Markdown to Word Conversion

One command to professional Word documents with perfect diagram sizing

Convert any Markdown document—including complex Mermaid diagrams—into polished Word (.docx) files ready for stakeholders, executives, and external audiences.

Why This Skill?

Challenge	Solution
Mermaid diagrams don't render in Word	Auto-converted to PNG with optimal sizing
Tables lack professional styling	Blue headers, borders, alternating rows
Tables break awkwardly across pages	Smart pagination (cantSplit + keepWithNext)
Images overflow page boundaries	90% coverage constraint (H+V) preserves fit
Bullet lists merge into paragraphs	Markdown preprocessing fixes spacing
SVG banners not supported	Auto-converted to PNG

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Quick Start

One-Command Conversion

# From your project root
python .github/muscles/md-to-word.py docs/spec.md

# With custom output name
python .github/muscles/md-to-word.py README.md output.docx

# Keep intermediate files for debugging
python .github/muscles/md-to-word.py docs/plan.md --keep-temp

What It Does

1. Preprocesses Markdown — fixes bullet lists, checkbox syntax, spacing
2. Converts Mermaid to PNG — renders diagrams with white backgrounds
3. Calculates optimal sizing — reads actual PNG dimensions, fits 90% of page
4. Converts SVG to PNG — handles banner images
5. Generates Word via pandoc — clean markdown-to-docx conversion
6. Formats tables — Microsoft blue headers, borders, alternating rows
7. Centers images — all diagrams centered on page
8. Styles headings — consistent colors and spacing

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Installation

Prerequisites

Tool	Install Command	Purpose
Python 3.10+	(system)	Script runtime
pandoc	winget install pandoc	Markdown to Word
mermaid-cli	npm install -g @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli	Mermaid to PNG
python-docx	pip install python-docx	Table formatting
svgexport	npm install -g svgexport	SVG to PNG (optional)

Quick Install (All Dependencies)

winget install pandoc
npm install -g @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli svgexport
pip install python-docx

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Options

Option	Default	Description
--images-dir	images	Directory for generated PNG files
--no-format-tables	false	Skip table styling (faster)
--keep-temp	false	Keep temporary markdown file

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Image Sizing Algorithm

The script automatically fits images to 90% of page bounds:

Page: 8.5" x 11" (Letter)
Margins: 1" each side
Usable: 6.5" x 9.0"
Max image: 5.85" x 8.1" (90%)

How It Works

1. Read PNG dimensions from file header (no Pillow needed)
2. Calculate scale factors for width and height constraints
3. Apply most restrictive — ensures fit in both dimensions
4. Specify one dimension — pandoc preserves aspect ratio

Diagram Type	Typical Constraint
Gantt (wide)	{width=5.8in}
Flowchart TB (tall)	{height=8.1in}
Architecture layers	{width=5.8in}
Escalation maps	{height=8.1in}

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Table Formatting

All tables receive professional styling:

Element	Style
Header row	Microsoft blue (#0078D4), white text, bold
Even rows	Light gray (#F0F0F0)
Odd rows	White (#FFFFFF)
Borders	Gray outer (#666666), light inner (#AAAAAA)
Font	10pt headers, 9pt data
Pagination	Rows don't split; headers stay with data

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Supported Diagram Types

Type	Detection	Sizing Strategy
Gantt	gantt keyword	Width priority
Flowchart LR	flowchart lr	Width priority
Flowchart TB	flowchart tb	Height priority
Sequence	sequenceDiagram	Width priority
Class	classDiagram	Auto
ER	erDiagram	Auto
Pie	pie	Smaller width

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Troubleshooting

Issue	Cause	Fix
"mmdc not found"	mermaid-cli not installed	npm install -g @mermaid-js/mermaid-cli
"pandoc not found"	pandoc not in PATH	winget install pandoc, restart terminal
Tables not styled	python-docx missing	pip install python-docx
Diagrams too large	Old script version	Update to v2.0.0 with 90% H+V
Bullet lists merged	Markdown spacing	Script auto-fixes (v2.0.0+)

Debug Mode

python .github/muscles/md-to-word.py doc.md --keep-temp
# Check _temp_word.md for transformed content

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For Heir Projects

Setup

1. Copy .github/muscles/md-to-word.py to your project
2. Install prerequisites (see Installation)
3. Run on any markdown file

Example Integration

# Convert entire docs folder
Get-ChildItem docs/*.md | ForEach-Object {
    python .github/muscles/md-to-word.py $_.FullName
}

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Version History

Version	Changes
2.1.0	Table pagination (cantSplit, keepWithNext) prevents orphan headers
2.0.0	90% H+V coverage, actual PNG dimension reading, markdown preprocessing
1.1.0	Centered images, heading colors, paragraph spacing
1.0.0	Initial: pandoc + mermaid + table formatting

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Related Skills

• markdown-mermaid — Mermaid syntax and ATACCU compliance
• brand-asset-management — SVG banner guidelines
• pptx-generation — Similar workflow for PowerPoint
• svg-graphics — Vector graphics for documentation