The document discusses generating PDF output from DITA using the DITA Open Toolkit. It separates tasks into categories from easy to more difficult: 1. Creating basic PDF plugins, editing text formatting and localization variables are described as easy. 2. Configuring fonts, formatting tables and the table of contents are categorized as not so easy. 3. Setting up pages, headers/footers and formatting the index are labeled as stupidly hard. 4. The document provides troubleshooting tips and asks if there are any questions.

1. PDFs from the DITA
Open Toolkit
The Easy and the Not So
Easy
Leigh White
DITA Specialist
leigh.white@Ixiasoft.com
Presented at DITA-OT Day
November 2014

2. Me
• Background in Theoretical Linguistics
• Technical Writer who moved into Information
Architecture
• Not a developer…just stubborn
• Willing to experiment, willing to break things

3. Why is this important?
• You need a POC to get the approval for a DITA
migration
• You need a developer to design the outputs for the
POC
• You probably can’t get funds just for a POC
developer
• It’s up to YOU!

4. The Easy
• Creating a PDF plugin
• Editing localization variables
• Formatting text
 Titles
 Body text
 Note labels
 Lists

5. The Not So Easy
• Finding the file to edit
• Configuring fonts
• Formatting tables
• Formatting the TOC

6. The Stupidly Hard
• Setting up pages
• Changing header and footer information
• Formatting the index

7. Troubleshooting
• topic.fo

8. Questions?