About marp-slides
A skill for creating Marp slide decks in Markdown, aimed at people producing presentations in VS Code. It combines design rules, reusable visual components, curated example decks, and commands for PDF, PowerPoint, and HTML export.
Key features
- 01Guidance for Markdown slide structure
- 02Curated example decks by category
- 03Dark and light theme design rules
- 04Reusable charts and layout components
- 05PDF, PPTX, and HTML export commands
- 06Preview and overflow checks
Use cases
- 01Create a data dashboard presentation
- 02Build an editorial or how-to slide deck
- 03Export slides to PDF, PPTX, or HTML
Install
Copy the command and run it in a terminal.
npx skills add https:/ / github.com/ robonuggets/ marp-slides --skill marp-slidesAfter installing, type/marp-slidesin Claude Code to confirm it loaded.
Bundled files
References and scripts installed along with SKILL.md.
README.mdexamples/marp_apartment.mdmarp_coffee.mdmarp_cocktail.mdmarp_board-game.mdmarp_dog-breed.mdmarp_film-director.mdmarp_comparison.mdmarp_facebook-ads.mdmarp_fitness.mdmarp_garden.mdmarp_hero.mdmarp_kids-party.mdmarp_road-trip.mdmarp_houseplant.mdmarp_recipe.mdmarp_language.mdmarp_home-gym.mdmarp_sample.mdmarp_travel.mdmarp_walking-tour.mdmarp_wardrobe.mdmarp_wine-tasting.mdDetails
From the project READMEMARP Slides v2
Prerequisites
- VS Code extension "Marp for VS Code"
- Settings:
markdown.marp.enableHtml: true+markdown.marp.allowLocalFiles: true - Export:
npx @marp-team/marp-cli slides.md --pdf --allow-local-files
Example Decks (CRITICAL — read before generating)
The examples/ folder contains 22 curated reference decks. Before generating any deck, read 2-3 examples that match the requested style. These are the quality bar — match their composition, spacing, and visual density. Key examples by category:
| Category | Examples to read |
|---|---|
| Data / dashboard | marp_facebook-ads.md, marp_fitness.md, marp_comparison.md |
| Lifestyle / editorial | marp_coffee.md, marp_wine-tasting.md, marp_cocktail.md |
| Guide / how-to | marp_garden.md, marp_houseplant.md, marp_home-gym.md |
| Fun / creative | marp_kids-party.md, marp_board-game.md, marp_film-director.md |
| Travel / location | marp_travel.md, marp_walking-tour.md, marp_road-trip.md |
| Showcase / hero | marp_hero.md, marp_apartment.md, marp_wardrobe.md |
| Reference / sampler | marp_sample.md (component showcase) |
Core Rules
- Slides separated by
--- - YAML frontmatter controls theme/pagination/styles
enableHtmlunlocks SVG, cards, charts, animations, interactive elements- Default 16:9 (1280x720)
Dark Starter Template
The dark template uses Outfit 800 for headings and Raleway 100-200 for body text. CSS variables:
@import url('https://fonts.googleapis.com/css2?family=Outfit:wght@400;600;700;800&family=Raleway:wght@100;200;300&display=swap');
:root {
--accent: #ff6b1a; --accent-hover: #ff8c4a;
--dark: #000; --card: #080808; --border: #111;
--body: #999; --label: #666; --muted: #555; --light: #fff;
--green: #22c55e; --red: #ef4444; --yellow: #f5a623;
}
section { background: var(--dark); color: var(--light); font-family: 'Raleway', sans-serif; font-weight: 200; padding: 56px 72px; }
h1 { font-family: 'Outfit'; font-weight: 800; font-size: 3em; color: var(--light); }
h2 { font-family: 'Raleway'; font-weight: 100; font-size: 1.3em; color: #888; }
h3 { font-family: 'Outfit'; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.6em; color: var(--muted); text-transform: uppercase; letter-spacing: 0.2em; }
strong { color: var(--accent); font-weight: 300; }
section.lead { display: flex; flex-direction: column; justify-content: center; align-items: center; text-align: center; }
header { text-align: right; } header img { margin: 0; }
.row:hover { background: #0c0c0c; } .row { transition: background 0.2s; border-radius: 6px; }
details { background: var(--card); border: 1px solid var(--border); border-radius: 10px; padding: 14px 18px; margin-top: 8px; }
details summary { color: var(--accent); font-family: 'Outfit'; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.8em; cursor: pointer; }
details p { color: var(--body); font-size: 0.78em; margin-top: 8px; }
.tag { font-family: 'Outfit'; font-weight: 600; font-size: 0.55em; letter-spacing: 0.12em; text-transform: uppercase; padding: 3px 10px; border-radius: 4px; }
abbr { text-decoration: none; border-bottom: 1px dotted #333; cursor: help; }
Frontmatter includes: header: ''
Light Theme
Swap vars: --accent: #2563eb; --dark: #fafafa; --card: #fff; --border: #eee; --body: #666; --label: #bbb; --light: #1a1a1a;
Use Space Grotesk + IBM Plex Mono or Plus Jakarta Sans.
Heading Hierarchy
- h1 = title slides (white, extra large)
- h2 = subtitle (grey, thin)
- h3 = section label (muted, uppercase, small)
Font Pairings (Tested)
| Heading | Body | Use |
|---|---|---|
| Outfit 800 | Raleway 100 | Dashboard, data (default) |
| DM Serif Display | DM Sans 300 | Recipes, editorial |
| Space Grotesk 700 | IBM Plex Mono 300 | Travel, light themes |
| Sora 700 | Sora 200 | Product comparisons |
| Urbanist 800 | Urbanist 100 | Music, Spotify-style |
| Plus Jakarta Sans 800 | Plus Jakarta Sans 200 | Retros, team decks |
Images
CRITICAL: Relative paths only. ./image.png works. Absolute paths break in preview.
- Logo header:
header: ''— hide per slide:<!-- _header: '' --> - Photo bg:
 - Split:
or - CDN logos:
<img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/gh/homarr-labs/dashboard-icons/png/name.png" style="width:200px;" /> - Centered inline: wrap img in
<div style="display:flex; justify-content:center;">with border-radius and border
Dashboard Components
Metric Card (gradient top border)
Card with position:relative; overflow:hidden; and absolute div at top with background:linear-gradient(90deg, var(--accent), transparent); height:2px;. Icon + label + big number + trend arrow.
Status Dots
Inline SVG circles: green (#22c55e) = active, yellow (#f5a623) = learning, red (#ef4444) = paused.
<svg width="8" height="8" viewBox="0 0 8 8"><circle cx="4" cy="4" r="4" fill="#22c55e"/></svg>
Verdict Tags
<span class="tag" style="background:#22c55e12; color:var(--green); border:1px solid #22c55e22;">Scale</span>
Swap colors for red (kill) and yellow (review).
Hover Rows
Wrap content in <div class="row"> for hover highlight effect.
SVG Charts
Line / Area Chart
SVG polyline for the line + polygon with linearGradient fill for area under the line. Add grid lines, dashed target line, circle data points. Use viewBox="0 0 900 240" with preserveAspectRatio="none".
Pie / Donut Chart
Each segment = separate circle with stroke-dasharray and stroke-dashoffset. Math: circumference = 2pir. For r=110: ~691. Segment = (pct/100)*691. Offsets accumulate negatively. stroke-width controls ring thickness. Always transform="rotate(-90 cx cy)".
Gauge / Half-Circle Meter
SVG path arc for background + colored value arc. Needle line from center + circle pivot. For scores 0-100. stroke-linecap="round".
Donut Ring
Single circle stroke-dasharray. circ = 2pir. Offset = circ - (circ * pct/100). For r=74: circ=465. 89%: offset=51.
Sparkline (inline mini)
<svg width="50" height="16"><polyline points="0,14 8,12 16,10 24,8 50,2" fill="none" stroke="#22c55e" stroke-width="1.2"/></svg>
Stacked Bar
Flex div with colored width-percent segments, border-radius, overflow:hidden.
Vertical Bar Chart
Flex container align-items:flex-end. Gradient bars: background:linear-gradient(180deg, var(--accent), #cc5515); border-radius:3px 3px 0 0;
Radar / Spider
SVG polygon for hexagonal grid + data shape with fill-opacity:0.1 and stroke outline.
Interactive Elements
- Collapsible:
<details><summary>Title</summary><p>Content</p></details> - Tooltip:
<abbr title="Full text">TERM</abbr> - Slider:
<input type="range" style="accent-color:var(--accent);" /> - Checkbox:
<input type="checkbox" checked style="accent-color:var(--accent);" /> - Progress:
<progress value="76" max="100" style="accent-color:var(--accent);"></progress>
Layout Components
- Before/After Split — two flex panels, border-top red vs green
- Terminal Mockup — traffic light dots + monospace body
- Browser Mockup — dots + URL bar div
- Chat Bubbles — user (left) + agent (right, orange-tinted)
- Flowchart — boxes + SVG arrow connectors
- Timeline — vertical border-left + dot circles
- Card Row — display:flex; gap:14px; with flex:1 children
SVG Icons
All wrapped in <svg width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="var(--accent)" stroke-width="1.5">. Sizes: inline=16, cards=44, features=32.
Dollar: path d="M12 2v20M17 5H9.5a3.5 3.5 0 1 0 0 7h5a3.5 3.5 0 1 1 0 7H6" Heartbeat: polyline points="22 12 18 12 15 21 9 3 6 12 2 12" Check (#22c55e): path d="M22 11.08V12a10 10 0 1 1-5.93-9.14" + polyline points="22 4 12 14.01 9 11.01" Arrow up (#22c55e): polyline points="18 15 12 9 6 15" Arrow down (#ef4444): polyline points="18 9 12 15 6 9" X circle (#ef4444): circle cx=12 cy=12 r=10 + two crossing lines Clock: circle cx=12 cy=12 r=10 + polyline points="12 6 12 12 16 14" Eye: path d="M1 12s4-8 11-8 11 8 11 8-4 8-11 8-11-8-11-8z" + circle cx=12 cy=12 r=3 Lightning: path d="M13 2L3 14h9l-1 8 10-12h-9l1-8z" Warning (#f5a623): triangle path Search: circle cx=11 cy=11 r=8 + line to corner Bars: three vertical paths Users: user silhouette path + circle Globe: circle + horizontal line + vertical ellipse path Lock: rect + arch path Book: two paths for book shape
Animations (HTML export + preview only)
float: translateY(0) to -8px and back glow: box-shadow pulse with accent color blink: border-color toggle for cursors
Stagger with delay: animation: float 4s ease-in-out 0.5s infinite;
Export
npx @marp-team/marp-cli slides.md --pdf --allow-local-files npx @marp-team/marp-cli slides.md --pptx --allow-local-files npx @marp-team/marp-cli slides.md --html --allow-local-files --pptx-editable needs LibreOffice. Animations + details only in HTML.
Design Rules
- One idea per slide. Overflow clips silently.
- h1 = white. Accent for data highlights only.
- Body text #999, labels #666. Never darker than #555.
- Max 6 rows per list slide.
- Charts over numbers. Mix visual types across slides.
- Relative paths only for images.
- Always preview — no overflow warnings in source.
- Per-slide overrides: _backgroundColor, _header, _paginate, _footer
Custom dimensions: section { width: 540px; height: 720px; } (CSS not size: frontmatter). Portrait: stack vertically, scale down 15-20%.