templates

How to Create a Business Card PDF Template

Produce consistent business cards from employee directories and role metadata. This tutorial shows a full template workflow you can ship today: preview the target output, copy the Typst template, pass dynamic data via API, and productionize with repeatable request payloads.

Updated 2026-02-19

1. What you'll build

You will build a Business Card PDF template that accepts dynamic data and renders consistently across environments.

The final document includes branded header content, structured rows, and predictable totals suitable for programmatic generation.

2. The Typst template code (copyable)

#set page(paper: "a4", margin: 12pt)
#set text(font: "Inter", size: 10pt)

#let payload = sys.inputs

#grid(
  columns: (2fr, 1fr),
  gutter: 12pt,
  [#text(size: 18pt, weight: "bold")[Business Card]],
  [#align(right)[#text(weight: "semibold")[#payload.document_id]]],
)

#v(8pt)
#line(length: 100%)
#v(8pt)

#for (label, value) in (
  ("Customer", payload.customer),
  ("Date", payload.date),
  ("Reference", payload.reference),
) {
  #grid(columns: (1fr, 2fr), [#text(fill: rgb("#666"))[#label]], [#value])
}

#v(10pt)
#table(
  columns: (2fr, auto, auto),
  inset: 6pt,
  stroke: rgb("#ddd"),
  [*Item*], [*Qty*], [*Amount*],
  ..payload.items.map(item => (
    item.name,
    str(item.qty),
    "$" + str(item.amount),
  )).flatten(),
)

#align(right)[#text(weight: "bold")[Total: $ #payload.total]]

3. Passing dynamic data via API

{
  "document_id": "DOC-1001",
  "customer": "Acme Fulfillment",
  "date": "2026-02-19",
  "reference": "REF-9920",
  "items": [
    { "name": "Widget A", "qty": 2, "amount": 49.99 },
    { "name": "Widget B", "qty": 1, "amount": 19.99 }
  ],
  "total": 119.97
}

4. Full API request example (curl)

curl -X POST "$DOCUFORGE_API_URL/v1/render" \
  -H "X-API-Key: $DOCUFORGE_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{
    "template_id": "tpl_business_card",
    "data": {
      "document_id": "DOC-1001",
      "customer": "Acme Fulfillment",
      "date": "2026-02-19",
      "reference": "REF-9920",
      "items": [
        { "name": "Widget A", "qty": 2, "amount": 49.99 },
        { "name": "Widget B", "qty": 1, "amount": 19.99 }
      ],
      "total": 119.97
    }
  }' \
  --output business-card.pdf

4. Full API request example (JavaScript)

const response = await fetch(`${process.env.DOCUFORGE_API_URL}/v1/render`, {
  method: "POST",
  headers: {
    "X-API-Key": process.env.DOCUFORGE_API_KEY,
    "Content-Type": "application/json",
  },
  body: JSON.stringify({
    template_id: "tpl_business_card",
    data: payload,
  }),
});

const pdf = await response.arrayBuffer();

4. Full API request example (Python)

import requests

resp = requests.post(
    f"{API_URL}/v1/render",
    headers={"X-API-Key": API_KEY, "Content-Type": "application/json"},
    json={
        "template_id": "tpl_business_card",
        "data": payload,
    },
    timeout=30,
)

with open("output.pdf", "wb") as f:
    f.write(resp.content)

5. Customization tips (logo, barcode, layout)

Keep document width and spacing constants in one place to avoid drift.
Prefer deterministic barcode input values generated by your backend.
Store brand colors and typography in template variables for easy theme updates.
Use reusable snippets for repeated footers, legal text, and totals.

6. Try it live

Open playground

FAQ

Can I reuse this business card template across multiple customers?

Yes. Keep customer-specific values in the data payload and keep the layout logic in the template.

Which endpoint should I use in production?

Use POST /v1/render with an API key for production traffic, and POST /v1/render/preview for draft iteration.

Related resources

Generate this with DocuForge in seconds

Use the same template in preview and production routes with a stable request payload.

Try DocuForge free Open playground