Generate PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from structured data
Define your document structure with content blocks, styles, and fonts — get back a PDF, DOCX, EPUB, or PPTX file. No template engine or typesetting library needed.
No credit card required — start with free trial credits
One output feeds the next
Document Generation is part of a complete content pipeline. One key, one credit pool, and structured JSON responses designed to chain together.
Mix and match freely
Extract data from a document, generate visuals from the results, then compile everything into a finished report. Mix, match, and build your own pipeline.
Three steps to your first document
Define your document
Describe metadata, page size, fonts, and styles. Choose from 19 page size presets (A0-A6, B0-B6, Letter, Legal, Tabloid, Executive, Statement) or set custom dimensions.
- 19 page size presets plus custom dimensions
- Embed custom fonts (TTF, OTF, WOFF, WOFF2) with weight and style variants
- Two-layer style system: document defaults + per-block overrides
Add content blocks
Build your document from 12 block types: paragraphs with rich text, headlines (h1-h6), images, tables, 12-column grids, ordered and unordered lists, table of contents, separators, QR codes, and barcodes.
- Rich text with bold, italic, links, and markdown
- Tables with headers, column widths, and cell spans
- 12-column grid layout for multi-column designs
Choose your format
Get back a base64-encoded document in PDF, DOCX, EPUB, or PPTX. Headers, footers, and page numbers are supported. For PPTX, each page break creates a new slide.
- PDF with headers, footers, and page numbers
- DOCX with full formatting and embedded images
- EPUB with navigation, fonts, and images
- PPTX with slides split by page breaks
Templates As Code
12 content block types — paragraphs, tables, grids, lists, QR codes, barcodes — defined as JSON. No template engine, no typesetting language, no browser.
One API, Four Formats
Generate PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from the same document definition. EPUB and PPTX are rare capabilities most document APIs don't offer. Switch the format field — the content and styles carry over.
Two-Layer Styles
Set document-wide defaults for fonts, colors, and spacing, then override per block. Custom TTF, OTF, WOFF, and WOFF2 fonts with weight and style variants, 19 page size presets.
Real-world pipelines, ready to ship
Each recipe chains multiple APIs into a complete workflow. Pick one, tweak it, and deploy — or use it as a starting point for your own pipeline.
Generate a Compliance Audit Document
Generate a formatted PDF compliance audit document with findings, risk ratings, remediation recommendations, and sign-off sections.
Generate DOCX Contract
Generate an editable DOCX service agreement with parties, terms, and payment schedule.
Generate Employee Offer Letter
Generate a professional offer letter PDF with role, compensation, start date, and company details.
Generate EPUB Book
Generate a complete EPUB e-book with chapters, table of contents, and rich text formatting.
Generate NDA
Generate a non-disclosure agreement PDF with party names, effective date, and standard confidentiality terms.
Generate Packing Slip
Generate a packing slip PDF with order details, item list, and shipping address.
Generate PDF Certificate
Generate a professional achievement certificate with recipient name, course details, date, and a QR code for formal download or print.
Generate PDF Invoice
Generate a professional PDF invoice with company branding, line items, and totals.
Generate PDF Manuscript
Generate a print-ready PDF manuscript with title page, table of contents, and chapters at 6x9 inch trim size.
Generate PDF Report
Generate a professional PDF report with title, executive summary, data table, and footer.
Generate Product Datasheet
Generate a professional product specification sheet with images, feature tables, technical specs, and contact information.
Generate Quarterly Report
Create a structured quarterly business report with table of contents, data tables, and page numbers.
Generate Restaurant Menu
Generate a branded restaurant menu PDF with sections, items, prices, and descriptions.
Generate Shipping Label
Generate a compact PDF shipping label with sender and recipient addresses, barcode, and tracking number.
Generate Slide Deck
Build a PowerPoint slide deck with title slide, content slides, and call-to-action page.
Generate a White-Label PDF Report
Generate a branded PDF report with custom client logo placeholder, colors, and content sections for white-label agency delivery.
Convert Markdown to Styled PDF
Generate a professionally styled PDF document from Markdown content with custom fonts, headers, and page numbers.
One n8n node for your entire pipeline
Most n8n document workflows chain three or four separate services. The Iteration Layer community node covers extraction, transformation, and generation in a single install — wire up multi-step pipelines visually instead of writing glue code.
Start building right now
One API call, one credit deducted. Chains naturally with our other APIs — pipe the output of one into the next without glue code. You'll be up and running in minutes.
- Full OpenAPI 3.1 specification available for code generation and IDE integration.
- MCP server support for seamless integration with AI agents and tools.
- Comprehensive documentation with examples for every field type and edge case.
{
"format": "pdf",
"document": {
"metadata": { "title": "Series A Board Pack" },
"page": {
"size": { "preset": "A4" },
"margins": {
"top_in_pt": 48,
"right_in_pt": 48,
"bottom_in_pt": 54,
"left_in_pt": 48
}
},
"styles": {
"text": { "font_family": "Helvetica", "font_size_in_pt": 11, "color": "#334155", "line_height": 1.5 },
"headline": { "font_family": "Helvetica", "font_size_in_pt": 28, "color": "#0F172A", "font_weight": "bold" },
"table": {
"header": { "background_color": "#E2E8F0", "text_color": "#0F172A", "font_size_in_pt": 10, "font_weight": "bold" },
"body": { "background_color": "#FFFFFF", "text_color": "#334155", "font_size_in_pt": 10 }
}
},
"content": [
{ "type": "headline", "level": "h1", "text": "Series A Board Pack" },
{ "type": "paragraph", "markdown": "**Q4 revenue:** USD 4.8M | **Gross margin:** 78% | **Net retention:** 123%" },
{ "type": "separator" },
{ "type": "headline", "level": "h2", "text": "Operating Highlights" },
{ "type": "list", "variant": "unordered", "items": [
{ "text": "Opened Frankfurt region with 14 enterprise accounts" },
{ "text": "Reduced median document extraction latency to 1.9 seconds" },
{ "text": "Launched deterministic OG image generation for every public page" }
] },
{ "type": "headline", "level": "h2", "text": "Regional Revenue" },
{ "type": "table", "column_widths_in_percent": [34, 22, 18, 26], "header": { "cells": [
{ "text": "Region" },
{ "text": "Revenue" },
{ "text": "Growth" },
{ "text": "Gross Margin" }
] }, "rows": [
{ "cells": [{ "text": "North America" }, { "text": "USD 2.1M" }, { "text": "+31%" }, { "text": "81%" }] },
{ "cells": [{ "text": "Europe" }, { "text": "USD 1.7M" }, { "text": "+26%" }, { "text": "77%" }] },
{ "cells": [{ "text": "APAC" }, { "text": "USD 1.0M" }, { "text": "+18%" }, { "text": "73%" }] }
] },
{ "type": "paragraph", "markdown": "Next quarter focus: enterprise onboarding, deeper spreadsheet generation adoption, and gross margin expansion." }
]
}
}
First page preview of the generated PDF
curl -X POST \
https://api.iterationlayer.com/document-generation/v1/generate \
-H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
-H "Content-Type: application/json" \
-d '{
"format": "pdf",
"document": {
"metadata": {
"title": "Series A Board Pack"
},
"page": {
"size": { "preset": "A4" },
"margins": {
"top_in_pt": 48,
"right_in_pt": 48,
"bottom_in_pt": 54,
"left_in_pt": 48
}
},
"styles": {
"text": {
"font_family": "Helvetica",
"font_size_in_pt": 11,
"color": "#334155",
"line_height": 1.5
},
"headline": {
"font_family": "Helvetica",
"font_size_in_pt": 28,
"color": "#0F172A",
"font_weight": "bold"
},
"table": {
"header": {
"background_color": "#E2E8F0",
"text_color": "#0F172A",
"font_size_in_pt": 10,
"font_weight": "bold"
},
"body": {
"background_color": "#FFFFFF",
"text_color": "#334155",
"font_size_in_pt": 10
}
}
},
"content": [
{
"type": "headline",
"level": "h1",
"text": "Series A Board Pack"
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"markdown": "**Q4 revenue:** USD 4.8M | **Gross margin:** 78% | **Net retention:** 123%"
},
{
"type": "separator"
},
{
"type": "headline",
"level": "h2",
"text": "Operating Highlights"
},
{
"type": "list",
"variant": "unordered",
"items": [
{ "text": "Opened Frankfurt region with 14 enterprise accounts" },
{ "text": "Reduced median document extraction latency to 1.9 seconds" },
{ "text": "Launched deterministic OG image generation for every public page" }
]
},
{
"type": "headline",
"level": "h2",
"text": "Regional Revenue"
},
{
"type": "table",
"column_widths_in_percent": [34, 22, 18, 26],
"header": {
"cells": [
{ "text": "Region" },
{ "text": "Revenue" },
{ "text": "Growth" },
{ "text": "Gross Margin" }
]
},
"rows": [
{ "cells": [{ "text": "North America" }, { "text": "USD 2.1M" }, { "text": "+31%" }, { "text": "81%" }] },
{ "cells": [{ "text": "Europe" }, { "text": "USD 1.7M" }, { "text": "+26%" }, { "text": "77%" }] },
{ "cells": [{ "text": "APAC" }, { "text": "USD 1.0M" }, { "text": "+18%" }, { "text": "73%" }] }
]
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"markdown": "Next quarter focus: enterprise onboarding, deeper spreadsheet generation adoption, and margin expansion."
}
]
}
}'{
"success": true,
"data": {
"buffer": "JVBERi0xLjcKMSAwIG9iago8...",
"mime_type": "application/pdf"
}
}import { IterationLayer } from "iterationlayer";
const client = new IterationLayer({
apiKey: "YOUR_API_KEY",
});
const result = await client.generateDocument({
format: "pdf",
document: {
metadata: { title: "Series A Board Pack" },
page: {
size: { preset: "A4" },
margins: {
top_in_pt: 48,
right_in_pt: 48,
bottom_in_pt: 54,
left_in_pt: 48,
},
},
styles: {
text: {
font_family: "Helvetica",
font_size_in_pt: 11,
color: "#334155",
line_height: 1.5,
},
headline: {
font_family: "Helvetica",
font_size_in_pt: 28,
color: "#0F172A",
font_weight: "bold",
},
table: {
header: {
background_color: "#E2E8F0",
text_color: "#0F172A",
font_size_in_pt: 10,
font_weight: "bold",
},
body: {
background_color: "#FFFFFF",
text_color: "#334155",
font_size_in_pt: 10,
},
},
},
content: [
{
type: "headline",
level: "h1",
text: "Series A Board Pack",
},
{
type: "paragraph",
markdown: "**Q4 revenue:** USD 4.8M | **Gross margin:** 78% | **Net retention:** 123%",
},
{
type: "separator",
},
{
type: "headline",
level: "h2",
text: "Operating Highlights",
},
{
type: "list",
variant: "unordered",
items: [
{ text: "Opened Frankfurt region with 14 enterprise accounts" },
{ text: "Reduced median document extraction latency to 1.9 seconds" },
{ text: "Launched deterministic OG image generation for every public page" },
],
},
{
type: "headline",
level: "h2",
text: "Regional Revenue",
},
{
type: "table",
column_widths_in_percent: [34, 22, 18, 26],
header: {
cells: [
{ text: "Region" },
{ text: "Revenue" },
{ text: "Growth" },
{ text: "Gross Margin" },
],
},
rows: [
{ cells: [{ text: "North America" }, { text: "USD 2.1M" }, { text: "+31%" }, { text: "81%" }] },
{ cells: [{ text: "Europe" }, { text: "USD 1.7M" }, { text: "+26%" }, { text: "77%" }] },
{ cells: [{ text: "APAC" }, { text: "USD 1.0M" }, { text: "+18%" }, { text: "73%" }] },
],
},
{
type: "paragraph",
markdown: "Next quarter focus: enterprise onboarding, deeper spreadsheet generation adoption, and margin expansion.",
},
],
},
});{
"success": true,
"data": {
"buffer": "JVBERi0xLjcKMSAwIG9iago8...",
"mime_type": "application/pdf"
}
}from iterationlayer import IterationLayer
client = IterationLayer(
api_key="YOUR_API_KEY"
)
result = client.generate_document(
format="pdf",
document={
"metadata": {
"title": "Series A Board Pack",
},
"page": {
"size": {"preset": "A4"},
"margins": {
"top_in_pt": 48,
"right_in_pt": 48,
"bottom_in_pt": 54,
"left_in_pt": 48,
},
},
"styles": {
"text": {
"font_family": "Helvetica",
"font_size_in_pt": 11,
"color": "#334155",
"line_height": 1.5,
},
"headline": {
"font_family": "Helvetica",
"font_size_in_pt": 28,
"color": "#0F172A",
"font_weight": "bold",
},
"table": {
"header": {
"background_color": "#E2E8F0",
"text_color": "#0F172A",
"font_size_in_pt": 10,
"font_weight": "bold",
},
"body": {
"background_color": "#FFFFFF",
"text_color": "#334155",
"font_size_in_pt": 10,
},
},
},
"content": [
{
"type": "headline",
"level": "h1",
"text": "Series A Board Pack",
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"markdown": "**Q4 revenue:** USD 4.8M | **Gross margin:** 78% | **Net retention:** 123%",
},
{
"type": "separator",
},
{
"type": "headline",
"level": "h2",
"text": "Operating Highlights",
},
{
"type": "list",
"variant": "unordered",
"items": [
{"text": "Opened Frankfurt region with 14 enterprise accounts"},
{"text": "Reduced median document extraction latency to 1.9 seconds"},
{"text": "Launched deterministic OG image generation for every public page"},
],
},
{
"type": "headline",
"level": "h2",
"text": "Regional Revenue",
},
{
"type": "table",
"column_widths_in_percent": [34, 22, 18, 26],
"header": {
"cells": [
{"text": "Region"},
{"text": "Revenue"},
{"text": "Growth"},
{"text": "Gross Margin"},
]
},
"rows": [
{"cells": [{"text": "North America"}, {"text": "USD 2.1M"}, {"text": "+31%"}, {"text": "81%"}]},
{"cells": [{"text": "Europe"}, {"text": "USD 1.7M"}, {"text": "+26%"}, {"text": "77%"}]},
{"cells": [{"text": "APAC"}, {"text": "USD 1.0M"}, {"text": "+18%"}, {"text": "73%"}]},
],
},
{
"type": "paragraph",
"markdown": "Next quarter focus: enterprise onboarding, deeper spreadsheet generation adoption, and margin expansion.",
},
],
},
){
"success": true,
"data": {
"buffer": "JVBERi0xLjcKMSAwIG9iago8...",
"mime_type": "application/pdf"
}
}import il "github.com/iterationlayer/sdk-go"
client := il.NewClient("YOUR_API_KEY")
result, err := client.GenerateDocument(
il.GenerateDocumentRequest{
Format: "pdf",
Document: il.DocumentDefinition{
Metadata: il.DocumentMetadata{
Title: "Series A Board Pack",
},
Page: il.DocumentPage{
Size: il.DocPageSize{
Preset: "A4",
},
Margins: il.DocMargins{
TopInPt: 48,
RightInPt: 48,
BottomInPt: 54,
LeftInPt: 48,
},
},
Styles: il.DocumentStyles{
Text: il.TextStyle{
FontFamily: "Helvetica",
FontSizeInPt: 11,
Color: "#334155",
LineHeight: 1.5,
},
Headline: il.HeadlineStyle{
FontFamily: "Helvetica",
FontSizeInPt: 28,
Color: "#0F172A",
},
},
Content: []il.ContentBlock{
il.NewHeadlineBlock("h1", "Series A Board Pack"),
il.ParagraphBlock{
Type: "paragraph",
Markdown: "**Q4 revenue:** USD 4.8M | **Gross margin:** 78% | **Net retention:** 123%",
},
il.NewSeparatorBlock(),
il.NewHeadlineBlock("h2", "Operating Highlights"),
il.ListBlock{Type: "list", Variant: "unordered", Items: []il.ListItem{
{Text: "Opened Frankfurt region with 14 enterprise accounts"},
{Text: "Reduced median document extraction latency to 1.9 seconds"},
{Text: "Launched deterministic OG image generation for every public page"},
}},
il.NewHeadlineBlock("h2", "Regional Revenue"),
il.NewTableBlock([]il.TableRow{
{Cells: []il.TableCell{{Text: "North America"}, {Text: "USD 2.1M"}, {Text: "+31%"}, {Text: "81%"}}},
{Cells: []il.TableCell{{Text: "Europe"}, {Text: "USD 1.7M"}, {Text: "+26%"}, {Text: "77%"}}},
{Cells: []il.TableCell{{Text: "APAC"}, {Text: "USD 1.0M"}, {Text: "+18%"}, {Text: "73%"}}},
}),
il.ParagraphBlock{Type: "paragraph", Markdown: "Next quarter focus: enterprise onboarding, deeper spreadsheet generation adoption, and margin expansion."},
},
},
},
){
"success": true,
"data": {
"buffer": "JVBERi0xLjcKMSAwIG9iago8...",
"mime_type": "application/pdf"
}
}Official SDKs for every major language
Install the SDK, set your API key, and start chaining requests. Full type safety, automatic retries, and idiomatic error handling included.
Your data stays in the EU
Your data is processed on EU servers and never stored beyond temporary logs. Zero retention, GDPR-compliant by design, with a Data Processing Agreement available for every customer. Learn more about our security practices .
No data storage, no model training
We don't store your files or processing results, and your data is never used to train or improve AI models. Logs are automatically deleted after 90 days.
EU-hosted infrastructure
All processing runs on servers located in the European Union. Your data never leaves the EU.
GDPR-compliant by design
Full compliance with EU data protection regulations. Data Processing Agreement available for all customers.
Pricing
Start with free trial credits. No credit card required.
Developer
For individuals & small projects
Startup
Save 40%For growing teams
Business
Save 47%For high-volume workloads
Or pay as you go from $0.022/credit with automatic volume discounts.
Still evaluating?
Compare Iteration Layer against the biggest alternatives at a glance, then open the full head-to-head pages when you want the details.
| Feature | Iteration Layer | Carbone | DocRaptor | Puppeteer |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Output formats |
4 formats
PDF, DOCX, EPUB, and PPTX from the same content definition
|
PDF
Primarily PDF output via LibreOffice rendering from DOCX/ODT templates
|
PDF, XLS
PDF and XLS output via Prince XML rendering engine
|
PDF only
Generates PDF output only
|
| Template model |
JSON blocks
Content defined as JSON block arrays — versionable and diffable
|
Binary files
Templates are DOCX or ODT binary files that cannot be diffed or reviewed in version control
|
HTML/CSS
Uses HTML and CSS Paged Media specification, which is separate from standard browser CSS
|
HTML/JS
HTML and CSS rendered through a full Chromium browser engine
|
| Custom fonts |
Yes
Upload and use custom fonts in any document
|
Limited
Fonts must be installed in the LibreOffice environment before they can be used
|
Yes
Fonts referenced via CSS @font-face declarations pointing to hosted font files
|
System fonts
Uses fonts installed on the system or loaded via CSS @font-face
|
| Infrastructure required |
None
Fully managed API with no deployment or infrastructure to manage
|
Self-hosted
Requires self-hosting or using Carbone Cloud
|
None
Fully managed SaaS platform with no infrastructure to manage
|
Chromium
Requires Node.js and a Chromium instance consuming 200-300 MB per concurrent render
|
Frequently asked questions
What output formats are supported?
How does the style system work?
Can I use custom fonts?
What content blocks are available?
How do PPTX slides work?
Can I add headers and footers?
Built for how you work
Whether you're building pipelines in code, automating workflows, orchestrating AI agents, or shipping client projects — Iteration Layer fits your process.
Developers
One vendor, one credit pool — stop maintaining five libraries for document and image processing.
Operations Teams
Automate the manual document and image tasks that eat hours every week — no custom code required.
AI Agents
Give your AI agents a complete content processing toolkit via a single MCP server.
Agencies
One account, one credit pool — deploy the same processing pipeline across every client project.