📋 ClipboardToPDF

ClipboardToPDF is a lightweight Python automation tool that instantly converts your clipboard content into professionally styled PDF documents.

Unlike standard "Save as PDF" workflows, this tool automates the entire metadata process: it intelligently parses your text to generate a filename, detects dates for organization, and archives files into a structured timeline folder system.

🚀 Key Features

• Universal Input: Works with Markdown (headers, tables, code blocks) or Plain Text.

• Smart Auto-Naming:

• Detects Markdown headers (# Title) to name the file.

• Falls back to the first line of text for generic notes.

• Automatic Filing: Creates a timeline directory structure (Documents/Clipboard_Archives/2025/12_December/) so you never have to organize files manually.

• Professional Styling: Applies a clean, minimal CSS theme suitable for printing (A4/Letter margins).

• Crash-Proof: Includes robust error handling for empty clipboards and text encoding issues.

🛠️ Prerequisites

1. System Dependency (Critical)

This tool requires the wkhtmltopdf rendering engine.

• Windows: Download the wkhtmltopdf installer (64-bit).
• Default Path: The script expects it at C:\Program Files\wkhtmltopdf\bin\wkhtmltopdf.exe.

2. Python Environment

• Python 3.8+ recommended.

📦 Installation

1. Clone or Download this repository.
2. Create a Virtual Environment (Recommended):

python -m venv venv
.\venv\Scripts\activate

3. Install Dependencies: Create a requirements.txt file with the following content:

pdfkit>=1.0.0
pyperclip>=1.8.2
markdown>=3.4.1

Then run:

pip install -r requirements.txt

🖥️ Usage

1. Copy Text: Highlight text from anywhere (AI Chat, Notepad, Browser) and press Ctrl+C.
2. Run Script:

python clipboard_to_pdf.py

3. Done: The script will print the saved location and automatically open the folder containing your new PDF.

Example Inputs & Outputs

Input Type	Extracted Filename	Filing Path
Markdown Report	# Shift Log Dec 19	.../2025/12_December/Shift Log Dec 19.pdf
Grocery List	Milk, Eggs, Bread...	.../2025/12_December/Milk_Eggs_Bread.pdf
Code Snippet	# Python Script	.../2025/12_December/Python Script.pdf

⚙️ Configuration

You can customize the script by editing the constants at the top of clipboard_to_pdf.py:

# Change where files are saved
BASE_SAVE_DIR = Path.home() / "Documents" / "Clipboard_Archives"

# Update if you installed wkhtmltopdf in a custom location
WKHTMLTOPDF_PATH = Path(r'C:\Custom\Path\wkhtmltopdf.exe')

🔧 Troubleshooting

Error: "wkhtmltopdf not found"

• Ensure you have installed the software (not just the Python library).
• Verify WKHTMLTOPDF_PATH matches your installation path.

Error: "Clipboard is empty"

• Copy your text before running the script.
• Some remote desktop apps do not share the clipboard with the host machine.

📄 License

This project is licensed under the MIT License - see the LICENSE file for details.

---

Author: Md Samshad Rahman