paper-slide-deck — Claude Code skill: what it does, how to install
Turns articles, notes, and PDF papers into stylized slide images for social sharing and reading. Useful when visual impact matters more than editable text.
npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a claude-codeWhat paper-slide-deck does
The skill converts markdown text or PDF documents into image-based slides using Gemini image generation models. It includes 17 visual aesthetics, such as watercolor or sketch-notes. When processing research papers, detect-figures.ts identifies figures and tables, while companion scripts crop them into standalone assets. The final slides merge into .pptx and .pdf files.
Operation relies on TypeScript and Python scripts located in scripts/. Running npm install inside that directory sets up canvas, pdfjs-dist, pptxgenjs, and pdf-lib. You must also install Python packages via pip install pymupdf for extracting embedded bitmaps and pip install Pillow to convert Gemini WebP outputs to PNG format.
This workflow fails on formal thesis talks because image models distort equations and exact numbers. When running without a Gemini API key, passing --outline-only keeps the pipeline working by producing outline markdown and image prompts while skipping generation.
What it helps with
- Turn markdown articles or PDF papers into stylized slide decks
- Extract existing figures and tables directly from academic PDF files
- Produce reading-oriented visual decks in 17 distinct visual styles
- Build presentation outlines and image generation prompts without an API key
Example prompts for the agent
- /paper-slide-deck paper.pdf --style sketch-notes
- /paper-slide-deck article.md --audience executives --slides 10
- /paper-slide-deck paper.pdf --outline-only
How to install paper-slide-deck
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a claude-code2Manually: put the files in place
~/.claude/skills/paper-slide-deck/SKILL.mdCopy the whole skill folder; for one project use .claude/skills/paper-slide-deck/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a codex2Manually: put the files in place
.agents/skills/paper-slide-deck/SKILL.mdFor all projects use ~/.agents/skills/
1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a cursor2Manually: put the files in place
.cursor/skills/paper-slide-deck/SKILL.mdCursor also reads .agents/skills/ and .claude/skills/
1GitHub CLI
gh skill install luwill/research-skills paper-slide-deck2Manually: put the files in place
.github/skills/paper-slide-deck/SKILL.md1Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a gemini-cli2Platform CLI
gemini skills install https://github.com/luwill/research-skills --path paper-slide-deckManually: put the files in place
.devin/skills/paper-slide-deck/SKILL.mdThe legacy .windsurf/skills/ path still works
Skills CLI (Vercel)
npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a opencodeClaude.ai
Zip the folder and upload it in Settings → Capabilities → Skills
Step by step, with commands for each platform: How to install skills in Claude Code: five ways
Questions about paper-slide-deck
How to install paper-slide-deck in Claude Code?
Run npx skills add luwill/research-skills --skill paper-slide-deck -a claude-code.
What does paper-slide-deck do?
It converts text notes or PDF papers into stylized, non-editable slide images bundled into PPTX and PDF formats for social sharing.
Can paper-slide-deck run without a Gemini API key?
Yes, specifying --outline-only generates the deck structure, extracts PDF figures, and creates text prompts without calling the image API.
