How do I customize the appearance of DITA output?

November 10, 2023
|By Bryan Tipper

Customizing DITA Output Appearance

Customizing the appearance of DITA output involves modifying the styling and layout of the output formats, such as HTML or PDF, to match your specific branding and design requirements. Here are ten ways to control the output appearance:

  1. Understanding Output Structure: Familiarize yourself with the structure of the output format you intend to modify (e.g., HTML, PDF).
  2. CSS Customization: Modify Cascading Style Sheets to control fonts, colors, margins, and visual aspects.
  3. Template Adjustment: Create or modify templates to change the layout, headers, footers, and navigation menus.
  4. Custom Fonts and Images: Incorporate custom fonts and images for visual enhancement.
  5. Branding Elements: Add logos, corporate colors, and branding elements to maintain consistency.
  6. Responsive Design: Ensure responsiveness for different devices using media queries in CSS.
  7. Cross-Browser Testing: Test output in various browsers for compatibility and address styling issues.
  8. Accessibility Compliance: Follow accessibility guidelines (e.g., WCAG) to support users with disabilities.
  9. Thorough Testing: Test output for broken links, missing images, and alignment issues.
  10. Documentation and Version Control: Document customization efforts, use version control, and gather user feedback for iterative improvements.