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CSV to PDF Node

The CSV to PDF node converts CSV (Comma-Separated Values) data into professionally formatted PDF documents. This powerful node enables automatic generation of reports, data tables, student records, and other structured documents from CSV data, with customizable page layout and formatting options.

CSV to PDF node

Basic Usage​

Use the CSV Builder, CSV to PDF, and Display Text nodes to create a workflow that generates PDF reports from structured data.

Inputs​

The CSV to PDF node accepts the following input:

  • CSV Data: The CSV data to be converted into a PDF document. Can come from a CSV Builder node, uploaded file, or any source that provides CSV-formatted data.

Outputs​

  • PDF File URL: The URL of the generated PDF file that can be displayed, downloaded, or used in subsequent nodes.
  • File Output: The file object output that can be connected to other nodes for further processing or storage.

Configuration​

Process Type​

Select the AI model to use for CSV processing and formatting:

  • Claude Opus 4.1: Advanced AI model for sophisticated CSV to PDF conversion with enhanced formatting capabilities.
  • GPT-4o: OpenAI's model for CSV processing and layout optimization.
  • GPT-4o-mini: Fast and cost-effective option for most CSV to PDF tasks.
  • Other supported models: Additional AI models available in your system configuration.

CSV Header​

Define the column headers for your CSV data:

  • Header Input Field: Enter the column names that will appear as headers in the PDF
  • + Add New Header: Click to add additional column headers
  • Headers define the structure and labels for your data columns
  • Order of headers determines the column order in the PDF

Example Headers:

Student ID, Name, Math, English, Science, History, Total, Average

Page Orientation​

Choose the page orientation for the PDF document:

  • Landscape: Horizontal page orientation (wider than tall) - ideal for tables with many columns
  • Portrait: Vertical page orientation (taller than wide) - suitable for narrower tables

Page Size​

Select the paper size for the PDF:

  • A4: Standard international paper size (210 × 297 mm)
  • Letter: Standard US paper size (8.5 × 11 inches)
  • Legal: US legal paper size (8.5 × 14 inches)
  • A3: Larger format (297 × 420 mm) for extensive tables

Display Options​

Configure how the PDF is presented:

  • ☑ Adjust Column: Automatically adjust column widths to fit content optimally
  • ☑ Fit to Page: Scale the table to fit within page margins
  • ☑ Display PDF on Viewer: Show the generated PDF in an inline viewer within the flow
  • ☑ Show Download Button: Provide a download button for users to save the PDF locally

Example Workflows​

Student Grade Report Generation​

Scenario: Generate a PDF report card from student grade data stored in CSV format.

CSV to PDF Example

Steps to Create the Flow:

  1. Start with the Start Node.

  2. Add a CSV Builder node to create structured data:

    • Connect input data sources (forms, databases, manual input)
    • Build the CSV with student information and grades

  3. Add a Text node with CSV data:

    • Provide sample or actual student data
    • Example CSV data:
    Student ID,Name,Math,English,Science,History,Total,Average
    S001,James,85,90,88,92,355,88.75
    S002,Sarah,92,88,95,90,365,91.25
    S003,Michael,78,82,80,85,325,81.25

  4. Add and connect a CSV to PDF node:

    i. Connect CSV data to CSV Data input:

    • Connect the Text node's output (or CSV Builder's output) to the CSV Data input handle

    ii. Select Process Type:

    • Choose Claude Opus 4.1 for high-quality formatting (or your preferred model)

    iii. Configure CSV Headers:

    • Enter header: Student ID
    • Click "+ Add New Header" and enter: Name
    • Continue adding: Math, English, Science, History, Total, Average
    • Headers should match the columns in your CSV data

    iv. Set Page Orientation:

    • Select Landscape (recommended for wide tables with multiple columns)

    v. Set Page Size:

    • Select A4 (or Letter for US format)

    vi. Enable display options:

    • ☑ Adjust Column (auto-adjust column widths)
    • ☑ Fit to Page (ensure table fits within margins)
    • ☑ Display PDF on Viewer (show inline)
    • ☑ Show Download Button (allow downloading)

  5. Add Display Text to show the PDF URL or provide download access.

Preview:

The system will:

  1. Receive CSV data with student grades
  2. Parse the CSV structure using defined headers
  3. Apply formatting and layout based on configuration
  4. Generate a professional PDF table
  5. Display the PDF in viewer and provide download option

Result: A professionally formatted PDF grade report with properly aligned columns, clear headers, and optimized layout that can be viewed online or downloaded for printing and distribution.

Advanced Use Cases​

Automated Report Generation​

Generate periodic reports from database queries or API responses:

  • Connect to data sources that output CSV
  • Automatically convert to PDF on schedule
  • Distribute reports via email or file storage
  • Maintain consistent formatting across all reports

Batch Document Creation​

Create multiple PDFs from large datasets:

  • Process CSV files with hundreds of records
  • Generate individual or summary PDFs
  • Apply consistent styling and branding
  • Archive generated documents

Dynamic Table Formatting​

Create various document types from CSV data:

  • Invoice tables with product listings
  • Inventory reports with stock levels
  • Attendance sheets with student records
  • Sales reports with transaction data

Multi-Page Documents​

Handle large datasets that span multiple pages:

  • Automatic page breaks for long tables
  • Repeated headers on each page
  • Page numbering and footers
  • Optimized column widths across pages

Tips and Best Practices​

  1. Header Accuracy: Ensure CSV headers exactly match the column names in your CSV data for proper parsing.

  2. Column Count: The number of headers should match the number of columns in your CSV data to avoid formatting issues.

  3. Orientation Selection: Use Landscape for tables with many columns (6+) and Portrait for narrower tables to maximize readability.

  4. Data Validation: Validate CSV data before conversion to ensure proper formatting and no missing values that could break table structure.

  5. Adjust Column: Enable this option to automatically optimize column widths based on content length.

  6. Fit to Page: Always enable this to prevent tables from extending beyond page boundaries.

  7. Process Type Selection: Use higher-quality models (Claude Opus, GPT-4o) for complex tables with special formatting needs.

  8. Testing: Test with sample data first to verify layout, spacing, and formatting before processing large datasets.

CSV Data Format​

Basic Format​

CSV data should be properly formatted with consistent delimiters:

Header1,Header2,Header3,Header4
Value1,Value2,Value3,Value4
Value1,Value2,Value3,Value4

Example: Student Grades​

Student ID,Name,Math,English,Science,History,Total,Average
S001,James Miller,85,90,88,92,355,88.75
S002,Sarah Johnson,92,88,95,90,365,91.25
S003,Michael Chen,78,82,80,85,325,81.25
S004,Emily Davis,95,92,94,96,377,94.25

Example: Sales Report​

Order ID,Date,Customer,Product,Quantity,Unit Price,Total
ORD001,2025-11-01,ABC Corp,Widget A,10,25.00,250.00
ORD002,2025-11-02,XYZ Inc,Widget B,5,45.00,225.00
ORD003,2025-11-03,ABC Corp,Widget C,15,30.00,450.00

Example: Inventory List​

SKU,Product Name,Category,In Stock,Reorder Level,Supplier
WDG001,Premium Widget,Widgets,150,50,Supplier A
GDG002,Deluxe Gadget,Gadgets,75,25,Supplier B
TCL003,Standard Tool,Tools,200,100,Supplier C

Common Issues and Solutions​

Headers not matching data:

  • Verify that the number of headers equals the number of CSV columns
  • Check that header names are in the correct order
  • Ensure no extra commas in CSV data causing additional columns

Table extends beyond page:

  • Enable "Fit to Page" option
  • Use Landscape orientation for wide tables
  • Consider reducing font size or column count
  • Enable "Adjust Column" for automatic width optimization

Poor formatting or alignment:

  • Use a more advanced AI model (Claude Opus, GPT-4o)
  • Ensure CSV data is properly formatted with consistent delimiters
  • Check for special characters that might affect parsing
  • Validate data consistency across all rows

PDF not generating:

  • Verify CSV data is properly connected to CSV Data input
  • Check that CSV format is valid (no malformed rows)
  • Ensure at least one header is defined
  • Review system logs for processing errors

Column widths uneven:

  • Enable "Adjust Column" option
  • Ensure consistent data length across rows
  • Consider manual header naming for better spacing
  • Test with different page sizes if needed

Download button not appearing:

  • Verify "Show Download Button" checkbox is enabled
  • Check that PDF generation completed successfully
  • Ensure proper file output handling in workflow

Page Layout Options​

Orientation Comparison​

OrientationBest ForMax ColumnsUse Cases
PortraitNarrow tables3-5 columnsReports with few columns, receipts, simple lists
LandscapeWide tables6-12 columnsGrade reports, inventory sheets, financial data

Page Size Comparison​

SizeDimensionsBest For
A4210×297mmInternational standard, general purpose
Letter8.5×11"US standard, general purpose
Legal8.5×14"Longer documents, more rows per page
A3297×420mmVery wide tables, large datasets

Integration Patterns​

CSV Builder to PDF Pipeline​

[Data Source] → [CSV Builder] → [CSV to PDF] → [Display/Download]
     ↓              ↓                ↓
  Raw Data    Structured CSV    Professional PDF

Form to Report Workflow​

[Form Input] → [Data Processing] → [CSV Builder] → [CSV to PDF] → [Email/Storage]

Batch Processing​

[Multiple Data Sources] → [CSV Builder Loop] → [CSV to PDF] → [Archive]

Quality Check Pipeline​

[CSV Data] → [Validation] → [CSV to PDF] → [Branching] → Pass: [Distribute]
                                                       → Fail: [Error Handler]

Performance Considerations​

Processing Time​

  • Simple tables (< 50 rows): Very fast (seconds)
  • Medium tables (50-200 rows): Fast (10-30 seconds)
  • Large tables (200+ rows): Moderate (30-60 seconds)
  • Complex formatting increases processing time

Token/Credit Usage​

  • CSV to PDF uses AI processing which consumes credits
  • Larger datasets use more tokens
  • More complex models (Claude Opus) use more credits
  • Consider model selection based on quality needs vs. cost

File Size​

  • PDF size depends on row count and column count
  • Images or special characters increase file size
  • Typical tables: 50-500 KB
  • Large datasets: Can exceed 1 MB

Optimization Tips​

  • Use appropriate AI model for your needs (balance quality and cost)
  • Batch similar documents together
  • Cache frequently used templates
  • Optimize CSV data before conversion (remove unnecessary columns)
  • CSV Builder: Create CSV data from various sources
  • Display Text: Show the PDF URL or download link
  • Document Download: Enable PDF download functionality
  • Google Drive: Save generated PDFs to cloud storage
  • PDF from Template: Alternative for template-based PDF generation
  • Data Dump: Store PDF metadata and URLs
  • Branching Node: Route based on PDF generation success/failure
  • API Call: Send PDF URLs to external systems
  • Email Sender: Distribute generated PDFs via email

Use Case Examples​

Example 1: Monthly Sales Report​

CSV Data:

Date,Sales Rep,Region,Sales Amount,Commission
2025-11-01,John Smith,North,$12500.00,$625.00
2025-11-05,Sarah Lee,South,$18750.00,$937.50
2025-11-10,Mike Johnson,East,$14200.00,$710.00
2025-11-15,Emily Davis,West,$16800.00,$840.00

Configuration:

  • Process Type: Claude Opus 4.1
  • Headers: Date, Sales Rep, Region, Sales Amount, Commission
  • Orientation: Landscape
  • Page Size: Letter
  • All display options enabled

Output: Professional sales report PDF with properly formatted currency values and aligned columns.

Example 2: Class Attendance Sheet​

CSV Data:

Student ID,Name,Mon,Tue,Wed,Thu,Fri,Total Days,Attendance %
S001,James Miller,P,P,A,P,P,4,80%
S002,Sarah Johnson,P,P,P,P,P,5,100%
S003,Michael Chen,P,A,P,P,A,3,60%

Configuration:

  • Process Type: GPT-4o-mini (cost-effective)
  • Orientation: Landscape
  • Page Size: A4
  • Adjust Column: Enabled

Output: Clean attendance tracking PDF suitable for teacher records.

Example 3: Product Catalog​

CSV Data:

SKU,Product,Description,Price,Stock Status
WDG001,Premium Widget,"High quality widget with warranty",$49.99,In Stock
GDG002,Deluxe Gadget,"Multi-function gadget",$79.99,Low Stock
TCL003,Standard Tool,"Reliable tool for daily use",$29.99,In Stock

Configuration:

  • Process Type: GPT-4o
  • Orientation: Portrait
  • Page Size: Letter
  • Fit to Page: Enabled

Output: Professional product catalog PDF with descriptions and pricing.

CSV to PDF vs PDF from Template​

FeatureCSV to PDFPDF from Template
InputCSV dataDOCX template + variables
Best ForTabular data, reportsDocuments with mixed content
FlexibilityDynamic row countFixed layout with variable text
FormattingAuto-formatted tablesCustom document design
Use CaseData reports, listsCertificates, forms, letters