Imported from ananiyaugr-5969-18-ai/tikz-pitchdeck-skill (SKILL.md). Install upstream with npx skills add ananiyaugr-5969-18-ai/tikz-pitchdeck-skill. Copyright stays with the author.

TikZ Pitch Deck — Reusable Workflow Skill

This skill describes the exact workflow used to take a reference slide image and produce a matching, polished PDF in LaTeX using pure TikZ. Follow every phase in order. The skill is style-agnostic — it works for any slide design, not any specific company or content.

Phase 1 — Study the Reference Images

Before writing a single line of LaTeX, visually analyse every reference image the user provides. Use view_file on each image file. For each slide, answer:

Layout questions

• Is the slide split into left/right columns? Where is the divider (center, 1/3, 2/3)?
• Are there horizontal dividers? At what vertical position (top quarter, middle, bottom strip)?
• How much white margin is there on all four edges?
• Is there a dark outer frame around a white inner card?

Typography questions

• Which font feels like the display/headline font? (Usually thick serif, used for big statements)
• Which font is used for body text, labels, captions? (Usually clean sans-serif)
• What is the relative size hierarchy? (e.g. headline >> section label >> body >> caption)
• Are headings in ALL CAPS? Mixed case? Which elements are uppercase?

Colour questions

• What is the primary accent colour? (Extract approximate hex by eye)
• Is there a secondary/grey colour for supporting text?
• What colour is the outer frame? The card background?

Element inventory (list all elements visible on each slide)

• Big display numbers (slide numbers, key metrics)
• Section label (top-left small caps text)
• Page number and copyright line (top-center / top-right)
• Dot or bullet navigation indicators (bottom corners)
• Horizontal hairline dividers
• Vertical dividers
• Bullet lists
• Metric callout pairs
• Chart or figure areas
• Bottom footer text

Write these observations as comments at the top of your .tex file before coding.

Phase 2 — Bootstrap the LaTeX Architecture

Use this exact skeleton for every new deck. Do not deviate from these structural decisions; they are what prevent blank pages and font failures.

2.1 Document class and geometry

\documentclass[12pt]{article}
\usepackage[paperwidth=254mm, paperheight=142.875mm, margin=0pt]{geometry}

254 × 142.875 mm is exactly 16:9 at a comfortable print resolution. margin=0pt lets TikZ control all whitespace.

2.2 Required packages

\usepackage{fontspec}          % XeLaTeX font loading
\usepackage{tikz}
\usetikzlibrary{calc, positioning, backgrounds}
\usepackage{array}             % tabular environments inside TikZ nodes
\usepackage{xcolor}
\usepackage{calc}
\usepackage{etoolbox}
\usepackage[hidelinks]{hyperref}
\usepackage{textcomp}
\pagestyle{empty}              % suppress LaTeX's own page numbers

2.3 Fonts (XeLaTeX only — always compile with xelatex)

Load fonts by explicit path to avoid MiKTeX lookup failures.

Critical: Variable fonts (TTF files that contain axis/variation data, e.g. Fraunces.ttf, Bahnschrift) cause dvipdfmx:fatal: Invalid font on MiKTeX. Always use static OTF or static TTF files.

\defaultfontfeatures{Ligatures=TeX}
\setmainfont{YourDisplayFont}[
  Path           = C:/path/to/fonts/,
  Extension      = .otf,
  UprightFont    = *-Bold,          % use the heaviest upright weight available
  BoldFont       = *-Bold,
  ItalicFont     = *-Italic,
  BoldItalicFont = *-BoldItalic
]
\setsansfont{YourBodyFont}          % e.g. Century Gothic, Inter, Outfit
\renewcommand{\familydefault}{\sfdefault}  % sans is the default; serif is display-only

2.4 Colour palette — define before anything else

\definecolor{bgwhite}  {HTML}{FAFAFA}   % card background (warm white, not pure)
\definecolor{primary}  {HTML}{1A1A1A}   % near-black body text
\definecolor{secondary}{HTML}{888888}   % grey supporting text / labels
\definecolor{accent}   {HTML}{E8432A}   % primary accent — match to reference
\definecolor{divider}  {HTML}{D0D0D0}   % hairline dividers
\definecolor{framebg}  {HTML}{2A2A2A}   % dark outer frame

Adjust accent and framebg to match what you see in the reference images.

2.5 Page counter and helper commands

\newcounter{pageno}
\setcounter{pageno}{0}

% Display font (serif, heavy) — used for headlines only
\newcommand{\displayfont}[1]{{\rmfamily\bfseries #1}}

% Large numbered display callouts
\newcommand{\displaynum}[1]{%
  {\fontsize{72}{78}\selectfont\displayfont{\textcolor{accent}{#1}}}}
\newcommand{\displaynumgrey}[1]{%
  {\fontsize{72}{78}\selectfont\displayfont{\textcolor{primary!20}{#1}}}}

% Small uppercase metric label (sans, 7pt)
\newcommand{\metriklabel}[1]{{\fontsize{7}{9}\selectfont\MakeUppercase{#1}}}

% Round bullet (accent colour) for lists
\newcommand{\blt}{\textcolor{accent}{$\bullet$}\hspace{6pt}}

% Navigation dot indicator (filled + hollow, like reference)
\newcommand{\dotindicator}{%
  \textcolor{primary}{$\bullet$}\hspace{1pt}\textcolor{secondary!40}{$\circ$}}

2.6 The slidecard macro — the core of every slide

\newcommand{\slidecard}[3][]{%
  \stepcounter{pageno}%
  \mbox{\rule{0pt}{1pt}}%   ← NEVER remove this. Forces XeTeX to emit the page.
  \begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture, overlay]
    %% White rounded inner card
    \fill[bgwhite, rounded corners=6pt]
      ([xshift=6mm,  yshift=-4mm]current page.north west)
      rectangle
      ([xshift=-6mm, yshift=4mm]current page.south east);
    %% Section label — top left
    \node[anchor=north west, font=\fontsize{8}{10}\selectfont\bfseries,
          text=primary, inner sep=0pt]
      at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-10mm]current page.north west)
      {\MakeUppercase{#2}};
    %% Page number — top center
    \node[anchor=north, font=\fontsize{7}{9}\selectfont,
          text=secondary, inner sep=0pt]
      at ([yshift=-10mm]current page.north)
      {PAGE\,(N\textsuperscript{o}\,\ifnum\value{pageno}<10 0\fi\arabic{pageno})};
    %% Copyright — top right
    \node[anchor=north east, font=\fontsize{7}{9}\selectfont,
          text=accent, inner sep=0pt]
      at ([xshift=-14mm, yshift=-10mm]current page.north east)
      {\textcopyright\ \the\year};
    %% Slide body
    #3
  \end{tikzpicture}
  \par
}

Each slide in the document is then:

\newpage\noindent
\begin{tikzpicture}[remember picture, overlay]
  \fill[framebg] (current page.south west) rectangle (current page.north east);
\end{tikzpicture}%
\noindent
\slidecard{SECTION LABEL}{%
  % your TikZ nodes here
}

Phase 3 — Draft the First Slide

Start with the title slide only. Do not write all 12 slides at once. Draft → compile → inspect → fix. Repeat per slide.

3.1 Positioning coordinate system

All positions are relative to eight named anchors of current page:

north west ────────── north ────────── north east
    │                   │                   │
   west ────────── center ────────── east
    │                   │                   │
south west ────────── south ────────── south east

• Use [xshift=Xmm, yshift=Ymm]anchor to offset from any anchor.
• Positive xshift → moves right. Negative → left.
• Positive yshift → moves up. Negative → down.
• All overlay TikZ nodes must have [remember picture, overlay] on the parent tikzpicture (already set in \slidecard).

3.2 Reproducing a layout from reference image

For each element visible in the reference image:

1. Identify its anchor point (which corner/edge of the element aligns to a known page anchor).
2. Estimate its offset from the nearest page anchor in mm.
3. Set text width so the content never overflows into adjacent elements.
4. Choose font size to match the visual hierarchy in the image.

Example — a large left-anchored headline:

\node[anchor=north west, inner sep=0pt, text width=0.55\paperwidth]
  at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-28mm]current page.north west)
  {{\fontsize{36}{42}\selectfont\displayfont{%
    Your headline\\
    \textcolor{accent}{goes here.}}}};

3.3 Compile and inspect after every slide

xelatex -interaction=nonstopmode yourfile.tex

Then call view_file on the resulting PDF to visually inspect it. Only proceed to the next slide once the current slide looks correct.

Phase 4 — Layout Rules That Prevent Overlapping

These rules were learned through iterative fixing. Apply them from the start.

4.1 Safe zones — do not place content outside these bounds

4.2 Two-column layouts — the center divider pattern

When the reference image shows left/right columns separated by a vertical line:

%% Step 1: Draw the divider at the horizontal center
\draw[divider, line width=0.4pt]
  ([xshift=0mm, yshift=-28mm]current page.north) --
  ([xshift=0mm, yshift=4mm]current page.south);

%% Step 2: Left column — anchored to north west, width capped before center
\node[anchor=north west, inner sep=0pt, text width=0.42\paperwidth]
  at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-28mm]current page.north west)
  { LEFT CONTENT };

%% Step 3: Right column — anchored to current page.north (= center-top), 14mm offset
\node[anchor=north west, inner sep=0pt, text width=0.38\paperwidth]
  at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-28mm]current page.north)
  { RIGHT CONTENT };

Key insight: The right column anchors to current page.north, not current page.north east. This puts it 14mm to the right of the center divider, never overlapping it.

4.3 Horizontal dividers — safe spacing above and below

Always leave at least 4mm of breathing room above and below any \draw[divider] horizontal line before placing text nodes:

%% Divider at -60mm from top
\draw[divider, line width=0.4pt]
  ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-60mm]current page.north west) --
  ([xshift=-14mm, yshift=-60mm]current page.north east);

%% First content row starts 4mm below the divider
\node[anchor=north west, ...]
  at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-64mm]current page.north west)
  { CONTENT };

4.4 Dense content — use tabular inside a node, not individual nodes per cell

If the reference image shows a table or a grid of numbers, do NOT use one TikZ node per cell. Use a single node containing a tabular:

\node[anchor=north west, inner sep=0pt]
  at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=-54mm]current page.north west)
  {%
    \renewcommand{\arraystretch}{1.5}%
    \fontsize{8}{13}\selectfont%
    \begin{tabular}{@{} l r r r @{}}
      \multicolumn{1}{@{}l}{\color{secondary}\bfseries{}} &
      \color{secondary}\bfseries Y1 &
      \color{secondary}\bfseries Y2 &
      \color{secondary}\bfseries Y3 \\
      \hline
      Revenue & 1,755,000 & 4,995,000 & 8,235,000 \\
      \color{secondary}Expenses & \color{secondary}1,821,800 & \color{secondary}2,284,160 & \color{secondary}2,936,500 \\
      \hline
      \textbf{Net} & \textcolor{accent}{\textbf{(66K)}} & \textcolor{accent}{\textbf{2.28M}} & \textcolor{accent}{\textbf{4.58M}} \\
    \end{tabular}%
  };

This guarantees column alignment regardless of number widths.

4.5 Charts and figures — use a TikZ scope with a page-relative shift

When the reference image has a bar chart, pie chart area, or any figure in the lower half of the slide, use \begin{scope}[shift=...] to create a local coordinate system anchored to a safe page point:

%% Chart area: left half of slide, rising from 24mm above south
\begin{scope}[shift={([xshift=20mm, yshift=24mm]current page.south west)}]
  %% X-axis baseline
  \draw[divider, line width=0.6pt] (0,0) -- (95mm, 0);

  %% Dashed grid lines
  \foreach \y/\label in {15mm/3M, 30mm/6M, 45mm/9M}{
    \draw[divider!50, line width=0.3pt, dashed] (0,\y) -- (95mm,\y);
    \node[anchor=east, font=\fontsize{6}{8}\selectfont\color{secondary}]
      at (-2mm,\y) {\label};
  }

  %% Bar group per year (scale: 45mm height = max value)
  %% Year 1 example
  \fill[primary!18, rounded corners=1pt] (10mm,0) rectangle (16mm, HEIGHT_MM);
  \fill[accent,     rounded corners=1pt] (17mm,0) rectangle (23mm, PROFIT_MM);
  \node[anchor=north, font=\fontsize{7}{9}\selectfont\bfseries\color{secondary}]
    at (16mm,-4mm) {Y1};

  %% Legend — top right corner of chart area
  \fill[primary!18] (70mm,50mm) rectangle (74mm,52mm);
  \node[anchor=west, font=\fontsize{6}{8}\selectfont\color{primary}] at (75mm,51mm) {Revenue};
  \fill[accent]     (70mm,45mm) rectangle (74mm,47mm);
  \node[anchor=west, font=\fontsize{6}{8}\selectfont\color{primary}] at (75mm,46mm) {Net Profit};
\end{scope}

To scale a value to chart height in mm:

bar_height_mm = (value / max_value) * chart_height_mm

4.6 Bottom-strip elements — dot indicators, footer text

Elements like navigation dots and footer notes should be anchored to south west or south east, with yshift between 8mm and 22mm (above the card edge):

%% Navigation dot indicator — bottom left
\node[anchor=south west, inner sep=0pt]
  at ([xshift=14mm, yshift=14mm]current page.south west)
  {\dotindicator};

%% Footer note — bottom right
\node[anchor=south east, inner sep=0pt,
      font=\fontsize{7}{9}\selectfont, text=secondary]
  at ([xshift=-14mm, yshift=10mm]current page.south east)
  {Confidential --- \the\year};

Phase 5 — The Visual Inspection Loop

After each compile, use view_file on the PDF. For each slide ask:

Checklist

• Does the headline match the font weight and size in the reference image?
• Are all divider lines visible and at the right position?
• Is there white breathing room (≥ 3–4mm) between every two adjacent elements?
• Does the right column start clearly to the right of the center divider?
• Does any text node run wider than its text width allows?
• Are any numbers/labels cut off at the bottom of the card?
• Do bullet points use round dots (not squares)?
• Are section labels in uppercase using the body (sans) font?
• Are display headlines using the display (serif/heavy) font?
• Is the page number visible at the top center?

Finding overlaps by coordinate math

If you suspect overlap between two nodes:

1. Note the position of element A: anchor=north west at [xshift=14mm, yshift=-60mm].
2. Estimate element A's height from its font size and line count.
   • Approximate: height ≈ (fontsize_pt / 2.835) * linecount mm
3. Check element B's y-position. If B's top is above A's bottom, they overlap.
4. Fix: increase the yshift (more negative) of element B, or decrease font size, or reduce text width so fewer lines wrap.

Systematic fix sequence (apply in this order)

1. Content outside safe zone — clamp yshift to the safe zone table above.
2. Two-column overlap — switch right column anchor from north east to north and add xshift=14mm.
3. Table column misalignment — replace individual nodes with a tabular node.
4. Text node overflow — reduce text width or font size; add align=left.
5. Line break issues — add a space after \\ before \metriklabel or any inline command: Line one\\ \metriklabel{label}.
6. Chart overflow — reduce the scope's yshift to lower the chart, or reduce chart_height_mm.

Phase 6 — Typography Consistency Pass

Once all slides compile without overlap, do a dedicated typography pass:

Rules

• Every main slide headline → \displayfont{...} (the heavy serif/display font)
• Every big metric/number → \displaynum{...} or \displaynumgrey{...}
• Every section label (top-left, small) → \bfseries\MakeUppercase{...} in the body font
• Every body paragraph → body font (sans), 7–9pt
• Every supporting label → \metriklabel{...} (7pt uppercase sans)
• Every list bullet → \blt (round accent-coloured bullet) or \bltsm (grey)
• Navigation dots → \dotindicator (●○ pattern)

Checking consistency

Read through the .tex file and confirm:

• No headline uses \bfseries alone (it would render in sans, not the display font)
• No metric number uses plain \textbf (should use \displayfont or \displaynum)
• All \metriklabel calls are consistent in size and style

Phase 7 — Final Compile and Delivery

xelatex -interaction=nonstopmode yourfile.tex
xelatex -interaction=nonstopmode yourfile.tex   ← run twice to resolve cross-refs

The second run resolves any "Label(s) may have changed" warnings.

Check the compile output:

• Output written on yourfile.pdf (N pages) — confirm N matches expected slide count
• Acceptable warnings: Underfull \hbox, font size substitutions for math symbols
• Fatal errors: anything from dvipdfmx or ! LaTeX Error must be fixed before delivery

Quick Reference Card

Coordinate cheatsheet

Content width cheatsheet

Font size cheatsheet

File Structure

tikz-pitchdeck/
+-- SKILL.md              <- this workflow (read before starting any deck)
+-- examples/
    +-- main-modern.tex   <- reference implementation: 13-slide Nura Digital deck

Study examples/main-modern.tex to see every pattern above applied to a real deck.