Bibliography not showing:

• Set "Number of Passes" to 2-3
• Ensure .bib file is in inputs directory
• Use correct citation commands

Performance Tips

• Use pdflatex for fastest compilation
• Minimize the number of passes when possible
• Keep images optimized (reasonable file sizes)
• Use relative paths in LaTeX documents
• Cache compiled documents when possible

License

MIT License

Made with ❤️ for the n8n community