Custom PDF plug-ins
In most cases, PDF output should be customized by creating custom DITA-OT plug-ins that build on the
default DITA to PDF transformation. PDF plug-ins can customize covers and page layouts, modify formatting, override
the logic of the default PDF plug-in, and much more.
Types of custom PDF plug-ins There are two common types of plug-ins: A plug-in that simply sets the DITA-OT parameters to be used when a PDF is generated, and a plug-in that overrides aspects of the base DITA-OT PDF transformation. A plug-in can, of course, do both of these things.PDF plug-in structure In cases that require substantial customizations, it is often useful to organize the files in a folder structure that mimics the hierarchy of the default PDF plug-in.Example: Creating a simple PDF plug-in This scenario walks through the process of creating a very simple plug-in (com.example.print-pdf
) that creates a new transformation type: print-pdf . Resources for custom PDF plug-ins There are several external resources that can help you generate and refine custom PDF plug-ins for DITA Open Toolkit.