ResumeTex
No-code LaTeX CV builder. Fill a form, pick a template, get a compiled LaTeX PDF in one click.
TL;DR
LaTeX CVs look best and are the most annoying to edit. ResumeTex puts a form in front of two classic templates and compiles the PDF for you.
Overview
ResumeTex is a web form that produces a LaTeX-typeset CV without the user ever seeing LaTeX. Pick a template, fill in experience, education, projects and skills with add-and-remove lists, and download the compiled PDF.
Problem
The two most used LaTeX CV templates on the internet produce the cleanest resumes there are, and editing them means a LaTeX install or Overleaf, escaped characters, and a compile log when a stray ampersand breaks the build. Most people who want the output do not want the toolchain.
Approach
- Templates as data: each template (Jake's Resume and the Deedy two-column CV) is a Mustache string with a typed schema, so the form and the renderer agree on exactly which fields exist
- Form to document: a react-hook-form driven editor with dynamic lists renders the schema into LaTeX through Mustache, escaping as it goes
- Server-side compile: API routes compile the document with node-latex against a Dockerized TeX Live, so the user never installs TeX. The PDF comes back in one request
- Stack: Next.js, TypeScript, Mustache, node-latex, pdf-lib, Docker, with a Fly.io config for the TeX image
Key Decisions
- Two templates done properly rather than a template builder: the value is in getting the exact classic layouts right, not in a layout engine.
- Compile on the server: a 2 GB TeX distribution is the whole reason people avoid LaTeX. Keeping it on the server is the product.
Outcome
Live at resumetex.vercel.app.