marp-vscode Is Recommended for Creating Slides from Markdown

Tadashi Shigeoka ·  Thu, July 6, 2023

I’ll share why marp-vscode is recommended for creating slides from Markdown.

Background: Wanting to Know Recommended Tools for Creating Slides from Markdown

After consulting with ChatGPT (GPT-4) about recommended tools for creating slides from Markdown, I found Marp to be convenient, so I’d like to introduce it.

Here’s the response I got from ChatGPT (GPT-4):

There are several tools for creating slides from Markdown files. Here are some particularly famous and easy-to-use ones:
  1. Pandoc: This tool can convert Markdown to many formats. These include Beamer (LaTeX slide creation tool) and HTML slides. It’s very simple to use - for example, you can convert a Markdown file to HTML slides with a command like this:

    pandoc source.md -t revealjs -s -o output.html

    However, since Pandoc only provides basic conversion features, you might want to consider other tools if you need fine design adjustments.

  2. Marp: Marp is a simple and intuitive tool for creating presentations using Markdown. Marp’s biggest feature is that you can customize the slide design yourself. This allows you to adjust the appearance to your liking. Marp is also available as a VS Code extension.

  3. Remark.js: This is a JavaScript library for converting Markdown to HTML slides. Since users can freely customize slide designs, it can be used according to individual needs. However, note that the setup is somewhat more complex compared to other tools.

  4. GitPitch: GitPitch is a tool that can create slides from Markdown files in Git repositories. Therefore, you can perform version control and presentation creation together. However, GitPitch ended its service in early 2021, so it’s no longer available. Nevertheless, the concept is still useful, and it would be worthwhile to look for other tools that provide similar functionality.

All of these tools are excellent choices for creating slides using Markdown, and you can choose the most suitable tool for your needs.

I Chose Marp Because It Works with VS Code

I chose Marp because I was attracted to the fact that everything can be completed within VS Code.

Below is a list of information I referenced when making my selection:

That’s all from the Gemba, where I regularly use marp-vscode to create slides from Markdown.