Guide

How to Export Markdown to PDF in Typora

July 6, 2026 · 4 min read

Typora is one of the nicest Markdown editors around — a true WYSIWYG surface where the formatting renders as you type. It also exports straight to PDF, so you can go from writing to a shareable document without leaving the app. This guide covers the export steps, the theme and page-break gotchas that catch people out, and how to add margins and page numbers.

Export a PDF from Typora

1. Open your document in Typora.
2. Go to File → Export → PDF….
3. In the export dialog, set your page size, margins, and (optionally) header/footer.
4. Choose a destination and Save.

Typora renders the document with its current theme and writes a PDF with selectable text — not an image — so links stay clickable and the file stays small.

Gotcha #1: the PDF uses your current theme

Just like the editor, the export reflects the theme you have active. If you write in a dark theme, you'll export light text on a dark background — an ink-hog that looks wrong in most documents.

Before exporting, switch to a light theme under Themes in the menu bar (the built-in GitHub or Newsprint themes are excellent for documents). Export, then switch back if you prefer working in the dark.

Themes also control fonts, spacing, and code styling, so pick the one that matches the look you want before you export rather than fighting the PDF afterward.

Gotcha #2: controlling page breaks

Typora flows long documents across pages automatically, but you'll sometimes want a hard break — before each chapter, say, or to keep a table intact. Insert a raw HTML divider wherever a new page should start:

<div style="page-break-before: always;"></div>

Everything after that line begins on a fresh page in the exported PDF. You can also nudge Typora to avoid splitting an element by wrapping it, but a manual break before major sections is the reliable move.

Adding margins, headers and page numbers

Typora's export dialog exposes the settings most people need:

Open File → Export → PDF… → the gear/settings and set a footer with a page-number token to get numbered pages. For finer control (custom fonts, precise page-number formatting), Typora can also export through Pandoc if you have it installed — useful when you need LaTeX-quality typesetting.

When you're not at your Typora machine

Typora is a paid desktop app tied to the computer it's installed on. If you're on a borrowed laptop, a phone, or a machine without a license, you can still get a clean PDF from the same Markdown: paste it into a browser converter like ConvertMDapp, preview it live, and click Export PDF.

It runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded — gives you the same selectable-text output, and works on any device including mobile. It's a handy fallback when you just need to hand off one document and Typora isn't in front of you.

Quick workflow

1. Switch to a light document theme (GitHub or Newsprint).
2. Add <div style="page-break-before: always;"></div> before any section that should start a new page.
3. File → Export → PDF…, set A4/Letter, sensible margins, and a page-number footer if you want one.
4. Save — you get a crisp, selectable PDF.

If you're comparing editors and tools, see the complete guide to converting Markdown to PDF, and our roundup of the best Markdown-to-PDF converters. Keep notes elsewhere too? We cover Obsidian and Notion as well.

FAQ

Does Typora export PDF with selectable text? Yes. Typora exports genuine, selectable text (not a screenshot), so links stay clickable, the file stays small, and the content is searchable and ATS-friendly.

Why is my Typora PDF dark? The export uses your active theme. Switch to a light theme like GitHub or Newsprint before exporting, then switch back afterward.

How do I add a page break in Typora? Insert <div style="page-break-before: always;"></div> in the document. Everything after it starts on a new page in the exported PDF.

Can I add page numbers to a Typora PDF? Yes — open the PDF export settings and add a footer with a page-number token. For more control over numbering and fonts, export through Pandoc instead.